Over the past couple of years, the Wright City boys cross country team has grown. Not only has the number of runners in the program swelled, but the talent those runners possess has also swelled.
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Over the past couple of years, the Wright City boys cross country team has grown.
Not only has the number of runners in the program swelled, but the talent those runners possess has also swelled.
Senior Matthew Johnston said that, in his final year, he’s going to be excited to see the Wildcats take an important step towards not only success, but long-term sustainability.
“We certainly have the biggest team I’ve ever been on this year,” Johnston said. “I think keeping the team mentality has been a core value that I have learned throughout my time here. Keeping that, even after I’m gone, has to be a goal for the team.”
Johnston said that the work Wildcats Coach David Schnell has put into growing the program is both extremely visible and appreciated.
The effects of the work the coach has put in reach far beyond just the halls of the high school.
“I think there is plenty of potential,” Johnston said. “I started in my eighth grade year and a couple of current sophomores started as sixth graders. Schnell has done a great job of getting middle school into the sport and keeping it hooked into high school. I see cross country growing. This year, we ordered new uniforms and there were more uniforms ordered than just for the number of guys on the team. I think there’s an expected growth (in numbers) and it’s exciting to see.”
Among those numbers are a pair of freshmen whom Schnell said he’s already seen plenty of important steps.
The coach mentioned freshmen Nolan Loughary and Wilder Hall and the work they’ve already put in to prepare for their first high school cross country season.
“We’re still a very young team; we have one senior and everyone else is an underclassman,” Schnell said. “We’re pretty excited, though. We’re bringing out Noah and Wilder; they’re pretty (impactful) guys who could help us out a lot. We’re looking to be competitive at the conference level. We hope to get a couple guys fighting for state. It depends on how the season goes and the guys staying healthy. I think we have four guys who have the chance to fight for it.”
Schnell said that he feels runners such as Loughary, Johnston and sophomores Clayton Kennon and Frankie Zeykan, among others, will have their shot at postseason glory.
“We’re very excited because we see a lot of our underclassmen stepping up,” Schnell said. “And we have Frankie in a huge leadership role, he put in a lot of summer mileage. We see the work these guys have put in as young runners. It’s really going to start paying off.
“We want a growth year,” Schnell said. “We had a lot of good things last year and we just want to keep seeing those good things from these guys.”
For Johnston, having a strong final year and contributing to the program’s present and future success will be vital, he said.
“For myself, getting through the year will be important,” Johnston said. “Last year was a rough year for me. I just had this junior fluke. It means that I want to end my career strong. It didn’t go too hot.”
