A pair of Hays High athletes signed with Fort Hays State Cross Country on Wednesday morning at the Hays High school gymnasium.
Arely Maldonado and Elijah McCullough both signed a National Letter of Intent to run for the Tigers starting in the fall of 2024.
McCullough spent his sophomore season injured. A stress reaction caused him to miss most of the cross country season. But according to the now senior it was over the next two seasons that things changed. First he started to up his training miles in the summer. This allowed McCullough to have a better base for when the fall season started.
McCullough also started to mature. That allowed his to be a stronger runner in which turned into lower times.
McCullough jokes his recruiting process took 18 years. His dad Jason is the head cross country coach at Fort Hays State. Elijah looks forward to working with his dad in an official coach/runner aspect.
Hays High cross country coach Jerold Harris said the effort and miles that McCullough put in over the last two years is what got the senior to the next level.
McCullough is currently one of the top ranked wrestlers in 5A at 113 pounds.
Coach Harris had two athletes sign on Wednesday. Arely Maldonado also inked her letter to run for the Tigers across town. Maldonado, who is a stand out on the soccer field, didn't start getting recruited until her senior season. Over the summer she put in extra mile working on getting ready for the fall 2023 campaign knowing she would be the Indians number one runner.
That work ethic continued into the school season with Coach Harris mentioning that often Maldonado didn't think the workout was tough enough for her and would ask to do extra. An attitude that spread through out the team that would eventually qualify for the 5A State meet.
Maldonado is the school's 5K record holder. A mark she set at the tough Fort Hays State course that will be her home course starting next year. That was the day that stood out the most for Harris as he recalled watching his star senior runner distance herself from the field at the gun.
Maldonado is still putting in miles during the winter, but that has been tougher with the bitter cold and recent ice and snow. A multi-sport athlete, last spring she scored more than 20 goals for the Hays High soccer team.