Warrior teams set goal for state meet

BY JOHN LUND
Times-Shamrock Writer

The District 2 Class A and AA cross country championships will be held today at Elk Lake High School, starting at 11:20 a.m.

Area cross country teams will put their hard work and dedication from a grueling season to the test, with a trip to the state championship in Hershey as either an individual or as part of the team, on the line.

Both the Elk Lake girls’ and boys’ teams finished in second place at last year’s Class A meet, which sent both teams off to states.

Expectations were high for both teams coming into the season, but each has found success this season and developed into the top teams in the Lackawanna League.

The girls’ team finished the season undefeated at 19-0 and ahead of Holy Cross (18-1), who won the district title last season.

After having to battle injuries to his team last season, Elk Lake head coach Will Squier’s squad has remained fairly healthy en route to the perfect regular season.

“We’ve had a good season, but it hasn’t been quite as rosy as you might think” he said. “I have some holes that I didn’t think I would have, and I think we’re a little bit of an underdog (to Holy Cross). I feel pretty confident that our front four can run against anyone’s front four. We’re definitely close to them, but not quite as dominant.”

Though Elk Lake managed to beat Holy Cross by one point in their meet earlier in the year, the Lady Crusaders were without one of their top runners, and Elk Lake’s Julie VanEtten has since suffered a toe injury that has deemed her questionable for today’s meet.

However, VanEtten’s sister, Jenny, is slowly regaining her form after missing all of last season from a serious injury, and could provide Elk Lake with the depth it needs after the top four.

The combination of Katie Bennett, Kenzie Jones, Justine Johns and Keri Jones has given the Lady Warriors one of the best clusters in the league.

The quad is also no stranger to the competitive nature of districts, and will be primed to put forth their nest performance of the season.

“They are certainly an experienced team for their age and have lots of experience at high level of competition,” Squier said. “It’s fun to have the four of them up there being that good and strong and I’m looking forward to the race. We’re definitely going to compete.”

The boys’ team put together a 19-2 record, good for third overall in the league behind Scranton Prep and North Pocono.

On paper, the team’s top runners are young, but like the girls’ team, will enter districts with experienced and the ability to put out their best effort in an important race.

“I think they’ve flown under the radar a little bit in the state, but I definitely think we’re a contender for one of the top two positions,” Squier said. “They didn’t run as well as I thought they could of last year being young and inexperienced, but this year they’re back, much more settled and determined. I’m excited about the boys and think they have a really good shot.”

Squier said that the boys’ team reminds him of his 2008 state champion squad, in that the team doesn’t consist of one or two superstar runners, but ran as a solid pack, a key in running big races.

“Packs win big races,” he said. “If you’re good in the front, you don’t have to be the best but can be competitive at the district and state level. With the times they’re running, I think they’ll have a really good shot.”

Hunter Bedell, Dan Bell, Hunter Watkins, Dalton Sherman and Seth and Cale Owens are some of the few Warriors looking to set themselves at the top of the pack.

Like he has done throughout his coaching career, Squier has prepped his teams throughout the season to be in peak form for not only districts, but the state meet as well.

“Our number one priority is to get to states out of the district meet,” he said. “I do list goals and prioritize goals with the kids. Districts is awesome and we’re always going to try to win, but you need to keep things in perspective. We can’t lose sight of our goal, but we also want to be on the podium at states. Districts is another race for us, and another race for us going to states. It’s a hoop you have to jump through, and that’s a hoop we want to make sure we make it through.”

As far as gaining an advantage with the district meet held on his home course, Squier views the meet as a disadvantage if anything, as the early morning festivities can sometimes take away time spent with his teams to prepare them for the meet.

However, he is still happy to host the event and make it into the spectacle he feels cross country runners deserve.

“I want the district meet to be the equivalent of a playoff football game, so that when the kids come out they feel like this is their stage and it’s important that they’re showcased for working their heads off all year,” Squier said. “We have the facility and the parking to do that and make it a great race and experience.”