By Kevin Gartman
Cross Country Coach
Coming off one of our strongest seasons as a boys program, with a second-place conference finish and fifth-place state qualifying finish, the boys team is not completing rebuilding, but looking to re-tool despite losing three top runners from last year.
Brydon Henning and Cam Johnson (graduated) and Gavin Strong (focus on basketball) are significant losses as leaders and runners, but there’s a lot to be excited about.
This boys team of seven high school runners has no seniors, so there’s a sense of excitement among the team that the growth they have together this year will be able to be built upon for next year as well.
Having a full varsity roster hasn’t been a given each year, so we’re excited about the numbers and the work these seven have put in.
Some exciting initial growth has been made by sophomore Jack Erselius and junior Colton Benson.
Jack and Colton often found themselves as the fourth through sixth runners on the varsity team last season, but have been running as the first or second runner in practice throughout the summer and fall.
Jack and Colton have had to embrace the leadership role that comes with that, and running with young teammates around them, they’ve been helping to pave the way for this growth of the team moving forward.
Sophomore Carter McKee continues to show a great deal of potential and is currently injury-free, surpassing a problem that bothered him for most of last year. Carter has the potential to be an all-conference runner this season as long as he stays healthy.
Sophomore Jayden Ross continues to ascend as well. Throughout last season he went from running in the 39:00 range at the start of practice and had the light bulb go off and finished the year at a 22:15.
While taking 17 minutes off in a year isn’t something he can do this year, I do believe he’s going to be even stronger and in for a solid sophomore season.
We have three freshmen on the team, all making the jump together from junior high last season in Bryson Stockman, Jusiah Wetering, and Kohen Holland. All three look to have consistent roles for us and will make a difference with all seven athletes running varsity.
This boys group has been a lot of fun to be around and while looking at what they’ve lost, they’re expected to be down in the conference race, but the team and myself expect them to be in the battle to finish in the top 2-3 and make Montezuma proud.
Boys Runners:
COLTON BENSON 11
JACK ERSELIUS 10
CARTER MCKEE 10
JAYDEN ROSS 10
KOHEN HOLLAND 9
BRYSON STOCKMAN 9
JUSIAH WETERING 9
Meet Schedule:
- 8/31 @ Williamsburg
- 9/4 @ Central College
- 9/9 @ Marshalltown
- 9/13 @ Pleasantville
- 9/16 @ Lynnville-Sully
- 9/21 @ Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
- 9/27 @ Clear Creek-Amana (Iowa City)
- 9/30 @ Winfield-Mt. Union
- 10/7 @ Montezuma
- 10/12 SICL Championship @ Montezuma
- 10/21 State Qualifying @ TBD