With a month and a half left in the season, the location of the Haverford/EA Day cross-country race is decided. The team will be running at the College.
As the Haverford team begins the championship leg of their season, they shift their focus to finishing. There were two options: the new Roberts Road course or the Haverford College run, which includes a home-campus stadium finish. The team was awaiting a final decision from Haverford College regarding the use of the course.
The home campus run is both easier and more familiar than the new Roberts Road course. According to Head Coach Mr. Brian Long, “The Roberts Road Course is pretty challenging. It is deceptive as it has some long hills.”
The Haverford College run is where the team has trained all year.
“It’s our home turf,” Fourth Former and varsity runner James MacColl said.
The team runs the course every day. They know the gravel and dirt like the back of their hands.
“We are right in the middle. We are trying to beat Penn Charter, as they started off really strong.”
Coach Mr. Brian Long
Shortly, the team will have two races that determine EA Day qualifiers. In two weeks, they will race against the Inter Ac, which is dominated by Episcopal Academy. At the Inter-Ac meet, the Fords hope to sneak into the third spot.
Coach Long said, “We are right in the middle. We are trying to beat Penn Charter, as they started off really strong.”
At the end of the month is the PAISAAs, the last race for all those who do not qualify for EA Day. The cutoff is under 21 minutes at Belmont Plateau where PAISAAs and the Inter-AC Championship will be held.
Until then, with a month and a half until the finale, the team is focused on getting better and staying healthy.
“We are just trying to stay healthy. There is a lot of sickness going around,” said Coach Long. “We also are trying to avoid overuse injuries.”
It is tricky to balance the line between success, injury, and failure.
The team is also focusing on their mental game.
“The team prepares mentally by understanding that the races are difficult and painful,” Sixth Former Nolan McCloskey said. “Realizing that you are not just running for yourself, but also for your brothers is another key aspect of preparing for the races.”
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