Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The LaGrange High School cross country team just completed a stellar season and coaches Brad Morman and Mark Headrick credit a newfound competitive edge with much of the success.

The boys and girls teams have always practiced on the school track or along The Thread, the city’s biking, walking, and running path that winds through downtown and area neighborhoods. Both have long provided a good workout in preparation for meets across the region, but Headrick and Morman discovered a “game-changing endurance advantage” in preparation for the 2024 season.

Headrick is a longtime LaGrange resident, a first-year volunteer coach of the high school cross country team, and a friend of Ralph Howard, the founder of Whispering Hills Natural Cemetery and Memorial Nature Preserve.

“I don’t live very far from the high school track, where I would watch the kids train and practice by running around in circles. I knew right then if we’re going to get better at cross country, we need to get in the country, get on some grass and run some hills,” recalled Headrick, who was a champion cross country runner in high school and college.

Headrick first toured Whispering Hills with Howard in the Spring of 2024. He saw the beautiful forest, meadows, and streams throughout the 140-acre preserve, but it was the hilly grass-covered trails through the towering trees that really captured his attention and imagination.

“I shared my thoughts about having our team train here and eventually holding regional meets on these trails and Ralph was as excited as I was about the idea,” recalled Headrick. “Ralph and the Whispering Hills team have been so encouraging, and our high school track and cross country coach Brad Morman immediately shared our passion when he toured the property.”

“When I first walked the trails here, I thought wow, this could be ours for training,” recalled Morman, who also teaches world history at LaGrange High School. “Who in the State of Georgia has a better training facility than this.”

The team started training at Whispering Hills last summer. “We’ve seen the difference in our runners and their ability to dig deeper within themselves in the big meets this season. We swept the Troup County Cross Country Meet this fall, thanks in large part to the stamina earned on this hilly terrain,” Morman noted, referring to wins over Troup County High School, Callaway High School, and Lafayette Christian School.

“There’s nothing whispering about these hills when you’re running them that’s for sure. This is right up there with the most challenging meet courses we see all year,” said sophomore Collier Baker, who sees the difference the Whispering Hills trails have had on his strength and endurance. “These trails are our secret to success, a big reason why we swept the area teams this year.”

An Inspirational Place

The cross country team, coaches and parents have all drawn inspiration from their new training grounds. Sophomore Herra Thurman’s motivation is getting in shape for the upcoming soccer season. “I’m really thankful to have a place like this to train,” Herra shared. “This course is really strenuous and that’s just what I need to be a better cross country runner and soccer player.”

Preston Jenoah Stevens also plays several sports and has found his first year on the cross country squad is preparing him for crunch time. “I can’t say enough about Whispering Hills lending this property to us, because these rough hills are boosting our confidence,” Preston said with a grin. “This place gets the best out of me every time I run these trails.”

Senior Raleigh Thompson claims she and her teammates are competing at a higher level since hitting the challenging course. “You have to grind your way through the steep, hilly stretches. At the same time it’s such a peaceful and beautiful place,” Thompson said. “Unless you look really close, you wouldn’t know it’s a natural cemetery, just a great run through the woods and meadow.”

Baker finds extra encouragement from his aunt’s presence at Whispering Hills. “Every time I run by her tribute stone, I always blow her a kiss and think of her. I can feel her presence in the trees and flowers here. It’s a very special place, and we’re all honored to train here,” he shared. “It’s the perfect cross country course, very demanding with hints of relief under the trees. That shade feels amazing on a hot training day,” he laughed.

“The beauty of this place is the demanding course in a place surrounded by nature,” explained Inman Huffman, a tenth grader who calls the hills brutal and relentless. “You don’t realize this is a natural cemetery until you catch a glimpse of a name on a tribute stone as you run past. It’s all part of nature now and it’s so beautiful and spiritual.”

Paula Johnson’s twin daughters, Faith and Grace, are on the cross country team. “I’m the team’s biggest cheerleader, and I’m thrilled they can run for miles out here and really prepare for the big meets,” said Johnson, who’s also a fan of the growing trend toward natural cemeteries.

“I have friends who’ve already purchased burial rights here at Whispering Hills as part of preplanning their final wishes, and my husband and I are talking about doing the same,” noted Johnson. “It’s a very special place and we would enjoy the peace of mind knowing we’ve got that decision behind us.”

Coaches Brad Morman and Mark Headrick have found their own peace of mind in knowing their team has top trails to train on for seasons to come. “Our secret to success is no secret anymore,” laughed Morman, who envisions LaGrange High School hosting upcoming meets on this challenging course.

“The miles of trails here are the perfect fit for our program, right down to the history of this land,” shared Morman, as his team gathered at the sculpture titled The Resting Plow at the entrance to Whispering Hills. The art installation depicts a farmer and his horse drawn plow and the days when settlers began to farm this land nearly 200 years ago.

“We’re the LaGrange High School Grangers,” Morman said with a smile. “It’s only fitting we train and compete on land rich in farming history. We’re looking forward to hitting these trails again next season.”