LC’s Nimetz impressed by freshman duo

The excitement in Amy Nimetz’s voice was clear.

Lake Central’s girls cross country coach was bursting with enthusiasm following the performances turned in by freshmen Megan Zajac and Tara Zlotkowski during the first week of the season.

At Saturday’s Lafayette Harrison Invitational, Zajac finished second for LC, and 27th overall, while Zlotkowski finished third and 35th overall. Both earned ribbons for finishing among the top 35 runners in the prestigious race.

Senior Shelby Carroll was LC’s No. 1 runner and placed sixth overall, helping the Indians to a fourth-place finish.

“The two freshmen have really surpassed what I would have ever thought they could do,” Nimetz said. “They’re staying consistent.”

In a meet with LaPorte and Chesterton last Tuesday, Zajac was fourth, and Zlotkowski was eighth. Carroll ended up second as LC beat both the Slicers and Trojans.

The talented freshman duo received their baptism by fire at last week’s Gavit Invitational when Zajac finished third and Zlotkowski finished sixth.

“I told them to set their own goals and not to shoot for time so much, but to go for a place and have a visual distance,” Nimetz said. “I told both of them to stay with Shelby Carroll (who won) until the 3K mark.

“They both looked at me like, ‘Are you kidding? We can’t stay with Shelby.’ Both of them had doubt on their faces. You could just tell they didn’t really have that confidence yet.”

Both Zajac and Zlotkowski might not have exuded confidence before the gun sounded at Gavit, but the pair have been oozing with it during the past week.

“I knew they were talented and I knew they were good, but I never thought they’d get third and sixth in their first meet,” Nimetz said. “They really surprised me. They can only get better from here.”

Zlotkowski possibly could have finished third at Gavit if she hadn’t experienced cramping in her side.

“Tara’s breathing kind of slowed her down a little bit,” Nimetz said. “I saw her right after the 3K and she looked up at me and was holding her side. I told her to take a deep breath and just go. She had to push through it and continue on. It’s something you just sort of have to practice.”

Those side cramps put a little bit of a damper on Zlotkowski’s day.

“I feel like I could have done better,” she said. “I was hoping to finish at least in the top five. My teammates were telling me before the race they’d be surprised if I didn’t get top five. I feel like I definitely should have stayed with Megan.”

Zajac ended up passing her.

“It was exciting,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d get third, but the team support and good advice I received left me feeling good. The team was really pushing me. When I saw that finish line I was so happy.”

Before the season even started, Nimetz felt the freshmen would help a lot.

“I knew they’d both make an impact for us, but their performances so far have definitely exceeded any expectations I had for them,” she said.

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