As the shotgun is heard to begin the race, seniors Carson Brown and Elijah Merino sprint off the line to get to the front of the pack. At the beginning of the race, Brown pushes Merino forward to help lead him to the front.
After multiple races of Brown doing this, Merino said he always expects the push at the beginning of the race.
Brown and Merino, who are the cross country team’s top two runners, will lead the team at the Region Meet on Tuesday in Huntsville. Brown will be pushing Merino once again, while they also push their teammates in hopes of qualifying the team for the State Championships for the third year in a row.
“Elijah and Carson have been really good leaders,” boys cross country coach James Higham said. “They have helped establish a culture of running. They’re really pushing themselves and pushing each other to be the best they can.”
Both runners competed in the District Meet at Atascocita High School on Oct. 10. Merino placed second and Brown placed third. They both finished in the top three at the meet in 2023 as well.
With their eye on a return to the State Meet, Brown and Merino continue to push each other at every practice. Since it is the seniors’ final year at Kingwood Park, both athletes are determined to make one more state appearance.
“Every time we didn’t feel like running or didn’t feel like giving it our all, we’d always push each other,” Brown said. “Whether it be harsh love or soft love, we always told each other we have to do this. We only have four years, and this will be our last chance.”
It was during their sophomore seasons when Brown and Merino started to push each other the most. Both athletes wanted to be the team’s number one runner, so they fostered a healthy competition.
“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be as fast,” Merino said. “He’s very much that source of motivation because I don’t want to be beat by him, so I’m going to run faster.”
As they became veterans on the cross country team, the two also became a reliable source of leadership. Since becoming the new head coach, Higham has recognized the runners’ work ethics and the accountability each possesses. He likes the healthy competition they created for themselves.
“There’s always that friendly competitive spirit,” Higham said. “They both do a good job of bouncing off of each other and helping each other out.”
With the help of their coach and competitive attitudes, Brown and Merino have worked to fight for the top two spots. While other teammates have quit the sport along the way, Brown is grateful to still battle with Merino each day.
“It means a lot because a lot of people in our grade that did cross country, they dropped out,” Brown said. “So at least being able to have Elijah, who’s up there with me in speed, it means a lot to me.”
With expectations of running in college and remaining friends, Brown and Merino said they are excited to move on to the next level. However, they will not forget the connections built at Kingwood Park.
For both of the athletes, Merino especially, running cross country has proven to be a memorable experience. Since their freshman year, the athletes grew what they call a “brotherhood” between all of their teammates.
“It’s sweet in the sense that I’m so glad that it happened,” Merino said. “But also bitter in the sense of, I don’t know what happens next. I know we can always be friends, but it’s just a matter of time before it’s over.”
