Posted noon July 30,2006

    OR Girls' Cross Country Preview
    'Going Up'

    By Mike Blackerby
    editor@oakridgesports.com

    The Oak Ridge boys are already at the peak of the state high school cross country
    mountain.
    Their counterparts on the distaff side are nearing the top – and closing fast.
    Two seasons ago, coach Allen Etheridge’s Lady Wildcats failed to even qualify for the
    state meet. Oak Ridge’s girls rebounded in 2005 with a much-improved fourth-place
    showing at state.
    Etheridge said the bar has been set even higher as the ’06 campaign draws closer.
    “Three teams could win the state this year,” offered Etheridge.
    “Morristown West comes in as the odds-on favorite. They won it last year. White Station
    has two girls who are sub five-minute milers. We’re in that group too.
    “We have three girls (sophomore Melanie Kulesz, sophomore Meghan Hughes and
    junior Whitney Irby) back who made all-region a year ago. They have hammered each
    other in preseason workouts.
    “Our girls have had the best summer I can remember. The way I’m approaching this
    group is we want to try and win the state.”
    Etheridge said all three of the above-mentioned runners can move up the high school
    cross country food chain this season.
    Last November at the Steeplechase course Irby was 17th at state, Kulesz was 22nd and
    Hughes was 35th.
    “Last year was a learning experience for Kulesz. I don’t think she had her best race
    year. Meghan, Whitney and Melanie are right there together for us right now. You can
    also put Laurel O’Donnell in there with them. She has raced pretty close to them in the
    past. That right there is a pretty tough top four.”
    A wildcard for OR this fall could be senior Tara Tae.
    After an outstanding middle school career, Tae has had some ups and downs at the
    high school level. “Tara was really good as a freshman, struggled with injuries as a
    sophomore and came back last year and ran better than ever. If she runs like she did a
    few years ago, Tara could be huge for us.”
    Etheridge also has some huge hopes for a talented freshman class.
    “I don’t normally like to talk about freshmen, but we have some pretty heralded
    freshmen coming in. Leslie Jenkins, Autumn Gipson and Allison Miles are all looking at
    (making) the varsity.”
    One for the second thumb?
    Oak Ridge stands second in all-time cross country state titles (boys and girls combined)
    in Tennessee.
    Baylor leads with 10 state championships, followed by Oak Ridge’s nine. The Lady
    Wildcats, who have won three state crowns, are looking for their first Class AAA title
    since 1999.
    Schedule upgrade
    Given the strength of his teams, Etheridge has Oak Ridge entered in some of the top
    meets in the state and the southeast. Oak Ridge will also get a later start (Sept. 16)
    than usual on its fall schedule of meets.
    Etheridge said it’s all part of a big-picture plan.
    “There’s really no point entering local meets that you know you can win. We want to
    make Oak Ridge cross country a national-type player. If you want to look at a role
    model at our high school for that, just look at Jill (Prudden).”
    Etheridge pointed out that Prudden, the head coach of the Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats’
    basketball team, plays strong out-of-state teams on a regular basis.
    Oak Ridge opens up with the prestigious Tennessee Classic on Sept. 16 in Nashville.
    Other out-of-state dates include a Sept. 23 trip to Birmingham, Ala. (Great American
    Cross Country Festival) and a Nov. 25 meet in Charlotte, N.C. (Footlocker South Meet).