Jesuit High School of New Orleans

Eli’s Coming, But Jays Can Only Manage Third at District Cross Country Meet

Posted October 25, 2016 / Last updated November 1, 2016

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Senior Eli Sisung broke the 16-minute barrier to claim third place overall in the District 9-5A cross country meet on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at City Park.

Senior Eli Sisung broke the 16-minute barrier to claim fourth place overall in the District 9-5A cross country meet on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at City Park.

Eli Sisung broke the 16:00 minute barrier for the first time since his sophomore year, finishing fourth overall at the District 9-5A cross country championship on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at City Park.

Sisung, a senior, battled injuries all last year after a promising sophomore campaign. On Tuesday, he became the first Jesuit runner this year to beat fellow senior Reed Meric, posting a time of 15:57 on the three-mile course. Meric would finish fifth with a time of 16:06. Senior John Kling also cracked the Top Ten, finishing 8th with a time of 16:17.

“I definitely felt good today,” said Sisung. “I knew I had some gas left in the tank at the two-mile mark, and that’s when I started to make my move. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to sustain it, but then the crowd really picked me up over the last 800 meters. The support really made a difference.”

Indeed, Jesuit had an impressive fan turnout, with several faculty members on hand, as well as just about the entire basketball team, not to mention legions of runners not participating in the race.

Unfortunately, teams don’t get points for fans.

Brother Martin, which claimed the top two individual spots, took first place overall with a score of 35 points. Holy Cross came in second with 52. Jesuit ended up third, with 57 points.

Junior Jordan Tufts was fourth across the finish line for the Jays with a time of 16:48, good enough to finish in the Top 20. He was followed by junior Michael Williams (22nd, 16:55), senior Tanner Tresca (24th, 17:04), and senior Luke Malter (28th, 17:30).

It was  a disappointing race for Tresca, who has consistently been among Jesuit’s top four runners all year. He tweaked a hamstring somewhere near the two-mile mark and was struggling noticeably by the time he reached the finish line.

It’s crunch time now for the team, which is down to its last two meets. The Region 3-5A meet, a new addition to the LHSAA cross country calendar, will take place on Friday, November 5. Then, it’s on to state at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches on Tuesday, November 15.

 

Galleries

Cross Country District Meet October 25 2016

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    Junior Jordan Tufts focuses on the task at hand.
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    Seniors Reed Meric and Eli Sisung earned T-shirts with their Top Ten finishes,
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    Senior John Kling poses with his dad, Neal, after the race.
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    Theology teacher and director of campus ministry, Peter Flores '09, holds court with team members after the race. Flores knows a thing or two about cross country--he won the district meet back in 2008.
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    English teacher Mike Prados '83 shares a laugh with fellow English teacher Taylor Bacques '09. Bacques, incidentally, was the runner-up at the district meet back in 2008.
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    Senior Luke Malter heads to the finish.
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    Senior Tanner Tresca, expected to be among the Jays' top finishers, tweaked a hamstring and dropped to 6th among Jesuit's runners on the day.
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    Junior Michael Williams finds himself in a fight to the finish.
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    Junior Jordan Tufts finished in the Top 20.
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    Senior Reed Meric finished in 5th place, posting a time of 16:06.
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    Senior Eli Sisung became the first Blue Jay runner to beat fellow senior Reed Meric all year, sprinting home with a time of 15:57 to finish fourth overall.
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    Coach Rudy Horvath '86 thanks fellow faculty members Mike Prados '83 (center) and Steve Hayes for coming out to support the cross country teamm at the district meet.
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    Seniors John Kling and Eli Sisung wait to make their move.
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    Seniors Eli Sisung and Luke Malter work together.
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    Senior Luke Malter, junior Jordan Tufts, and junior Michael Williams work their way through the course.
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    Senior Reed Meric takes a turn early in the race, with senior Tanner Tresca close behind.
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    No, it's not the opening credits to HBO's Entourage. But seniors Luke Malter, Tanner Tresca, Reed Meric, and John Kling definitely have some swagger on the way to the starting blocks.
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    Basketball coach Chris Jennings '78 tosses a football to his son, Christopher. Assistant basketball coach Jonathan Hernandez '00 is in the middle and Christopher's mom, fine arts teacher Meg Jennings is at right with the family dog, Charlie.
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    School chaplain Rev. Kevin Dyer, S.J. and interim president Rev. Anthony McGinn, S.J. '66 were on hand to support the team.
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    English teacher Jack Culicchia '83, with Sam, middle, and athletic director Dave Moreau make their way to the starting line.
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    The basketball team, out in full force to support the cross country team, apparently found some time to lobby Rev. Anthony McGinn, S.J. '66.