By Nick Cammuso
Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT —
There are athletes who enjoy what they do.
Then there are athletes like Dayton McVicker who go the extra mile.
No, make that miles. Lots of them.
“This week was a 60-mile week,” Fairmont Senior boys’ cross country coach Chris Neptune said of his standout senior runner.
But here’s the kicker: That’s really nothing once you realize the amount of time McVicker puts into the sport. Prior to the cross country season, there have been 70-and 80-mile weeks. And even in those stretches where 80 is the magic number, he didn’t stop there, and kept going until the 84th or 85th mile.
“He works harder than anyone I know,” Neptune said. “I don’t think anyone puts in more effort than he does.”
Three years into his prep career, it’s certainly paid off.
He was 25th at the state meet as a freshman and battled back from a leg injury as a sophomore to have a strong junior year with a third-place finish at states.
