Dark horse Demons

Behind Walsh and Francesconi, Westlake is looking for a strong season

It’s been a long time since anyone around Westlake girls cross country had legitimate excitement about the program. But this year, the Demons are shaping up to be a potential dark horse come October.

The Demons have the deepest team they’ve had in 15 years, including a mix of upperclassmen with experience and new runners with potential.

“We have a really nice balance of top talent and depth this year that we’ve really never had before,” Westlake coach Travis Haselswerdt, who is entering his 15th season, said. “We have a legit top seven runners that we’ve never had and if we stay healthy it could be a special year.”

Westlake’s success will first begin with its top runner in sophomore Teagan Walsh. Haselswerdt believes Walsh could go down as one of the best runners in Westlake history and potentially could be the first Demon in over 20 years to qualify for a state berth.

Last season, Walsh’s personal record was a freshman-record of 19:41. A regional qualifier, Walsh made a push for a state berth. However, at the two-mile mark, she was in the pack that had a chance to go to state, but Haselswerdt said she didn’t make it because they didn’t run in enough big meets throughout the year.

“One of the big changes we made this season was we upped her schedule and her training,” he said. “She’s been running with some of the boys. And then we have Erica Francesconi as a training partner and she’s got somebody now that she can run with at her level. Once we get to Boardman, and if we’re healthy, we could be a really good team with those two potentially being the best runners we’ve ever had.”

If the name Francesconi rings a bell, it’s because her older brother, Sebastian, ran cross country for the boys team and qualified for the district meet last season.

Francesconi, a junior, is a relatively new runner, but could also challenge for a state finals berth. It gives the Demons another dimension added to a potent lineup.

She ran track for Westlake last spring and had a couple good performances, but was mostly injured. She’s been a swimmer for her whole career and it took Haselswerdt a lot to convince her to try cross country.

“I don’t mean this in a bad way, but she’s kind of naive and doesn’t know much about the sport,” he said. “She really doesn’t know how to race at all. But she’s a natural competitor.”

Francesconi wants to make a name for herself this season.

“She wants to blaze her own trail,” Haselswerdt added. “She really loves her brother to death and they’re a close family. Sebastian had such a great career but she doesn’t want to be known just for being his sister. It’s kind of cool she’s getting noticed.”

Another sophomore that should be strong is Olivia Irwin, who had a personal record of 20:36 last season, and seniors Ellie Templeton (21:23) and Meredith Hansen (21:19) round out a strong top five for Westlake.

Of course, there’s a long way to go before the postseason, and the first step to a successful season is being competitive within the Southwestern Conference. But don’t be surprised if they make opponents sweat in 2017.

“We’ve never been quite competitive in our conference,” he said. “We’ve got a chance to be a top two team, and that’s saying something because Berea-Midpark, Avon and Amherst are all really good. I really think we’ve got as good a chance as anybody to be a top five team at the districts as well. Once we get to regionals and if we’re there as a team, Teagan and Erica have as good a chance as anyone of getting down to Columbus. I don’t want to jinx it or put any pressure on them. But staying healthy is the key.”