2009 boys cross country Athlete of the Year

Coming off an accomplished 2008 season that culminated in an all-county selection, Edison senior Matt McElroy knew that expectations for his senior season would be high.

And while other runners might have succumbed to the pressure of living up to lofty expectations, McElroy embraced them and performed at a level that was better than any other runner in the county this season. For his stellar efforts throughout the season, McElroy has been named the 2009 boys cross country Athlete of the Year.

“When I first came in as a freshman I was really undeveloped, but since, I have grown a lot,” he said. “This year I put all my effort into the races and ran them well.”

McElroy began fulfilling some of those high expectations with a strong effort under the lights at the Woodbridge Invitational. He battled the leaders throughout the sweepstakes race before coming in third.

He then set a Central Park course record (14.42) during the Sunset League preview meet, setting the stage for his performance the Orange County Championships.

After breaking away from the pack, McElroy won the sweepstakes race in a time of 14:51, putting him in the top 10 for all-time efforts on the modern course of the meet.

“In the past, an Orange County Championships title would have been incredible,” said McElroy. “This year, the expectations went higher.”

The next week saw McElroy lead the Mt. Sac individual sweepstakes heading into the final portion of the race before a painful fall led to a second place finish to Loyola junior Elias Gedyon.

After winning his second consecutive Sunset League title, McElroy and Gedyon battled again in a memorable CIF-SS Division II final battle, which saw McElroy finish third, but post the county’s top individual time of the day.

Running another strong race at the CIF Division II state meet, McElroy (15:02) finished a close second to Gedyon (15:00) but says that the competition between the two runners helped him get better.

“Without Elias there, I think my times would have been a lot slower,” he said. “Running with him was great.”

McElroy then officially finished his 2009 high school distance campaign with a second place finish at the Footlocker Cross Country National Finals and believes that his best is still yet to come.

“I’m looking forward to the future, going to college, and beyond,” he said.