All State Cross Country Runner - Eli Carling

Eli Carling
Monticello Sophomore
1A State Fifth Place (17:12.95)
Head Coach Jeff Hunt: “Eli might be one of the most stubbornly determined kids in the history of Monticello High School. Last year when he was the first freshman boy I’ve ever coached to a medal at the state meet it took a lot of people by surprise. This year he ran with the weight of expectation.
“That is a very hard thing to do and at times I could see the weight of it on him from time to time throughout the season. Yet, he powered through to become one of the few Monticello athletes that has a chance to be a medalist all four years.
“When it came to practice, nobody worked harder than Eli. He was always there, pushing himself as hard as possible. He often went farther and ran harder than I asked. There is no question he wants to be one of the best and he definitely has the determination to get there. Eli, Charlie, and Kooper also pushed each other to make the whole team better.”