High expectations for seniors Elder, Edmonds and McClory as Cross Country gets underway

 

John Elder likes to get the first race out of the way.

Which is one reason why the Fremont Ross cross country teams rose early Saturday morning for the long trip to the OHSAA Early Season Invitational, to get the kinks out of their system before hosting this weekend’s Norm Bray Invitational at Walsh Park.

“We were disappointed (Saturday), they were disappointed, so we were all on the same page, which I like,” Elder said.

“The times were not as good as we expected, the performances were not as good as we expected but…big meets are hard to run in, especially right out of the gate.”

While the times were slower than hoped for, the season’s first meet did nothing to diminish Elder’s optimism for what the season may hold for the Little and Lady Giant runners.

The boys squad boasts a pair of seniors, Ethan McClory and Zach Edmonds, that Elder believes can contend for the Three Rivers Athletic Conference individual championship, and a supporting cast that may be able to lend itself toward contending for the team title as well.

“Boys, I think we have a really good one-two punch with Zach and Ethan,” Elder said. “I look at them as being interchangeable. This past weekend Ethan was the first runner for the boys and Zach was second. It may end up totally different (next week) but it doesn’t matter. I expect those two to fight for the top spot at every meet we run at.

“We can compete for the league title (individually). But for the team stuff, you have to worry about your three, four, five, maybe sixth runner. That’s what we have to develop.”

Elder believes the Little Giants’ next crop of runners, Brayden Darr, Isaias Ortiz and Jake Thompson, will be pushed for their places by a large pack, giving Ross a collection of interchangeable depth pieces. Evan and Ivan Starkweather, Trenton Ward, Zach McNutt, Zach Glotzbecker and freshman Jewlius Pasch, Elder believes, can all push for place in the top 5.

The girls’ team will once again look to senior McKela Elder, who has been setting the standard for her team since her sophomore year. Saturday, McKela Elder crossed the finish line more than two minutes ahead of her closest teammate, Allison Taylor, and five minutes ahead of third-place Sarah Burciaga.

“She had a good track season, she broke the school record in the 800 and she was dominant in track,” said John Elder, no relation, said of McKela Elder. “Based on that, we expect a lot out of her, and she has high expectations for herself.”

Behind McKela Elder, sophomores Taylor, Burciaga, and freshman Mackenzie Smith give the girls team a young foundation from which to build.

“Allison is going to be right in the mx. I’m not sure how close she can get to McKela, but our goal is to get her as close as she can. Freshman Mackenzie Smith can run with Allison, she was sick (Saturday) so we didn’t get a chance to see what she can do, but we expect her in our top three. And Buriaga, I kind of wonder if she can run with Mackenzie and Allison as she gains experience. I don’t know, but she’s tough.”

The girls’ supporting cast includes McKenna Englund, Madalyn Metcalf, Nadia Kirksey, Grace Egbert and Kayla Glotzbecker.

With the Early Season Invite out of the way, Ross is looking forward to Saturday’s annual running of the Norm Bray Invitational at Walsh Park. The boys race will begin at 9 a.m. with the girls slated to begin at 9:45.

“We don’t start off well at the first meet, for a lot of reasons,” Elder said. “Then it seems like, for our second meet, it’s like, ‘Ok, now we know what to do.’ And we do well. So, let’s get our bad race out of the way so for the Norm Bray, we run a good race.”

OHSAA Early Season Invitational

GIRLS

Team: Fremont Ross, 28 out of 31 teams, 804 points

McKela Elder, 56th place overall (56 points), 21:08.7

Allison Taylor, 156 (138), 23:12

Sarah Burciaga, 252 (199), 26:17

McKenna Englund, 260 (203), 26:49

Madalyn Metcalf, 268 (208), 27:54.6

Nadia Kirksey, 270, 27:58.5

Grace Egbert, 273, 28:00.5,

Kayla Glotzbecker, 279, 28:59.3

BOYS

Team: Fremont Ross, 28 out of 32, 669 points

64-73-172-177-183-189-195

Ethan McClory, 66th place overall (64 points), 17:53.5

Zach Edmonds, 75 (73), 18:02.7

Brayden Darr, 194 (172), 19:42.1

Isaias Ortiz, 201 (177), 19:47.5

Jake Thompson, 212 (183), 19:54.1

Trenton Ward, 224, 20:19.6

Zach McNutt, 234, 20:34.6

Ivan Starkweather, 238, 20:43.6

Zach Glotzbecker, 250, 21:03.5

Evan Starkweather, 268, 21:46.0