COUNTDOWN TO X-C
The cross-country season officially started this week with the first official practice on Monday. During the next week, MileSplit Ri will feature the top boys and girls to watch this season in its Countdown to X-C series. The potential is there for some sizzling times on the trails. Just five runners have graduated from last year's top 14 finishers for both the boys and girls.
RUNNERS TO WATCH
Eliza Rego, junior, La Salle Academy
In her first season of cross country last fall, Eliza was a dominant force. She gave indication right from the start by winning her race at the season-opening Injury Fund Carnival by nearly a minute with a fast 18:27 clocking. Eliza was also third in her race at the Great American X-C Festival in N.C., and set a course record by placing first at the Class A meet in late October with a personal best of 17:47.08 for the five-kilometer distance. Unfortunately, the only hiccup for Eliza came at the state meet where a lightning, fast pace took its toll and she collapsed with a half-mile remaining and never made it to the finish line.
Eliza has demonstrated her resilience since that mishap. She placed seventh the following week at the New England Championship and had equal success on the indoor and outdoor surfaces the remainder of the year. She led the Rams to the indoor state crown with runner-up placements in the 3,000-meter run, 1,500m and the 1,000m. She also was second in the 1,500m and 800m during outdoor this past spring.
La Salle coach Kelly Martin has indicated that Eliza and her senior teammate Sheridan Wilbur are in tip-top shape from a productive summer of training. Look for Eliza to pick up where she left off last year with another strong year. She is one of the leading candidates to snare the individual title, a crown that has been captured by Barrington’s Emma McMillan the last two years. It won’t be easy with a handful of runners capable of breaking 18 minutes at Ponaganset’s covered-bridge trail, site of the state meet. But you can’t count Eliza out. With her talent and mental focus, she is very capable of breaking the tape at the finish.
Eliza dominates at Injury Fund
<p> Countdown to 2014 cross-country season.</p>