A 2025 graduate of McPherson High School, Elder competed in distance events for the Bullpups at the 4A level in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League under head coach Nikolaus Rempe in cross country and head coach John Montgomery in track and field. The native Kansan posted personal records of 1:56 in the 800 meters (second-best in program history), 4:25 in the 1,600 meters (third-best in program history), and 16:28 in the 5,000 meters during his career. Elder earned a third-place finish at the state meet in both the 3,200 meters (9:49) and cross country (16:28). He also contributed to a second-place finish in the 800-meter relay at the state meet with a time of 7:56, establishing a new program record. The four-year letterwinner in cross country and two-year letterwinner in track earned Academic All-State honors three times.

Ethan is the son of Daniel and Melody Elder and hopes to major in computer science.