Return to state meet likely for Charger runners
(Editor’s note: This is the third of four Middlesex High School [MHS] fall sports preview packages. Watch future editions of the Sentinel for previews of MHS golf, which also started a new season recently.)
Things look bright for the 2025-2026 Middlesex High School (MHS) girls cross country team. That’s according to the team’s head coach, Jennifer Harrow, who is entering her 12th year coaching for MHS. She noted that three of her returnees competed at the state meet last year and that there are “very strong” newcomers on the team.
“They definitely, with hard work, have a strong chance of returning to the state meet as a team again this year,” she said.
This season’s MHS girls cross country returnees include senior Makayla Moore and juniors Aleena Reza, Olivia Hoffield and Sarah Laster.
Newcomers include sophomore Elsie Williams and freshmen Keichan Layne, Miko Layne and Alayna Smith.
Coach Harrow said the team, which competes in Region A, is determined to improve and do well. “I’m starting to see some strong leadership form in a push to motivate each other as a team. This in turn will make them a stronger group,” she said.
Currently, Miko Layne, Keichan Layne and Elsie Williams, all newcomers, are leading the pack this year, but returnee Makayla Moore is pushing right along beside them.
Boys cross country team
This season’s MHS boys cross country returnees include seniors Chris Butler and Gunnar Marston; juniors Connor Graulich, Darius Jones, Mason Kiku and Kevin Turner; and sophomores Tanner Janisko and Allen Leonard.
Newcomers include seniors Cayden McDearmon and Matthew Williams; sophomores Thomas Foster and Brycen Hogge; and freshman Joshua Huntley.
The boys cross country team returns four of its top seven runners from last year. That squad placed fourth in the state as a team.
“Those four are strong returners,” Coach Harrow, who also guides the boys team, said. “Like the girls, there is a distance gap between four and five, but I feel with the strong work habits of these boys, it will decrease quickly and will give them another run at going to the state meet as a team.”
Fueling the boys is their strong drive. “They want to do well and although they gel well as a team, they want to beat each other and in turn that pushes everyone to be a stronger runner,” Coach Harrow said. “A lot of the top runners put in the miles over the summer. They are willing to put in the extra work to get the results that they want.”
She said she is cautioning them not to overwork themselves, so that they avoid injuries.
Top runners from last year include Gunnar Marston, Darius Jones, Chris Butler and Tanner Janisko. “Kevin Turner would have been the next in line to go with the team last year and he’s who I’m looking at right now to fill that fifth spot.”
After switching from home courses in Glenns and St. Clare Walker Middle School in recent years, the Charger cross country teams are this year again using a course on the MHS campus for its home meets, which are all 5K (3.1 mile) races.
