FARMINGTON – Kelton Cullenberg shot out of the gate this season. The Mt. Blue senior began the season healthy, in shape and ready to lead his team.

“He had a great Festival of Champions, and yeah, he didn’t win, but the fact that the conditions were terrible and he still ran a 15:44, which was a school record and one of the fastest times on that course ever was amazing,” Mt. Blue coach and Kelton’s mother Kelley Cullenberg said. “It was exciting.”

A week later, Kelton smashed the Mt. Blue Relays course record, too.

“We’ve been running that course for a number of years,” Kelley said.

Then, Kelton’s body shut down. He was stricken with a bronchial issue that restricted his breathing in the middle of what was his best start to a season.

“It started the week of KVACs, and I don;t know that he’s even really over it now,” Kelley said. “We went through everything, and he says he’s fine now, but it’s still hanging on.”

Despite the hindered breathing, Kelton still ran 16:15 at the state meet, and topped that a week later with a top 10 finish at the New England running championships on another rainy, blustery course.

“He was 50th last year, and I think this year, that’s what he wanted to do, and he got it,” Kelley said. “It was perfect. Couldn’t have asked for anything else.”

And, scarily enough, Kelley said, her son may be just on the verge of breaking through.

“He was able to reach his potential, although I still think he’s got a lot more in him,” Kelley said. “There are things he can still improve upon to make him a better and more efficient runner. Maybe that will hapen in track, maybe that won’t happen until he gets to college.”

For all of his accomplishments on the cross country trails this season, for his perseverence through pain and illness and for his blistering times this season, Kelton Cullenberg id the 2009 Sun Journal boys’ cross country runner of the year.

2009 Sun Journal Boys’ Cross Country All Region Team

Omar Abdi, Edward Little

Sadam Abdi, Edward Little

Faisal Abdillahi, Lewiston

Alex Branson, Lisbon

Kelton Cullenberg, Mt. Blue

Evan Fessenden, Telstar

Brody Hines, Mt. Blue

Hussain Ibrahim, Lewiston

Ben Lewis, Telstar

Faisal Noor, Edward Little