Champions aren’t born on race day. They are built through work, grit, and patience before the starting gun goes off. For the cross-country team, that work has been underway for the past couple of weeks.
This year, the team will be led by Sixth Form Captains Raymond Kresge, Thomas Lentz, and Lucas Crutchlow.
“We have a meeting before the season starts with the entire team, where we go over the training we do and the general expectations that the season has,” Kresge said. “We then hold a vote, where three people are chosen as captains based on the vote.”
But captains get their leadership long before they receive the title.
“Captains act like captains well before they are officially named captains. They set the standard for consistency and volume, modeling what it means to work hard,” assistant coach and English teacher Dr. Timothy Griffiths said. “So far I’m really impressed by what our captains have brought to the table this year. That said, captains also never get to take a day off from steering the ship, so the true measure of a captain is manning that wheel all year.”
“This year’s team is very young and talented,” head coach and history teacher Mr. Brian Long said. “Many of our top guys are underclassmen, which promises exciting years ahead.”
“In past years, we see stronger seniors than freshmen,” Lentz said. “This year, race-wise, it’ll be primarily led by freshmen and sophomores. It’s really exciting.”
“Showing up to the first day of preseason, I could just see the energy in that group. Everyone was focused, motivated, and happy to be there,” Kresge said. “This is one of those years where we have a ton of potential, especially the underclassmen.”
While the season has yet to begin, coach Griffiths has noted changes in the team already.
“It’s a bit early to say, but I’ve certainly seen progress in fitness, attitude, and camaraderie from our returning members. It was always a supportive team with a positive culture, our #1 rule being ‘no one runs alone,’ but I think the guys are getting better at pushing each other when they run in packs and looking out for everyone on the team, regardless of whether or not they share their running pace,” coach Griffiths said.
With the future in mind, the captains have their own goals for the team.
“When it comes to new guys finding their place, I want to make sure that everyone is as comfortable in a very uncomfortable sport,” Lentz said. “As a captain, finding that balance between having a team culture where they feel connected with the other members on the team, but also pushing them a little harder is important.”
However, winning races is only one measure of success.
“Our number-one priority is giving the runners a good experience where they feel welcome and challenged,” coach Long said. “Everyone should finish the season having gotten faster and made new friends.”
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