| Oak Ridge Cross Country |
editor@oakridgesports.com Melanie Kulesz is a chip off the old block. Melanie, a sophomore on the Oak Ridge High School cross country team, is the younger sister of former Lady Wildcats standout Deanna Kulesz. Deanna, a standout runner in her own right who graduated from ORHS in 2002, plied her trade for Western Carolina in college. When you talk to Melanie, she sounds like Deanna. When you watch Melanie run, she looks like Deanna. Both are good things. Melanie said she had a well-defined blueprint to follow after watching her older sister do her thing for the Oak Ridge girls. “When Deanna started running, she got me into it,” said Melanie. “I’m just following in her footsteps. We‘re very similar when we‘re running.” Those footsteps are big ones to fill, but Oak Ridge coach Allen Etheridge said that Melanie is more than up to the task. “You’d be hard pressed to find someone who works harder than Melanie,” said Etheridge. “She never gets down, even when she’s tired. Melanie is always positive. I’m not sure she has too many gears, but her high end is pretty fast.” And Kulesz is in fast company with her Lady Wildcat teammates. That’s also good, because competition makes everyone that much better. In recent two-mile time trials, Kulesz came in a close third to freshmen Autumn Gipson and Leslie Jenkins. Meghan Hughes was right behind in fourth place as Kulesz carded a quality time of 11 minutes, 53 seconds. Kulesz said the competitive practices will do nothing but make the Lady Wildcats better this fall. “So many people have improved since last year,” said Kulesz. “We can be so good. We’re fast and strong and have a humongous group. Individually, I feel a lot stronger and feel like I’m a better runner than I was a year ago.” Etheridge said that Kulesz can be as good as she wants to be. She can even be another, well, Deanna. “I definitely see her as an all-state runner. There’s no doubt about that.” Like we said, a chip off the old block. Starting-gun time, finally: Etheridge’s Oak Ridge cross country teams finally kick off the 2006 season this weekend at the Tennessee Classic in Brentwood. The meet, held at the Steeplechase Course, is one of the oldest cross country events to be found. “It’s the biggest meet in Tennessee and one of the oldest,” said Etheridge. “It’s about 35 years old and you’re looking at about 60 to 80 teams in two divisions. Everybody who wants to be a player in the state is gonna be there except for Germantown Houston’s girls.” Normally, Oak Ridge would already have two or three meets under its belt heading into the Tennessee Classic. Etheridge said there’s a method to the madness in starting so late this year. “Ed Wright (Oak Ridge assistant) and I talked about starting the racing season late this year with the idea of being fresh and excited at the end of October when it really mattered. Sometimes in the past our experience was we’ve been at our best at the end of September and the first of October. Then, they’re dying by the end of the year.” Etheridge said the new strategy looks like it has worked to perfection as his teams are fit and chomping at the bit. “We have two teams that need to be tested and need to be going up against the best competition possible even if they get drilled. We’re excited and ready.” |
editor@oakridgesports.com Chris Cole is one of those rare athletes who is on the brink of going from very good to great. Cole, a junior on the defending Class AAA champion Oak Ridge High School cross country team, is that good. But the difference from very good to great is that fine. From here on out, it’s the small things that will determine if Cole can make the transition to elite status. “Chris is still a kid, but he has gotten better from year to year,” said ORHS coach Allen Etheridge. “He has great wheels. I’m talking about a kid who can run 51 (seconds) for 400 (meters) or 1:59 for 800, but I’m not sure he has done everything he can nutrition wise and in terms of stretching and strength. “That’s the extra five-percent bump in performance you get that makes the difference in people he wants to compete with.” Speaking of competitors, Etheridge said Cole takes a backseat to nobody when the starting gun goes off. “Chris likes to race. He feels pressure like everyone else until he’ s racing. Once you put him in there, he’s fine.” Cole couldn’t agree more. He might be a white knuckler just before race time, but after that first stride, Cole is one cool cat. “I always feel sick right before the race. But when the gun goes off it all goes away,” said Cole. The Wildcats’ standout distance runner said a little psychology doesn’t hurt, either. “A lot of times I run better when I run mad. At times, coach Etheridge tries to make me mad.” Mad or not, the Wildcats’ top harrier recently turned in a blistering time of 9 minutes, 45 seconds in a two-mile time trial at Ben Martin Track. That’s moving on. “That’s the fastest time (for the two-mile) since Nic Crider ran in 1994 or 1995,” said Etheridge, referring to another Oak Ridge great from the past. “That translates to about 15:45 for 5,000 meters. That’s sharp, and he’s getting there.” Even more encouraging, teammates Maclean O’Donnell (9:49) and Emerson Peacock (9:59) also turned in superlative clockings in the same time trials. “I can’t ever remember a time when we put three guys under 10 minutes in the time trials,” said Etheridge. Cole said he wants to make 2006 a season to remember, both as a team and individually. With cohorts like O’Donnell and Peacock around him, anything is possible. “We’re all really anxious to race. My main goal is for the team to win the state again. Personally, my individual goal is to get top five at the state.” Etheridge said the potential is unlimited for Cole. “In a general sense we’re shooting for a real high finish (at state). How high, we won’t know until we start racing.” That process all begins Saturday when Oak Ridge travels to Nashville for the annual Tennessee Classic Meet at the Steeplechase Course. Oak Ridge’s other meets this fall include: Sept. 23 - Great American Cross Country Festival, Birmingham (Ala.); Sept. 30 - Vol Classic, Knoxville; Oct. 7 - Chattanooga McCallie Invitational; Oct. 26 - Region at Knoxville; Nov. 5 - State at Nashville. |
editor@oakridgesports.com It was a clean sweep for Oak Ridge at Saturday’s annual running of the Tennessee Classic Cross Country Meet in Nashville. It may not be the last. Coach Allen Etheridge’s highly regarded team won both the boys’ and girls’ varsity and junior divisions as they opened their 2006 season. “It was a sweep, but I don’t know how clean it was,” laughed Etheridge. Oak Ridge’s boys came in as the solid No. 1 team in Tennessee and certainly did nothing to tarnish their reputation. The Wildcats totaled 135 points to outdistance Germantown Houston (149), Baylor (193), Webb (223) and Maryville (238) in the 49-team varsity competition. “They beat a good Houston team and beat some other really highly ranked teams,” said Etheridge. “Boys’ wise, we’re exactly where we want to be.” Leading the pack for OR were Emerson Peacock and Maclean O’Donnell. Peacock toured the 5k course in 17 minutes and 15 seconds. O’Donnell was one second back of Peacock in 14th place. “Emerson and Maclean were both outstanding and fearless. There’s a lot more left in the tank with those two guys.” Brentwood’s Sean Keveren took individual honors with a time of 16:06. Other varsity finishers along with their places and times for Oak Ridge were: 21. Phil Riemer (17:27); 42. Chris Cole (1: 52); 45. John Sharpe (17:56); 49. Ben Shassere (18:00) and 80. Ethan McGroom (18:21). Etheridge said Riemer was the Wildcats’ secret weapon. “Phil Riemer was huge. I knew how good he was, but I really haven’t said much about him. Nobody else knew we had him.” He’s a secret no more. Cole, the Wildcats’ No. 1 runner, battled through some heat-related issues. “Chris was sick. He was out great for the mile, but his body just shut down. It was hot -- it was nearly 90 degrees and there’s not a lick of shade on the course. He gutted through it. I give him a lot of credit.” Etheridge also gave Sharpe, just a freshman, lots of credit. “For a ninth grader in his first high school meet, John Sharpe was outstanding.” Meanwhile, the Lady Wildcats turned in almost a carbon copy performance of the boys on the distaff side. Oak Ridge put away the 30-team field by scoring 70 points to runnerup Morristown West’s 77. Others in the top five were Bob Jones (113), Webb (138) and Science Hill (151). The Lady Wildcats put seven runners in the top 31 with sophomore Melanie Kulesz setting the pace with an eighth- place finish (20:52). “Our girls were fabulous,” applauded Etheridge. Based on Saturday’s showing, the Lady Wildcats will also likely be the top-ranked girls’ team in the state when the next cross-country poll comes out. “They were as nervous as I’ve ever seen them before a race. I think it was because they wanted so badly to prove to themselves and to me that they were as good as I thought they were. Then, they went out and ran their hearts out. “Melanie was awesome. She ran about as hard as she can. She was ‘done’ after the race.” A pair of freshmen -- Leslie Jenkins (13th, 21:26) and Allison Myles (17th, 21:43) -- sandwiched junior Whitney Irby (15th, 21:33) for OR. Jenkins really picked up the pace just before the midpoint of the race while Miles had a strong finishing kick. “At about the mile and a quarter point I got on her (Jenkins),” said Etheridge. “At that time she was about 15th to 18th and going backwards. She really responded. Probably the biggest race for us was by Allison. She picked off about five runners a half-mile from the finish line.” The Lady Wildcats also got strong races out of Corinne Lariviere (23rd, 22:13), Tara Tae (27th, 22:17) and Meghan Hughes (31st, 22:27). “Corinne has found a new level to her running and competitiveness. You can’t say enough about how important Tara is to our team in a number of ways.” Topping the list of finishers was sophomore sensation Kathy Kroeger of Independence High School in Nashville. Kroeger, one of the top runners in the nation, posted a sizzling time of 17:49 to easily beat second-place Amber Zimmerman (19:45) of Webb. In the junior varsity races, Oak Ridge was even more dominant. The Wildcats’ “A” team had a remarkably low total (28) with a huge field on hand. OR’s Christian Lewellyn led the way for the Wildcats with a third-place effort. “They were fabulous. Christian Lewellyn just ran great. We’re so deep we can score 28 points in a JV race that has over 600 runners. That’s amazing.” Daviees County (Ky.) was well back in the team race with 119 points. Laurel O’Donnell scored a fifth-place finish to pace the Lady Wildcats’ junior varsity to the team crown. “Laurel is close to running her way back on the varsity.” Oak Ridge’s girls finished with 56 points to clip Bob Jones High School (71) for first in the team race. Etheridge also lauded the run of freshman Stephanie Soldano. “Stephanie has willed herself to be a better runner.” Oak Ridge makes another appearance in a big-time meet Saturday when Etheridge takes his squad to Birmingham, Ala., for the prestigious Great American Cross Country Festival. Oak Ridge’s junior varsity will run Thursday in a meet at Melton Hill Park. Oak Ridge boys’ junior varsity finishes and times were: 3. Christian Lewellyn (18:18); 4. Aaron Oswald (18:31); 5. James Miller (18:32); 6. Chris Ostrouchov (18:40); 10. Aron Beierschmitt (18:48); 14. Cory O’Leary (18:59); 17. Rett Myer (19:08); 21. Zach Meyers (19:12); 54. Jimmy Varnell (19:47); 57. Scott Molony (19:49); 62. John Black (19:51); 75. Landon Smith (20:01). 86. Samuel Hendry (20:14); 89. David Drown (20:17); 91. Ted Kocak (20:19); 136. Nathan Livesay (21:09); 151. Kevin Peek (21:20); 182. Liam Holland (21:50); 283. Evan DeVallette (23:12); 377. Stephen Mandry (25:20); 398. Eric Peek (25:54); 424. Bob Smith (27:01). Oak Ridge girls’ junior varsity finishes and times were: 5. Laurel O’Donnell (22:42); 9. Stephanie Soldano (23: 11); 10. Erica Cinder (23:15); 13. Hilde Oliver (23:19); 19. Lauren Irby (23:29); 24. Bernadette Riemer (23:59); 43. Emily Oswald (25:00); 48. Ashley Stoetzel (25:15); 54. Lauren Lee (25:24). 55. Hannah Fronzak (25:26); 62. Savannah Robertson (25:45); 63. Laura Mitchell (25:45); 64. Betsy Hilliard (25:46); 69. Natalie Paul (25:58); 70. Lauren Nettles (25:59); 73. Katherine Lewis (26:01); 75. Catherine Backus (26:03); 88. Brenda Rizo (26:28); 108. Abbey Cox (27:01); 122. Alyssa McMurtry (27:22); 125. Claire Freeman (27:25); 144. Rachel Howell (27:56); 155. Amelia Campbell (28:13); 204. Danielle Jodoin (30:20); 227. Allie Bishop (31:35); 257. Chermantha Foster (33:37); 281. Ella Foster (41:03). |
| Coach Allen Etheridge & Coach Ed Wright |
| Laurel O'Donnell (#659) w/Stephanie Soldano (#666) in the background |
| Cory O'Lear (#976), Christian Lewellyn (#967), Chirstopher Ostrouchov (#977) |
| Rett Myer (#974), Aron Beierschmitt (#958 |