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But the execution of that plan over a 3.1-mile course at Honey Horn Planation -- well, that's not quite so easy.
"Stuff happens throughout the course of the race," Wrightson said. "So it's hard to say what will happen in the end."
As it turns out, exactly as he had hoped.
Sara Manesiotis, Faith Lifer and Emily Crick took the top three spots at Wednesday afternoon's race, respectively, each crossing the finish line within one second of one another at 21 minutes, six seconds. Hilton Head High's girls took five of the top six spots to win the girls' meet with 17 points, followed by Bluffton High School (44), Beaufort High School (97) and Hilton Head Prep (118). Battery Creek and St. Andrew's also were present but had fewer than five runners.
Jack Manesiotis made it a clean sweep for the Seahawks -- and the Manesiotis family -- in the individual portion by winning the boys' race with a time of 16:39, followed by Bluffton's Anthony Vecchio at 16:47 and Battery Creek's Demetrius Smalls at 18:18.
Bluffton won the boys team event with 31 points, followed by Hilton Head High (50), Beaufort High (99), Hilton Head Prep (164) and St. Andrew's (228). Battery Creek had four boys runners participate.
"We approached this as a training run, where we could get some good competition that would push us to run harder," Sara Manesiotis said. "And (Crick and Lifer) were right with me. That's good to see. It helps me run faster because it's motivation when you're in a group and you're up front."
The group edged out Bluffton's top finisher, Brittany Fulton, by just more than 30 seconds. Fulton was one of three Bobcats to round out the top 10, along with Vannica Williams and Madison Putich.
The boys race, on the other hand, saw runners from rival schools pacing off each other. Jack Manesiotis and Vecchio were neck-and-neck for the first two miles before Manesiotis pulled away in the last third of the race.
Manesiotis wasn't sure he was going to participate in the event because of a lingering leg injury but decided to give it a go just minutes before the race started.
"I was kind of looking to just take it easy today," he said. "But once I got out there, I was feeling good, so I said, 'What the heck. Let's go for it.'"
A decision that no doubt paid off for Manesiotis, one of the few top boys runners from Hilton Head High who chose to participate in Wednesday's race.
Bluffton occupied half of the top 10 spots in the boys event. In addition to Vecchio, Ryan Blizzard, Josh Teirney, Landon House and Clark Sinclair also finished among the top 10.
"It's hot out there. There's only about three spots with shade, so it was a tough day to race," said Vecchio, a senior who spent the past fall seasons playing football rather than running cross country. "But we all battled out there as best we could."
Wednesday's team results
Boys
1. Bluffton, 31; 2. Hilton Head High, 50; 3. Beaufort 99; 4. Hilton Head Prep, 164; 5. St. Andrew's 228
Girls
1.Hilton Head High, 17; 2. Bluffton, 44; 3. Beaufort High, 97; 4. Hilton Head Prep, 118
Wednesday's individual results
Boys
1. Jack Manesiotis (HHH), 16:39; 2. Anthony Vecchio (BLF), 16:47; 3. Demetrius Smalls (BC), 18:18; 4. Mark Rennix (BC), 18:39; 5. Ryan Blizzard (BLF), 19:03; 6. Josh Tierney (BLF), 19:03; 7. Alex Couch (HHH), 19:12; 8. Landon House (BLF), 19:29; 9. Ronald Wayne (HHH), 19:34; 10. Clark Sinclair (BLF), 20:04; 12. Taylor Mason (BFT), 19:09; 14. David Butt (BFT), 19:11; 20. Timmy Oschner (Prep), 20:51; 25. Lyle Izzillo (Prep), 21:19.
Girls
1. Sara Manesiotis (HHH), 21:06; 2. Faith Lifer (HHH), 21:06; 3. Emily Crick (HHH), 21:06; 4. Brittany Fulton (BLF), 21:38; 5. Avery Fine (HHH), 21:41; 6. Rosie Dungan (HHH), 21:56; 7. Vannica Williams (BLF), 22:03; 8. Abi Short (HHH), 22:23; 9. Madison Putich (BLF), 22:50; 10. Kelsey Fitzhugh (HHH), 22:53; 16. Marton Matney (Prep) 23:22; 17. Caitlin Howe (BFT), 23:26; 19. Ashley Zapp (BFT), 24:08; 23. Carolyn Rennix (BC).
