Meet Battery Creek cross country runner Rhakeem Brown

Five minutes and 22 seconds -- that's all Rhakeem Brown needed to get Terry Fillmore's attention.

The Battery Creek High School cross country coach immediately began calling Brown day after day, nearly begging the then-seventh grader to run for the Dolphins after watching him break the Whale Branch Middle School record in the mile.

Four years later and with Brown fresh off a fifth-place finish at the Class 3-A Lower State meet, Fillmore's pursuit has become the Dolphins' prize.

During his junior season, Brown recorded his first-ever top finish by winning the high school portion of the annual Run for Ret in September and has earned three other top-five showings. As a result, the Dolphins were able to take second at the Lower State event, sixth in the SCTCCCA cross country state rankings and are poised for a top-five standing at this weekend's state meet in Columbia.

The Beaufort Gazette/Island Packet caught up with Brown to discuss how he'll approach his third appearance at state, his eating habits and what really drives his race against time.

Question: How did you feel about your showing at the Lower State meet this past weekend?

Answer: I think I did pretty good. I got a (personal record) of 17:20 and fifth place is the best I've done at Lower State. The only thing I wish I could have done differently is pick up my pace on the third mile. There's a hill before you hit the third mile, and while it's not hard to go up, there's a long, flat surface after that, so you have to make sure you gather it together, but I got a little tired. I was happy, though, that we finished second as a team, especially with Mark (Rennix) and Raymond (Wayne) coming back from injury to finish in the top 25.

Q: What approach do you take to each race, as far as your pace and preparation?

A: Well, I used to run all out but that's hard to do for a whole race. I've learned to run smarter, especially in practice right before a meet. I usually sprint out the first 400 meters, then I get in a good pace before picking it up at the third mile. I also try to eat right and stay away from greasy foods.

Q: Wow, a high schooler with a special diet. That's pretty rare. So no McDonald's or Burger King?

A: (Laughs) Yeah, I'll stay away from fast food in the days before a meet because it just slows you down. I'll eat spaghetti and fish or pasta the night before a race, instead.

Q: With only five runners on the boys cross country team, you guys barely have enough to field a complete team. How does a group so small find so much success?

A: Mr. Fillmore is just a great coach and we have a will to win. We just work with what we've got and everybody was there for conditioning in the summer to practice early in the morning. We'll go out to McTeer (Bridge) and run six miles or we'll run Joe Frazier (Road) for six to eight miles to get our endurance base for the season. We've got a pretty dedicated group of guys and I think we'll do well at state.

Q: What are your individual and team goals entering this weekend's state meet?

A: I'm hoping to finish in the top 15. I finished 113th in my ninth-grade year and 50th last year, so I'd like to improve on that. But if anything, I'd rather see us come home with a trophy as a team.

Q: How much have you grown since you first started running cross country, and with one year to go, how much more do you hope to grow?

A: After Mr. Fillmore kept calling, I just came out my eighth-grade year because I knew I wasn't much of a sprinter. (Battery Creek track teammates) Ricky (Chaney) and Norman (Jenkins) told the coaches that I never get tired when I run, so they figured I'd be better with long distance.

The older I get, the faster I want to be. I came into this year with a PR of 17:40, so I made sure I beat that early this year. My goal is to break the school record of 17:03. I've got the record in the 1600 with a 4:45 last year in track, I was part of the 4x800 team that broke the school record last year with a time of 8:11 and I'm about to break the record in the open 800. It's all about getting better and getting faster, so I keep setting goals for myself.