Local runners to make SEMO cross country debuts

As race day approaches for the SEMO Cross Country team, freshmen members are hoping to start their college careers with a bang while seniors look to go out in style. Two of those freshmen, Ryan Seabaugh and Cade McCadams, are from local high schools Cape Central and Jackson, respectively.

Seabaugh was originally committed to run at SIU but decided to stay local and run for the Redhawks. SEMO head coach Ryan Lane said the decision was completely made by Seabaugh and the team will support him.

“I'll tell you that he made that decision on his own and we're happy to support him now that he's back in town,” Lane said. “But after that, that's nobody's business besides Ryan's.”

Seabaugh will be redshirting this fall but Lane said he will run in the Redhawks Cross Country Invite this Friday unattached just to see where he is as he transitions to college.

As for Seabaugh’s high school competitor, Cade McCadams from Jackson will also be running on Friday and Lane said the coaching staff is ready to see him run.

“Cade is in phenomenal shape coming into his freshman year, we’re super excited to watch him race on Friday,” Lane said.

Other local talent returning to the team includes sophomore Layla Fliege from Jackson High School along with junior Haley Smith and senior Clayton Eftink both from Notre Dame Regional High School. Eftink will also be redshirting as he rehabs an injured foot he suffered during track season in the spring. Lane had plenty of good things to say about both Fliege and Smith.

“Layla Fliege, she scored last year at the outdoor meet and was our stick last year during cross and she's showed up in the best shape of her life so we’re excited to see what she does this weekend at home,” Lane said. “I think we're all going to be pretty pleased with how she ranks this season. Haley Smith, she's a junior for us and she'll be racing this weekend, she was on our conference squad last year that finished fourth in the OVC.”

On the women’s side of the team, Lane said they did graduate some good talent but they have three of their top four runners returning in graduate student Hannah Eastman, senior Taylor Fox and junior Madelyn Gray.

“Hannah, of course, was first-team all-conference last year and she's back and then Taylor Fox and Maddie Gray were both top 20 in the conference meet,” Lane said. “Then we've got a whole slew of freshmen, sophomores and juniors that we're looking forward to seeing how they develop on the women's team.”

As far as the men’s team goes, Lane said they are very senior-heavy and the deepest the team has been since 2010.

“We're really kind of excited to see what they'll be able to do because we got a lot of guys that have worked hard and developed over time. So it's going to be competitive to make our varsity team,” Lane said. “They should have a really good shot at having a great fall, probably led by Noah Little and Nick Cimmarusti who were both second-team all-conference last year in their events.”

SEMO will begin their cross country season this Friday in the Redhawks Cross Country Invite with the women running at 6:15 p.m. and the men running at 6:45 p.m.

“We're looking forward to having a great fall and then taking those same athletes and transitioning into trying to get some more track championships as well. So it should be a good school year with a lot of great athletes returning,” Lane said.