By Rubin E. Grant
Reagan Riley is running cross-country again and nothing could please her more, especially after what she went through last year.
Riley, a junior at Mountain Brook High School, missed most of her sophomore cross-country season because of hip surgery.
She had a torn labrum in her hip, a mix of genetics and overworking, she said. She had surgery Sept. 11, 2020, but came back sooner than expected, pushing her herself in rehab to get back to doing what she loves.
“The prescribed time of recovery was three to four months, but I returned in eight weeks,” Riley said.
Riley returned in time to compete in the Alabama High School Athletic Association state cross-country meet, but she wasn’t in tip-top condition, finishing 18th in the Class 6A race with a time of 20:16.64. Still, she helped the Spartans finish as team runners-up to Homewood.
This season it’s a completely different story. In the Spartans’ first cross-country meet, Riley blew away the competition, winning the Warrior 2 Mile Invitational Sept. 2 with a time of 11:33.
“It’s been incredible, so much fun,” Riley said of her return to cross-country competition at full strength. “I love running, especially being together with my team and racing with them.”
On the one-year anniversary of her surgery, Riley competed in the Chickasaw Trails Invitational at Oakville Indian Mounds Park near Moulton. She finished second with a time of 17:56.86 behind Vestavia Hills senior Crawford West, who won with a time of 17:36.52 to earn AHSAA Cross Country Spotlight for the week.
“She’s so good,” Riley said of West. “It’s always good to race against her.”
The two crossed paths again last Saturday at the Southern Showcase with close to 300 runners competing from several states at John Hunt Running Park in Huntsville. Riley again finished second but this time to Abby Faith Cheeseman from The Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. Riley clocked 17:27.71 in the 5K race while Cheeseman won with a time of 17:19.43. West was third, clocking 17:53.81.
Family Affair
Riley comes from a family of runners. Her dad, Richard Riley, raced at Mountain Brook and in college at Furman and Auburn. Her mom, Shannon (Simmons) Riley, ran for the Spartans until the ninth grade. Her three older brothers — Griffin, James and Harris — all ran for the Spartans and made All-State. Griffin also ran at Ole Miss and was an All-American.
So, there was little doubt that Reagan would become a runner.
“I played basketball until my injury, but I’ve always loved running more,” she said. “I wouldn’t choose another sport.
“I love how pure it is, that the work you put in is what you get out. It’s a sport that is similar to the way you do life. It is something that embodies life, how hard you have to work and how it guides you in day-to-day situations and when you go through adversity. It gives you a warrior mentality.”
After missing most of the 2020 cross-country season, Riley had strong indoor and outdoor seasons. She finished second in the 1,600 meters (5:10.18) and third in 3,200 (11:19.01) in the AHSAA Indoor Championships, helping the Spartans finish as Class 6A runners-up to Northridge.
In the AHSAA 2021 Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Riley won the 3,200 meters (10:47.41) and finished second in the 1,600 (4:59.45), helping the Spartans to another runner-up finish.
“To see her win so many medals during the outdoor season was great,” Mountain Brook track coach Michael McGovern said. “She has grown up and overcome so much. She’s definitely the leader of our team and a leader in the community, someone who’s looked up to.”
Winning the 3,200-meter run was particularly special for Riley because it was her first individual win at state following her surgery and because of her faith and her desire to glorify God with her running.
“Doing well in outdoor showed God’s mercy and grace,” she said. “I never would have been where I was if it wasn’t for that and my faith. It’s a testament to how hard I worked and the support of my friends, the team, the coaches and my parents.
“After I won the 3,200, I was saying glory to glory. That was my motto. I never doubted I would be back. To see how it played out was supernatural and amazing. My best friend Madeline (Baltz) hugged me and was sobbing after I finished. She just said glory to glory. She knew all I’d gone through and how hard I had worked.”
A thoughtful youngster, Riley chooses a word for each season as her motto.
“I’ve always been told I’m wise for my age,” she said. “I do a lot of writing and a lot of reflections.
“My word this year is ‘from,’ such as from affirmation to approval, from where I was to where I am, from this and from that. I focus in on what is this from.”
Riley definitely wants to run in college in two years, but this fall she’s focused on state.
“My goal is to win state and I would like to attend the Nike and Foot Locker races, and my time goal is sub 17:10,” she said. “I also hope to have joy, the joy of just being able to compete in such an amazing sport. It’s a process. It’s not just about the goals, but the journey, doing something with others and making relationships. That’s why it’s so cool.”
