The cross-country season will soon be here and once again we have a plethora of talented athletes that will traverse the courses this season. The early-prognosis - and from what we heard from several coaches over the last few month - is that East Greenwich and La Salle Academy are the favorites to win this year's boys' and girls' team titles at the State Meet, scheduled for Nov. 4 at Ponaganset. Who are the top athletes that we should keep our eyes on for individually supremacy? During the next week, we'll let you know who we feel are the strongest contenders this fall.
Here's our latest...
Ellie Lawler, South Kingstown
There's no doubt that Ellie was made for cross country. After finishing a surprising third overall at the state meet as a freshman, the South Kingstown standout earned the top prize at last year's State Meet where she set a meet record of 17:29.28 for Ponaganset's challenging five-kilometer layout. Her win at the championship meet was certainly no fluke. Just a week earlier, she captured the Class A crown, and throughout the season proved unbeatable on the wooded trails. She continued her success post-State Meet by placing second in the New England's, finishing eighth at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Championships and earned All-American status by placing 14th at the national meet in San Diego in early December. Unlike most of her fellow rivals, Ellie skips the indoor season to compete on the school's swim team. With less of a training base behind her for the outdoor season in terms of running, Ellie still managed a respectable spring campaign that included a fourth-place finish in the 3,000m at the State Meet and a solid 17:40.86 clocking for 5K at the New Balance Nationals. Right now, based on what she has done the last two years in X-C and her strong finish in June, Ellie should be listed as the favorite to win her second straight individual crown.