The boys cross country team is looking to continue last season’s success, despite missing out on the record breaking pace of last year’s seniors. Previously, 2025 graduates Alex Moresi, Beckett Friedman and Brendan Alfonso held leadership roles, with Alfonso breaking the school’s 5k record with a time of 15:32.1 at the Gans Creek Classic. Varsity boys coach Hannah Merriman described the leadership gap as “Big shoes to fill.”
Merriman, who is entering her 12th year coaching at Central, returns to coaching after missing last season due to maternity leave. For long-time coaches like Merriman, being away from the team can be a tough adjustment. Still, she did everything she could to support the team.
“It was so hard for me to miss that season, but it was the best decision for my family to take that extra leave,” Merriman said. “I was at every meet that I possibly could be at. I was in constant contact with the coaches just because I wanted to be involved as much as I could. It’s just that I loved that group of boys.”
Despite not being a full time presence for the team, Merriman still appreciated the special leadership last year’s seniors brought to the team. With her eyes set forward to this season, Merriman addresses how this year’s seniors have been stepping up.
“The seniors were a huge part of our culture, so coming in I was like, okay, we’ve got some big shoes to fill,” Merriman said. “The seniors now are starting to step up. Sean Talley is taking a leadership role, Lucas Pedratzik is trying to fill in. So we’re trying to shape a new culture and continue the legacy of success of the other seniors.”
Merriman added that even some underclassmen are starting to take on bigger roles. Though he is only entering his second high school season, sophomore Lucas Amador is already making a big impact on the team.
“Lucas had a fantastic freshman year. He trained really hard this summer, he’s in really phenomenal shape, and we are excited to see where he can go from there,” Merriman said.
Amador put up very impressive stats last year, finishing in the top three out of freshman runners in all but one race, and multiple top 10 overall finishes. While his strong debut may have surprised teammates and coaches, Amador always expected this level of performance.
“I was kind of prepared for it mentally, just expecting that coming in that I would be able to hold my own with some of the older guys,” Amador said.
For many, performing under high expectations could be a challenge. However, Amador embraces the pressure and uses it to perform at a higher level.
“I like the pressure,” Amador said. “I think it helps me push sometimes because I know it’s just what I have to do.”
Along with his own personal ambitions, Amador also talks about what he expects out of the team this year.
“It’s a little bit of a stretch, but I would like to win state for class four,” Amador said. “From the team standpoint, I’d be happy if everyone would be able to grow and get better as the season progresses.”
While Amador still has plenty of time left in his high school career, senior runner Lucas Padratzik is stepping into a new role as he enters his final year of high school.
“Good seniors are gone, I looked up to them, but now I have to be that. I have to be that person where people look up to me,” Padratzik said.
Padratzik complimented the great leadership that Alfonso and other seniors brought to the team last year. While he doesn’t provide the same type of leadership as Alfonso, Padratzik talks about how he supports the team without being the main leader.
“I support everybody,” Padratzik says. “I ask everybody how their day was during warm ups and just try to talk to everybody. Sean Talley is the kind of leader that I give kudos to. He’s a team leader for varsity.”
Every new season comes with new opportunities and renewed anticipation, and even though he is entering his final year, Padratzik’s hype is centered around the team, rather than himself.
“I’m a little hyped, but I’m telling myself don’t look at that at all. It’s just the beginning, and there’s a lot of improvement anyone can make. So the hype is let’s see where we can go, the hype is we’re lowkey underrated,” Padratzik said.
The colts will look to use that energy throughout the rest of the season and continue to build momentum. Their next meet is on Sept. 26, in Columbia for the Gans Creek Classic.
