AIDEN MONISTERE BATTLES LUKE ALVERSON IN THE LAST 300m OF THE SOUTHERN SHOWCASE
On a wet John Hunt Park course in Huntsville, AL Saturday morning at the Southern Showcase, Parkview Baptist senior Aiden Monistere ran the fastest 5K cross country time in Louisiana history. Monistere's time of 14:57 surpasses Jesuit's Brady Mullen's time of 14:59 from last year's Nike Town XC Twilight Invitational.
Monistere, who took the lead 1000m into the championship division race before Alabama's Luke Alverson (14:47) passed him in the last 300m, finished as the runner-up.
Monistere's time was a 37 second personal record.
"Going in, I knew it was going to be a big race," Monistere said. "I knew I wanted to do well. It got me to the point I was a little scared going into it," Monistere admitted. "I knew I wanted to go out with the pack and see how long I could hold on. I really wasn't expecting to stay with them that long. I was expecting at two miles they would drop me. Going into it, it was just do as well as I can and see how high I could get up. I knew that if I did very well my name would get out there a bit more to give me a chance to get better races. I knew there were some really great guys. I think three of the top 15 were nationally ranked. I didn't expect 14:57...especially with a wet course. It felt really good to compete and get second and beating a lot of those guys."
Going into it, Monistere studied race video of a few of the nationally ranked runners in the race, but his homework did not include Alverson. If it had, Monistere believes he would not have made his move as early as he did.
Another person who could have done a little more homework was the color commentator who had no clue who Monistere was and continued to refer to him as "the runner in all black" as he videoed the from the back of the UTV which led the runners around the course.
One runner Monistere did not have to do any homework on was Brother Martin's Noah Mooney, who finished eighth with a time of 15:20.73. Not only that, Mooney's time ranks No. 10 on the Louisiana All-Time XC 5K list.
"I didn't want to lose from anyone from Louisiana," Monistere joked as he discussed running with the lead pack early on in the race--something he is not accustomed to doing.
"Usually, I'm in the back," Monistere said. "Especially in track."
But Saturday morning was different.
His racing style wasn't the only thing that was different for Monistere. His trademark red socks, which he has worn during his first three years of high school competition were left at home as he decided to go barefoot.
Another thing which was different for Monistere was his breakfast. For three years, Chik-Fil-A chicken biscuits have been his go-to. Saturday morning, he opted for breakfast bowl.
With an epic opener behind him, Monistere is looking forward to the remainder of his senior year of cross country, where there will be more of a priority for big-time races against big-time competition than putting down certain times.
However, Monistere plans to take a shot at the course record at Highland Park at the St. Joseph's Invitational later in the year. Before he attempts to check that box, Monistere will head to the Woodlands in Texas to run at Nike South on Saturday, September 28.
LOUISIANA HS BOYS ALL-TIME XC 5K RANKINGS!
WHAT TO READ NEXT...
Monistere moved passed Jesuit's Brady Mullen on the Louisiana All-Time XC 5K list. Mullen become the first the Louisiana distance runner to break 15:00 in a cross country 5K race last year at Nike Town XC Twilight Invitational. Read about Mullen's performance at the 2023 meet in the link below.