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10/27/2016 12:00 AMFinn Davidson stood on the doorstep of earning All-State accolades when he helped the Guilford boys’ cross country squad win the Class MM title last season. Finn has continued trekking toward that distinction this year and will get another chance when the Indians run at the State Championship.
Finn, who’s a senior co-captain for Guilford this fall, was an All-SCC Team selection and part of the club’s state title run in 2015, but he missed making All-State by one spot when he finished ninth at the Class MM competition. Using that as a driving force this fall, Finn recently led the Indians to their second-straight Hammonasset Division crown by placing first with season-best time of 15:44 in a tri-meet sweep of Hand and Foran. Finn then cracked the top 10 by running 16:36 at last week’s SCC Championship to repeat his All-SCC bid, while making the First Team. Now, Finn sets his sights on the state meet.
“I’m looking to place well at states, hopefully in the top eight for All-State. I’m hoping to crack that spot and be close to the top,” says Finn. “We’re a younger team this year, but we’ve done a lot of work and know what to do to get the victory.”
At the recent meet that saw the Indians defend their division title, some of Finn’s fellow runners shot right out of the gate. However, like a grizzled veteran, Finn stayed back, remained calm, and waited for his chance to storm to the front of the pack.
“[Head Coach Jon Rivera] gave us the lowdown on the runners we had to watch before the race. I wasn’t super worried. I was confident, but not cocky,” Finn says. “After the gun, a Hand runner raced past everyone, but I held back and waited until he dropped off. Later, I was pretty much by myself, but my teammates and parents kept me going. I was just happy to see my training pay off.”
In terms of his thought process during races, Finn stays on an even keel the whole way through and uses mind-over-matter mentality when it comes to those gut-check moments.
“A lot of racing is mental. It’s about applying what you know. I like to relax into the pace, settle myself, and get into a groove,” says Finn. “When you panic, you tighten up and lose efficiency. I also try to put my mind over any pain.”
Based on Finn’s approach to running and the way he guides Guilford both on and off the course, Coach Rivera feels that Finn is truly a one-of-a-kind captain for the Indians.
“Finn is a natural leader. He leads by example. He works hard. Something that stands out about him is his ability to run through adversity. He is not always feeling his best or the race might not be going his way, but he is the ultimate fighter. You know what you are getting every time: an all-out effort. I would go to war with him any day,” says Rivera. “Finn works hard in the classroom and meshes well with senior co-captain Josh Stern. He cares about what he does and tries to spread his work ethic onto the younger guys on the team. He has a chance to have some really special moments the next couple of races and into his final track seasons.”
As he gets ready to compete alongside his teammates at states, Finn appreciates all the people who’ve made the last few years such an enjoyable experience with the Guilford cross country program. Finn thanks Coach Rivera, coaches Pat Martucci and George Cooksey, and former Guilford track and cross country Head Coach Jon Faitsch, along with his family and teammates.
“When I decided to start running in high school, I found my niche and my friends. It was something I felt I could train hard at. It was one of those things where what you get out of it is what you put into it, so I felt I could put a lot of time into it,” Finn says. “My coaches and their advice have helped me. It’s also been my mentality of working hard every day. I put myself in a good position, I thought, since a lot of the top runners from last year graduated. I knew I could put in the hard work and I think the results are showing.”