Scott Community High School has had its share of success in producing top-flight runners who have been cross-country state medalists in recent years.
Whether SCHS can match that success this season isn’t quite so certain as the boy’s and girl’s squads prepare for
their first meet at Goodland on Sept. 2.
“Individually, we have some kids who should be very competitive. As a team, it’s going to take a few meets to know where we are,” says head coach Kevin Reese.
The boys have the edge in returning experience, led by seniors Miles Pearson, Chris Davis, Edgar De la Cruz and Carl Minnix.
Pearson is a two-time state qualifier and was a member of the state championship team in 2007, but he didn’t qualify for state as a junior, finishing 12th at the Class 4A regional with only the top 10 going to state. He’s been perhaps the hardest working runner through the summer, logging more than 300 miles.
“We’re looking for Miles to step into the role as a team leader like we’ve had the last couple of years with Trace (Kendrick) and Sam (McDaniel),” says Reese. “There isn’t anyone on the team who works harder.”
The head coach feels Pearson could be a top five runner at most of their meets this season.
This could be a breakout season for De la Cruz who has emerged as the team’s No. 2 runner.
“Edgar has come into the season in pretty good shape and I think he has a better understanding of what’s expected of him,” Reese says. “He’s working hard and I expect him to close that gap between him and Miles pretty significantly.”
The Beavers figure to be pretty solid through the No. 3 and 4 spots with Davis and C. Minnix. How much they can climb the ladder and consistently finish among the top 15-20 runners in large meets - or possibly slip into the top 10 at smaller meets - will have a huge bearing on the team’s overall success.
“These boys have shown improvement over the last couple of seasons, but now it’s time for them to be competitive and see how much they can close the gap on our top runners,” says the head coach.
Battling for the No. 5 spot on the varsity roster are Bryce Fairleigh (junior), Alfredo Cordero (junior) Luke Minnix (sophomore), Andrew Brown (freshman) and Oscar Armendariz (freshman).
Girls Lack Experience
Young and inexperienced would describe the Lady Beavers who return just three letterwomen. However, Katelin Murphy, the only senior, has a foot in a walking cast and won’t be able to compete for at least 3-4 weeks, which likely rules out her return to the squad.
The only junior is Catherine Huck, a newcomer.
That puts a lot of the burden on sophomores Janee Davis and Chelsi Hess.
Davis emerged as a pleasant surprise last season, consistently running toward the front of the pack. She finished in 11th place at the regional meet - one spot out of a state qualifying berth. Hess was a respectable 23rd, just 41 seconds behind her teammate.
“Both girls will need to pick up where they left off last season and improve from there for us to do well as a team,” Reese says. “Even though they’re only sophomores, I’m looking for them to be our leaders.”
It’s not as though the freshmen won’t be a factor. In fact, Taylor George, who had an outstanding eighth grade track season in the distance events, could challenge for a top spot on the team and Leah Artz has also looked good in early season workouts.
The other two freshmen are Aubrey Davis and Dominique Jimenez.
“Whether we can put together five strong runners and compete well as a team remains to be seen, but the future is looking pretty good with this group,” adds Reese.
SCHS will open their season on Thurs., Sept. 2, at Goodland, followed by the Tribune Invitational on Sept. 11.