The talent was apparent from the season’s first starting gun.
In her debut for Bradford High, first-year phenom Korie Dixon set a Bradford High freshman record, posting a time of 19:48 en route to a first-place finish in her debut.
It was a sign of things to come.
Just a few meets later, she ran a 19:07 on the George G. Blaisdell Elementary School course to set the Bradford High record for fastest time at GGB. It was previously held by Sarah Lonzi, who ran a 19:10 in 2006.
From there, the successes only grew, as she won the District 9 Class AA championship with a mark of 19:47, before concluding her freshman campaign with a fourth-place finish at the PIAA State Championships in Hershey on Nov. 7. It was the highest any Bradford High runner has ever placed. In addition, when all three classifications were combined, Dixon was the 16th-fastest runner in the state, a great feat for a freshman.
It was also a bit of a surreal experience, Dixon says, but one she’s glad to have gotten.
“I definitely didn’t plan on going to states and placing top five,” she admitted. “I just planned on our team being good and having a great season with each other. I knew that our team would be tough to beat.”
Of her time in Hershey, she added, “I loved meeting all the new people and the girls that were there, and I loved spending the time with some of my team. It was all so much fun to do.”
Dixon wasn’t the only one surprised by the fourth-place finish. Her coach, Mark Kelley, figured she’d perform well, but a top-five finish exceeded any expectations for the newcomer.
“At the beginning of this season, I felt that Korie would be able to compete alongside St. Marys’ Samantha Hayes (the District 9 runner-up) and returning district champion from Punxsy, Olivia Roberts,” Kelley said. “As the season progressed and her race and workout times continued to drop, I knew that she would have a shot at earning a district title as well as a state medal.
“Even with the utmost confidence in Korie, I was surprised and thrilled with her fourth-place finish. She ran the race plan perfectly. She didn’t panic at the start or when she was in 10th place at the mile. Our goal was to earn a state medal by placing in the top 25, so fourth place was thrilling.”
It would perhaps be easy for Dixon to stop and smell the roses after such a dominant start to her high school career, but instead, the Lady Owls’ top runner is eyeing future goals.
“Next year I want to be able to break 19 minutes,” said Dixon, who ran times between 19-20 minutes in almost all of Bradford’s meets this year. “And I’m hoping to go to states and place better than fourth, so I’ll keep training to make it happen. I’m also hoping our team wins District 9 so we can go and experience (states) together.”
To reach those milestones, Dixon will be training throughout the winter months, though it’s unlikely there’s an indoor track season for her to take advantage of. Instead, Kelley has a training program for the runner.
“As we move into the winter and spring track season, we will meet a few times per week throughout the winter to run and strength train,” Kelley noted. “The goal is to keep (Korie) running consistently through the winter to build a base for the track season.”
And that, the coach says, could pay its dividends next fall.
“As we move into outdoor track, we will shift our focus on racing to set lofty goals for Districts and the PIAA state meet. A strong track season plays a critical role for cross country.
“Korie returns as the third-ranked runner in Class AA next year, and I’m hoping we will be able to attend bigger meets with better competition in the fall to prepare her for the 2021 state meet.”
The goals are lofty, to be sure, but aren’t necessarily unexpected given Dixon’s impressive middle school career.
Dixon began her running career in seventh grade. She wasn’t sure what sport she wanted to get involved with, but took a suggestion from her stepmother to join the cross country team.
“She told me she ran cross country and really liked it and said maybe I should try it. So I signed up in seventh grade and ended up loving it and everyone that runs it, too.”
It was during that seventh-grade year that Kelley noticed Dixon’s potential.
“Korie ran some impressive races as a seventh grader, and I knew if she stuck with the sport, she would become a decorated high school runner,” he said. “Two races in eighth grade that solidified that notion were the McQuaid Invitational and Alden Stampede. Korie earned third placed at McQuaid (the largest cross country race east of the Mississippi) and she won the Alden race against very talented competitors from Buffalo.”
And then as she made the jump to the high school 5K distance, Kelley said Dixon out-performed all of his already-high expectations.
He added, “She is a self-disciplined runner and proved this by consistently logging extra miles on weekends and days we didn’t meet during the summer. When Korie beat Sammy Hayes, a St. Marys runner with three state medals, on four occasions throughout the season, I knew that she had the confidence and ability to compete at the state level.”
Kelley will be counting on Dixon’s confidence and ability, as well as her experiences from 2020, as Bradford takes on the 2021 campaign. The Lady Owls will feature a young roster of five sophomores, two juniors and two new freshmen and only lose one senior from 2020 — Hannah Lary.
“Because we were running in the IU9 bubble this year, the team only had a couple of big race experiences,” Kelley said. “So Korie’s example, experience and success elevates all of the returning members to their joint goal of winning the team title next year and will help prepare us for larger meets. Additionally, Korie brings out the best in her teammates’ performances and attitudes with her total support and unwavering positivity.”
