By Liz Bramlett
Dedication. Hard work. Determination. These words make her who she is today.
Freshman Everly Carter used her work ethic to bring herself to the all-conference title at the 2024 Hoosier Heritage Conference Meet.
Although she is still young, Carter is the top runner on the girls’ cross-country team.
Earlier during the season, Carter dislocated her hip. This caused her times to go up to 23 minutes, 3.6 seconds in the season-opening meet at Oak Hill..
But that did not stop Carter. She continued to push through and got her time back down to a personal record 20:53.55 in the Nike Twilight meet near the end of the season..
“I felt like my hard work is starting to pay off,” Carter said.
Unfortunately, the week of October 19, Carter was out of school with pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection that causes inflammation in the air sacs of the lungs.
Due to this infection, Carter was not able to participate in her cross country sectionals. This meant she was no longer able to qualify for regionals. This was a big letdown for herself and the team.
“I felt disappointed because I knew I could make it to regionals,” Carter said.
Her cousin, sophomore Peyton Engle, has always unknowingly influenced Carter’s passion for this sport.
Engle has also been one of the top runners on the Delta High School boys’ cross country team.
Beginning in middle school when Carter first started running, she looked up to Engle as a role model for cross country and decided to give it a shot.
Throughout the years, Carter’s dad, Aaron Carter, has continued to push her passion and build up her motivation.
He said he is always willing to help his daughter with whatever questions she has about cross country. Mr. Carter would sit and do research or look up ways to help her on her path to success.
Mr. Carter also said he has never doubted Carter’s abilities and has always helped her through tough meets with his positive self-talk and words of affirmation like you can do it or even just giving advice on who to run with.
Carter has used her dad’s positivity to help push through every minute of every meet.
Carter has also used the stability of her relationship with Christ. Religion is a big part of her self and work ethic.
“I know who I am running for (God),” Carter said. “No matter what happens during the race, it is going to be okay.”
Carter’s ritual before every meet is to pray. She says her prayers help calm her nerves or thoughts.
There is one specific Bible verse that Carter says to herself before every run, 1 Corinthians 9:25.
“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
Carter has gone beyond her goals and continues to show up and show out.
Senior Addison Shue is another major runner on the cross-country team. Shue is extremely proud of Carter’s season results.
“Carter’s hard work has gone and made her get that title (all-conference),” Shue said.
With Shue leaving high school this school year, this is a great role model opportunity for Carter.
Freshman Ella Ewing is also on the girls’ cross country team. Ewing says she always sees Carter motivating others to do their best and is always using encouraging words even when she is down.
Ewing says that she is forever willing to look up to Carter because of her positive traits and her determination in this sport.
Head coach Mackenzie Dye Conley has high faith in Carter’s success as well.
Dye Conley has been coaching for 10 years and she has been head coach with the Delta program for five years.
She said that Carter’s endurance, distance and mentality have continued to grow the more and more she runs.
Overall, Carter has stayed true to herself throughout all and has accomplished goals that not even Carter herself could have imagined.
“Hopefully she continues to stay at the top of the team and become a very reliable runner for the future,” Coach Dye Conley said.
