The tradition seems to be continuing for a Malcolm cross country team known for winning titles. Two weeks into the season, the Malcolm boys have brought home two more first place plaques to be mounted on the walls of MHS. The Clippers bested Louisville by eight points to earn the team title at the Sept. 3 Johnson County Central Invitational in Tecumseh.
Bricen Wilkie led the way for Malcolm with his silver medal finish. The sophomore conquered the hills of the Tecumseh Country Club with an 18:17 finish, 55 seconds ahead of the next Clipper to cross, Joe Brockhaus, who placed eighth.
“Bricen is a very talented runner, but I did not expect him to be that far ahead of our other boys,” Malcolm head coach Brie Pulec said. “I’m thrilled he is finding his momentum and his place on this team.”
Malcolm had two more in the top 15 as Ty Brockhaus was 10th with a time of 19:42 and James Watts crossed eight seconds later in 12th place.
“This is where our weakness lies,” Pulec said. “I want our boys pack running and to get up there with Bricen.
“The boys need to get stronger so they can start and finish with our top runner. The good news is, they recognize that we have work to do and they’re willing to do what it takes to get better. These boys aren’t comfortable with just winning the meet. They recognize that they still have a lot of room for growth.”
The Malcolm girls are continuing to work on getting better each week. The Clippers finished fourth out of five teams with 61 points. Palmyra was first with 19 points. Lauren Shafer was the first Malcolm runner in with her 19th-place finish in 27:02.
One sign of hope for the Clippers is the return of Lillie Beach to the team. The junior has been fighting some nagging injuries but did win the junior varsity race with a time of 24:43, which would have earned her a 12th place medal in the varsity race.
“The goal at this meet was to get her to run the full race, if possible,” Pulec said. “She has earned her spot on varsity and deserves to be there.
“We just need to make sure we are doing everything we can to keep her legs healthy and race ready.”
The Malcolm harriers head to Doane University on Thursday, Sept. 9, for the Milford High School Invite.
“This meet will be a good test,” Pulec said. “The Milford boys are the defending state champions.
“For the girls, it will be key to see how they run with Lillie leading the pack. If she is good to go, the girls will have an opportunity to change their racing strategy and see what else they can do as a team.”
