Lydia Shields (’25 Richmond)
After a Junior Outdoor Track season that included Lydia’s first individual All-State Award (6th, 3200m) and a big summer of training, Lydia looks to be one of the top distance runners not just in the Richmond Metro area, but all of VHSL Group 3. To that end, Lydia opened her senior Cross Country campaign on September 7th with a top 10 finish in the Championship Division of the Pole Green Classic with a lifetime best 5k performance of 19:40. This past Saturday (September 14th) Lydia was the anchor leg for the Maggie Walker Lady Green Dragons A Relay at the prestigious RVA Relays. “Lydia anchored our Girls A Relay to the fastest finishing time our girls have ever run. Their 44:40 in the 5 x 2500m event, gave them a 5th place finish in an elite field of over 50 schools,” said Coach Ryan Webb.
Lydia has been a leader on the Cross Country and Track & Field teams for several years, but before the 2024 season, Lydia was officially elected by the team to serve as one of the Girls’ Cross Country captains for her Senior year.
“Lydia has the grit, patience, and determination of a champion, which is clearly demonstrated by her amazing return to the All-State level following last fall’s tragic accident,” said Coach Jim Holdren. “Her strong work ethic, positive attitude, and bubbly personality are infectious, and inspirational and have made a major impact on our talented team destined for great things this season.”
