The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Get up to date on the cross country scene
Fuad Shalhout has his weekly look at area cross country, including items on the Westlake girls and Bay boys teams, plus the top times in the area so far this season.
A pair of young Westlake runners are carrying the Demons girls team far this season.
Sophomore Teagan Walsh and freshman Emma Jaros are proving their youth hasn’t held them back.
At the Southwestern Conference Preview meet to open up the season, Jaros (20:04.9) and Walsh (20:10.8) finished second and third, respectively, behind Avon’s Jules Frombach (20:01.5). The Demons placed fourth (84).
“We didn’t expect this finish at all,” Jaros said after the meet. “I was in third most of the time with Teagan, and I felt pretty good the whole time and then I passed a girl and was kind of in shock.
“I was extremely nervous because this is my first meet ever.”
Jaros followed that up at the Mentor Cardinal Classic with a 19:32, breaking the Westlake freshman 5K record and earning a ninth place finish. Walsh was 12th (19:44.8), and the Demons took fifth overall out of 20 teams.
On Sept. 9 at the Bruce Lerch Invitational, Jaros
was 10th (21:01.52) and Walsh 17th (21:27.53). Another Demons girl, Erica Francesconi, was third (19:52.83).
Walsh is a reigning regional qualifier, and because Jaros is going through her first varsity season, she’s been picking Walsh’s brain so she can achieve that same success.
“She’s always been really nice,” Jaros added.
Jaros’ father used to run, and it wasn’t until middle
school that Jaros herself officially laced it up. She also plays soccer and runs track and field. Like many high school athletes, having to balance soccer and cross country during the same season is a tough task, but she’s managed her way through.
“It’s really good because we do sprints in soccer, and I usually just do the soccer workouts and then I’ll come to cross country,” Jaros said.
Walsh fell just short of qualifying for a state berth last season, and if she continues the pace she’s going at, she can crack that hurdle this year.
“I definitely know how to race smarter now,” Walsh said. “I prefer running in a pack. I’d like to make it to state and just improve.”
Over the summer, Walsh ran over 30 miles per week to prep for the season. Like Jaros, Walsh began in middle school and she played soccer; her father also ran. She ran to get in shape for soccer, but wound up falling in love with it. A few years later, she’s already one of the top runners in her area.
“Our team this year is really good, and we’re hoping to place better in conference and get to regionals,” Walsh said.
Rocket men
The Rockets boys team is showing why it’s still a Division II state contender.
Bay lost its top runner from last season in AllOhio athlete Jamie Dailey, but hasn’t skipped a beat. At the Tiffin Carnival on Sept. 9, Bay placed third in a 47-team race, led by Sam Coe taking 12th with a PR (16:26). Khaled Hamil was 26th (16:54) and freshman Jude Ault set a PR (16:55) taking 27th.
During the open race, junior Ivan Slepkan blew away the competition taking first (17:37), further proving Bay’s depth. Slepkan is battling back from a hamstring injury and wants to get back on the varsity team.
“We’ve been going for a state championship for the past two years,” Slepkan said after the race. “Injuries have hurt us a bit, but hopefully this is the year.”
The Rockets are ranked No. 7 in the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches poll.
Around the course
• The Rocky River boys team is ranked No. 5 in the Division II Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches poll, the highest ranking in The Morning Journal coverage area. Top runner Eddie Zuercher recently clocked in at 15:56 at the Ashland Invitational.
• Avon junior Jules Frombach has led the D-I Eagles all year, winning the Southwestern Conference meet (20:01.5), the Ashland Invitational (19:51) and was 10th out of 133 runners at the Tiffin Carnival (19:28.8).
• Bay freshman Olivia Bird has led the D-II Rockets all year, taking 13th at Tiffin (19:35) and winning the Great Lakes Conference Preview meet (20:09), where Bay won the team title.
• Columbia’s Matt Pettegrew took ninth place at the Pat Ritchie Invitational at Walsh Jesuit, clocking in at 17:25.
• The 32nd annual Spartan Invitational at Boardman takes place Sept. 16. The event begins at 9 a.m with boys D-III varsity and will work its way through all divisions from there.