Girls cross country runners set for new season

By BEAU WICKER

PHAROS-TRIBUNE

Logansport’s girls cross country team had a pack mentality last season that led to one of the most successful seasons in the program’s history.

Logan coach Brian Morrill thinks his squad can record a similar type of season after the Berries finished third at the North Central Conference meet and was a regional qualifier a year ago.

“We finished third at the conference which was our highest finish in 30 years. It was the first time we ever finished in the upper division,” Morrill said. “Going to regional was big because it had been a few years since we did that. We’d be really happy to finish in the upper division [at the NCC meet] and get back to the regional.”

The Logan squad said his squad is somewhat limited because it lacks a true No. 1 runner that finishes in the top five or top 10 in the bigger meets.

“We still don’t have a strong front-runner and that hurts in the big races. We’ve got five to seven good runners but not anyone who finishes in the top 10 in big meets. That gives you a high number because we don’t have anybody who jumps out at you,” he said. “The girls are running in a tight pack and running well together. Right now not having anybody in the top 10 in big meets will drive our score up. If we got all five to seven close together and not in the top 10, we won’t be too far behind in that big group.”

The Berries have three of their top seven runners back from a year ago in senior Lexi Musselman, junior Megan Martin and sophomore Maddi Zartman.

Sophomore Alanna Echols, who ran JV last season, has been running in the top three in the early practices. The Berries are also getting a boost from three freshmen who have been running in the top seven in practices in Emily Pomasl, Gracie Musselman and Ashlyn Lythgoe.

“That’s our top seven as of right now,” said Morrill, who added 29 girls are out for the team this year. “We’ve got about six or seven other runners competing for varsity spots who are just a little behind.

“We’ve got seven girls who are working really, really hard. I think we can be as good as we were last year but that remains to be seen. ... By mid September we’ll know how good we will be.”