One second kept Ledyard High School's Bryce Hedman from qualifying for the 2013 New England cross country championship.

One measly second.

It became a source of motivation throughout the winter and spring track seasons and something he carried right into his summer training sessions while preparing for his senior season.

But then the unthinkable happened. Hedman suffered a stress fracture in his left shin, forcing him to take a break and ultimately dial back on his training.

Ironically, it may have turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to him.

Hedman was still driven to make amends for that major 2013 disappointment, but instead of logging long-distance miles and running the risk of overtraining, Hedman gradually worked his way back into top form.

And when the biggest races of his senior season finally arrived, Hedman was more than ready.

He beat defending champion Connor Gralton of Norwich Free Academy to win the Eastern Connecticut Conference championship, helped the Colonels qualify for the State Open as a team by placing fourth in the Class M state meet (the team was second) and earned that elusive first trip to the New Englands by cutting 28 seconds off his previous best time at Wickham Park in Manchester to finish 23rd at the State Open.

And just for good measure, Hedman earned All-New England honors, arriving at Wickham the following week to place 21st overall - 12th among Connecticut runners - bettering his time from the Open by two seconds (16 minutes, 16 seconds). He also competed in the Foot Locker Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park in New York and placed 50th in an extremely competitive field.

Those accomplishments make Hedman the easy choice as The Day's 2014 All-Area Runner of the Year in boys' cross country.

"I certainly didn't plan it this way going into the summer," Hedman said.

But he did end up with a definitive recovery plan, courtesy of coach Bill Billing.

"I knew Bryce was a little depressed because he didn't get in the distances over the summer he had hoped for," Billing said. "We had a chat and decided let's not try and come back too soon. I said, 'Let's set our goals for having your best race at the Open.'"

Hedman eased back into training when school resumed. Part of the plan, according to Billing, was to use the early season to help the team improve, especially when two of the other top runners were a pair of newcomers in sophomore transfer Christian Kuss and freshman Jacob Money.

"The idea was to use that as part of his training and contribute to the team's success rather than having PRs or setting course records," Billing said. "I stressed that I wanted him to run, I wanted him to be part of training, but I also wanted him to go out easier in the earlier races, to pace the other guys, to run for the team."

That strategy was tested early. Ledyard's first dual meet was against NFA. Hedman didn't engage in his rivalry with Gralton, losing by 22 seconds on his home course.

"The Bryce of a year ago would have done everything he could have, out of pride, to go after Connor," Billing said. "But that wasn't the time. His time would be later in the season and he was smart enough to realize that."

Hedman admits he was worried about his next meeting with Gralton at the ECC championship meet, but quickly discovered how fresh he was as the race played out.

"I did go out too fast the year before and I was worried about doing that again this year," Hedman said. "But this year I was stronger and this year I was able to stick with (my plan). Training with Kuss and Money was also incredibly helpful compared to last year."

His final indoor and outdoor seasons await, plus he's still deciding on a college choice; Lehigh, UConn and Stony Brook are his top choices right now.

"I still see him as a young runner, learning how to train and race and physically becoming more mature," Billing added. "He has a lot of upside, plus the longer distances in college he'll be very suited for … he's an extremely bright kid who knows the sport and knows his body. His best years are ahead of him."

c.banning@theday.com

Twitter: @chuckbanning1

The Day's 2014 All-Area Boys' Cross Country Team

Player of the Year - Bryce Hedman (Ledyard)

Ross Golebiewski (Old Lyme)

Connor Gralton (NFA)

Christian Kuss (Ledyard)

Brandon Mehlinger (NFA)

Vann Moffett (East Lyme)

Aaron Norcia (Ledyard)

Justin Shafner (Williams)