A pack of speedsters, including several locals, near the end of their final run for this week's Wide Open Cross Country Camp.

Davis Stockwell is a Georgia high school state champion and already runs a 4:15 mile, but that doesn’t mean he’s too good for the Wide Open Cross Country Camp.

In fact, it’s that very camp the Lakeside High senior partially credits for being not just good, but great, in the first place.

Stockwell spent the week on campus at St. Bernard for the second straight year and third the Narewskis have brought their elite operation to the Cullman boarding school. Unlike other camps he’s attended that consist solely of running, the Atlanta teen said Wide Open provides plenty of coaching on technique and form, too.

Like learning how to finish, which came in pretty handy during Stockwell’s state championship campaign.

“I’ve been running since like halfway through ninth grade, so I haven’t really been running that long,” he said. “There’s still plenty to learn just about the sport in general and how to get better.”

Stockwell was one of around 160 young runners on hand for a week full of training and fun. He wasn’t the only state champion, either, with Winfield’s Nick Klein and Homewood’s Andy Smith among the others making appearances.

And don’t forget Jared Stanley, Kramer Crider and C.J. Lang from reigning Class 1A-2A state champion Cold Springs. Lang said the difference between his second camp experience this year and first in 2014 was night and day. Groups were faster, everything was more organized and kids worried more about improving than racing each other during every activity.

“We all need to push it a little harder this year because it’s going to be a lot harder to repeat, and this camp helps a lot,” said Lang, a sophomore. “We do a lot of good running and core workout, and they work on your form.”

One team hoping to break up Cold Springs’ bid for back-to-back state titles is St. Bernard. Coach William Calvert had most of his top runners in action this week, including first-time attendee Isaias Robles.

The junior’s biggest takeaway from the camp was a change in arm movement. Once a free swinger, Robles said he now knows to move his arms like he’s hammering nails and to keep them bent at 90 degrees.

“I think we’re going to have a good season this year. Maybe get first place. Hoping for it,” he said. “Just practice and practice, get better and we’ll make it.”

Fairview’s Alexus Lindsey, who’s swapping out volleyball for cross country her senior year, was another first-time camper. Because of Wide Open, she’ll enter the upcoming season knowing how to keep a pace.

Just don’t expect Lindsey to pace the lofty expectations she has for herself and her squad. Full speed ahead is all the hurdling whiz and mutli-sport standout knows.

“I really want to run faster, maybe under 21,” she said. “I think we’re going to have a better team this year because we kind of work together and work a little harder.”

Wide Open, in its sixth year, is run by father-son tandem Stan and Taylor Narewski. Stan spent 12 years atop Wallace State’s since-disbanded cross country program and has also made coaching stops at Auburn, Florida, Clemson, Kansas, Furman and Murray State. He’s a five-time National Coach of the Year and has taught more than 300 All-Americans and 12 Olympians.

Taylor, the camp director, said he thought this year’s stay at St. Bernard was the “best that we’ve had here.” The addition of tactical coaching was a big reason why. Montevallo’s Tommy Barksdale and Stockwell’s coach at Lakeside, Clark Rivers, provided major helping hands in how to run hills and turns, how to take a good line on a course, and how to start and finish.

Basic stuff, right? Not always.

“Those are things that people think you just kind of know, but you actually need to practice those things,” said Taylor, a Georgia Tech grad. “Having them doing that here I think really added a new dimension to the camp.”

Participation was up by 60 runners from last year and has doubled since Wide Open first strayed from headquarters in North Carolina. Oak Mountain (7A) had the highest representation with a shade more than 30 student-athletes. Homewood (6A), Winfield (3A) and Walker (6A) also brought their fair share of speedsters.

“It’s really fun to coach the guys that are really fast and then coach the kids that are just getting into the sport,” Taylor said. “You kind of teach them how to learn to love to run. If you don’t know how to love it or you don’t love it, you’re not going to keep doing it. That’s kind of the fun that I think my dad and I enjoy imparting on them.”

When asked whether Wide Open will return in 2016, Taylor didn’t hesitate.

“Absolutely,” he said. “We’re hoping to fill it up again. It’s just continuing to grow and the people at St. Bernard are great. I say it every year, but these are the best trails in the state to run on.”