Jaylee Duncan has been an underrated force for not one, but two varsity programs this fall: girls cross country and girls swim and dive. Many people outside of PVHS haven’t heard this freshman’s name— yet. With her consistent work ethic and eagerness to improve, Duncan has made an immediate impact in both sports.
A swimmer since elementary, Duncan originally planned to swim rather than run this fall. As a freshman, she was unaware that she had the opportunity to compete in both during the same season. However, cross country coach Jane Wheeler saw potential in Duncan during summer training runs and asked her to consider the possibility of competing in both sports.
“I asked her toward the end of summer if she was planning on doing duel sports,” Wheeler said. “She was unaware that was an option, but was interested in finding out more since she really enjoyed running. I met with her and her mom to explain how we organize the duel sport and how we communicate between athlete and both coaches for her schedule and to make sure she is not overtraining. She decided she wanted to try it because she had done swimming for years, but had not done much formal running competitions.”
Looking at Duncan’s cross country performances thus far, it is hard to imagine that she began her running career less than 10 months ago in junior high track and field. Until this calendar year, she had never run competitively.
At the first meet of the season, Duncan ran a 5k in 22 minutes and 39 seconds. At the next meet, held at the notoriously grueling Crow Creek Park, Duncan improved her time by 55 seconds. At the next meet, Duncan not only dropped another 41 seconds, but also placed second in a field of over 240 runners. By the fourth meet of the season, Duncan had dropped over two minutes from her first 5k time, running 20:32 in extremely muddy conditions at Luther College.
The progress didn’t stop there. On a cool evening in Dubuque, Duncan blazed through the course in 19 minutes and one second, dropping over a minute and a half from her personal record, placing 10th overall and third on a PV team of veteran varsity runners.
The girls cross country team places emphasis on trusting the process, putting in the work, controlling what you can and knowing the results will follow. Duncan embodies this mindset. “I’m glad to see myself improving, I have been working really hard and training so that I can see those improvements. I am also always happy when I see my teammates improving knowing how much work they put in too,” Duncan shared.
Since Dubuque, Duncan has continued to solidify herself as a top five runner on a team loaded with talent. Her growth helped the team maintain a consistent ranking as the number two team in the state. As an individual, Duncan was ranked 14th during week 8 of the season, the highest ranking of any freshman girl in class 4A.
This long list of accomplishments only covers half of Duncan’s achievements during the fall season.
In the pool, Duncan competes in a variety of individual and relay events. As an individual, she swims the 200 IM (individual medley), 100 back and occasional longer-distance freestyle. On the relay side, Duncan swims the 50 backstroke leg of the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay. She was a consistent varsity swimmer on the MAC championship team.
With two sports plus schoolwork to manage, Duncan’s schedule requires an extreme amount of discipline. On Monday at 4:50 a.m., Duncan’s alarm goes off, waking her up for morning swimming practice. In the afternoon, she’s off to cross country. The rest of her week varies depending on which days she competes in meets, but with weight training sessions added to the mix, Duncan averages about two training sessions a day.
With this volume of intense training, burnout becomes a concern. However, Duncan stays focused on recovery and knows to seek out advice when she needs it. She has strong role models in older teammates. “I have always looked up to many of the older girls like Lydia Sommer and Joise Case,” Duncan said. “In swimming, I look up to Dawsyn Green and Leah Patten.”
The same upperclassmen Ducan looks to for guidance hold equal respect for Duncan. They recognize the dedication Duncan has to her teams as well as her ability to stay in the present and enjoy each moment.
Josie Case, a junior on PV’s cross country team, has formed a tight bond with Duncan over the course of the season. “[Jaylee] is the kindest person I have ever met. She always has a great attitude and I can tell that she is going to have great success in cross country as she grows,” Case said. “I think the thing I most respect about Jaylee is that she always puts effort into her races, but at the same time she has that carefree mindset going into races, and I think that’s why she does so well.”
Carlee Wolfe, a senior on Pleasant Valley and North Scott’s combined swim team, also appreciates Duncan’s outgoing and selfless personality. “Jaylee has been bubbly since day one which is admirable as a freshman,” she said. “She is very hardworking; juggling two varsity sports as a freshman and doing very well in both is amazing.”
Whether on the course or in the pool, Duncan brings a rare combination of determination, focus and eagerness to form bonds with teammates. Duncan’s character makes her an asset to any team she becomes a part of. Expect this freshman to become a leader in PV athletic programs over the next three years, both as a competitor and as a teammate.
