FRONT ROYAL — Ashley Gambill came into this season with added confidence, and that confidence just grew as the season went on. The Skyline junior girls cross country runner finished her outdoor track season in impressive fashion and she looked to build off of that with a strong cross country season. “I feel like this year I really improved since last year,” Gambill said.
“It’s been a tough year, coming off of going to states for track. And I just felt like there’s so much room for improvement, and I really accomplished that this year. And I’m really, really grateful for the season that I had.
” Gambill, The Northern Virginia Daily’s 2024 Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, finished 10th in the Class 3 state track and field meet last year and said she gained a lot of confidence from that. “It gave me so much confidence,” Gambill said. “I’ve really boosted my confidence because starting completely over from middle school is definitely a major push.
I’ve always been so confident in my running and it really shows when you go to the big leagues [the high school level] and compete.” Skyline cross country coach Misty Bordner said she definitely saw a difference in Gambill after last track season. “Ashley’s outdoor track success last year, especially her state qualification in the 3200 and her 10th-place finish, definitely gave her a boost heading into cross country this year,” Bordner said.
“Those experiences helped her build a strong foundat.
