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New season, new coach for MHS

By Shawn Linenberger - | Aug 30, 2006

A new era is starting for the McLouth High cross country program.

After leading the MHS harrier program the last 10 years, longtime Bulldog coach George Karn shelved his whistle and retired from coaching cross country and track.

Enter Ben Cressler, a 2006 Benedictine College graduate who ran cross country for two years for the Ravens.

“I would say the preseason running is going pretty good,” Cressler said. “They’ve all been working pretty hard. I think it will really pay off well later in the season.”

Cressler, who also is a 2002 Hoxie High graduate, said Aliaa Ghaddar, a foreign exchange student from Lebanon, is a strong runner on the girls side, while Cressler expects senior Ryan Saxton and junior John Trieu to provide leadership on the boys side.

“She’s going to be pretty good,” Cressler said of Ghaddar.

“They’ve done everything I’ve asked them to,” Cressler said. “As a coach you really couldn’t ask for anything more than that. They’ve been working really really hard, and hopefully that will pay off for us. I think it should pay off for us pretty well.”