Mehlville High head coach Mark Ehlen hopes the runners on his boys’ team can improve this year, then continuously build on that success in future years. Photo by Bill Milligan.

By Bill Milligan
For the Call

The Mehlville High School varsity boys’ cross country team has something to prove in the 2018 season. And though their numbers are small, they hope to live up to the challenge of their district competitors.

This year the Mehlville girls’ team outnumbers the boys’ team.

“It’s probably the first time in Mehlville history the girls’ team outnumbers the boys’ team,” said head coach Mark Ehlen. “This year we’ve got 14 girls and 10 boys out for cross country.”

But both have something in common: Both squads are very young teams, Ehlen said. He coaches the two squads.

The leader of the boys’ team is captain Kaelin Triggs, a senior.

“We’re hoping to finish in the middle of the pack this year at districts,” Ehlen said. “It would show continuous improvement over the past couple of years. We’ve had enough kids for a varsity team the past few years. We just haven’t had enough experience and the times to really be considered a varsity-level team.”

Despite their youth, Ehlen sees hope for the program’s future. That future could start with finishing in the middle of the 11 teams at districts this season and then build from there.

“It would be an accomplishment for us,” the coach said. “If we do that, the season will have been a success. And if we can get one of our runners into the sectionals, that will also be an accomplishment for our boys’ team.”

Ehlen thinks the Panthers are capable of placing four boys into the sectional meet.

“We still would have accomplished something if we got two or three in,” Ehlen said. “We’ve got a freshman who could really be a district contender by the end of the season.”

Just as with the continuous improvement of the district as a whole, smaller steps will get the team closer to its goals.

“It’s a process, and if good things happen, then good things will happen by the end of the season,” Ehlen said.