Carter Cheeseman Emerges With Win At Great American


Fort Worth Christian senior Carter Cheeseman drops a 14:50.70 for the win at Great American

The other day, we put out an APB on Carter Cheeseman. Well, not really, but the point is that many were wondering where he was. If you wondering where he was, if he was healthy,  if he was in good shape, then today you got your answer.

In recent weeks, Cheeseman decided to pull out of Chile Pepper and McNeil, but there would be no pulling out at the Great American Cross Country Festival. The only things he was pulling out was a victory and a big time performance.

Today, Cheeseman won the Great American race in an elite 14:50.70 time  to beat his previous SB by 30 seconds. It wasn't an easy win though as Cheeseman had to bring out the speed at the end to out lean Fayetteville High School (Ar) Camren Fischer. Fischer who has already won the Southlake Carrol Inv. and Chile Pepper continued to show he is in good shape, but just not able to get the last step on Cheeseman.


"I'm friends with Camren, he is a really strong runner and he has out kicked me before," Cheeseman said. Coming down to the end, Cheeseman surprised himself with his finish. With last year's race on his mind where he died in the home stretch, a different outcome was meant to be. Entering the race coming off a week where he was sick, a kick at the end for the win wasn't an ideal finish, but even that couldn't stop him today. "I kind of surprised myself that last 200, I definitely did not know until I was even with him, it feels pretty good to be able to do that."

Cheeseman, who has been exercising caution with a nagging pain with a stress reaction and busy with recruiting trips has still been able to train and keep sharp enough for a big time race such as the Race of Champions at Great American.

And this was indeed a big time race. With several runners who either competed at NXN or Foot Locker Nationals in  2017 (Cheeseman, Fischer, Charles Hicks (Fl), and the Loudoun Valley (Va) team), this race was filled with studs.

No doubt this was the best race in the country this weekend and perhaps the best race so far in the season, with four boys who ran sub 15:00. 

If you wondered where Cheeseman was and if he still had it, you now have your answer!