Fall '21: 'Stangs depth backs distance crew
Senior boys replacements, girls returnees could mean both squads make it to the state meet.
(Third in a series of Mustangs previews for Fall 2021.)
Togetherness. It wasn’t allowed to be there for Mullen cross country in the very obscure coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic season of 2020.
However, 2021 should be vastly different and in more ways than the strange commands at the starting line the past fall: “Runners take your mark, remove your masks …”
“What I’m excited for,” Mustangs head coach Joe Welling said, “is unlike last year with all of the COVID, all of our kids get to compete at all of our meets -- the togetherness of the varsity and junior varsity, and kids can still run at same time on the same course.
“We’ll finally be able to see each other and compete.”
And compete the Mustangs will with improved, deeper rosters.
For boys, the solid core of Jack Tolbert, who Welling said had a good track season, Mason Atwell, Travis Hockin, Owen McCarter and Diego Taboada-Cross will be the group of seniors that will replace last year’s group of seniors.
“All have cross-country experience,” Welling said. “and there will be movement up and down, someone to surprise us.”
Sophomore Jake Sushinsky also will fight to be in the mix.
For girls, the coach said Amy O’Connell, now a junior, enters as the leader of a group of 11 returning girls, many of whom regularly finished within a pack, “and maybe 13-to-15 girls consistently vying for a spot.”
The Mustangs also have a senior transfer from out of state as well as other girls entering their initial races.
The goal, Welling said, is to qualify both boys and girls teams for the Colorado meet. The Mustangs were shut out from entries a year ago.
Bottom line, the coach said, “is it will be fun again.”
© 2020 Mullen High School. All Rights Reserved.