Menlo runners compete at Nike Cross Nationals

Menlo senior Landon Pretre was the team’s first finisher, taking 62nd with a time of 16 minutes, 22 seconds in the field of 199 runners. Senior Will Hauser placed 86th in 16:32.7; sophomore Henry Hauser 94th in 16:35.8; freshman Oliver Olbekson timed at 17:20.1; senior Jared Saal at 17:35.7; junior Amay Srinivasan at 18:18.4; and sophomore Jonah Block at 18:22.3.

“I wasn’t too nervous leading up the race,” Pretre said, “I more so wanted to go out and enjoy the experience and get pushed by other great runners. I was just reminding myself to get out hard and keep fighting the whole time.”

The course was muddy and slippery with several runners in the boys’ race taking a tumble.

“Our team performed as best as we could with the conditions,” Pretre said. “It’s hard battling back from racing state a week prior and coming into brutal course conditions we’ve never raced in before. But we all went out and fought and had some fun.”

The team started the season with a win at the Woodbridge Classic, then started picking off the races one by one: league meets, WBAL Championships, Central Coast Section finals, and State Championship just before nationals.

The path to Nike Nationals was years in the making. With other runners — boys and girls alike racing well at the state meet — and now, making Menlo a regular on the scene.

In 2019, the girls, with Kyra Pretre and Charlotte Tomkinson paving the way, took second at the state championships. Two years ago, the Menlo boys took second at state — with all three seniors, Pretre, Will Hauser, and Saal, and now Cal runner Justin Pretre leading that team.