Waldorf’s Cannon earns his first NSAA Award

By Zach Throne

Waldorf junior speedster Eli Cannon earned North Star Athletic Association Track Athlete of the Week for his performance at the Mount Marty Invitational on Jan. 30.

The Los Angeles native ran his way to sixth place in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.27 seconds in the finals for the event.

Two of his Warrior teammates finished behind him in the 60-meter: Damilola Summer (seventh) and Antonio Lopes (eighth).

He also ran in the 200 meter event, finishing 24th in the race at 24.94 seconds.

Cannon, in his third year with Waldorf, has come a long way in his development as a sprinter. This performance did not “just happen” on Jan. 30, either. It has come from years of strain and effort.

“Eli’s my guy,” said teammate Carlos Barrera. “He works so hard, so it was awesome to see his effort gaining attention from the conference. He puts his head down and just goes to work, and it makes everyone else follow suit.”

His performance in both of these events were enough to the get the nod from the North Star Athletic Association to earn male athlete honors.

“I’m looking forward to the rest of this indoor season and outdoor season,” said Cannon. “We should have a great season, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out with our talented team.”

This honor is Cannon’s first of his career at Waldorf. Teammate Antonio Summers earned the same honor the week before, making two NSAA honors early on in the indoor track season.

“We have to be running our best times heading into the conference meet in a few weeks,” said Barrera. “This a fun time of the season where you see how much your hard work will pay off.”