Men’s Cross Country Team Places Sixth at PAC Championships
It was approximately six weeks ago when the Waynesburg University men’s cross country team had the opportunity to preview the Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship course in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
The team finally returned to Latrobe this past weekend, eager to perform well and knowing what to expect from the course for the championship race.
Heading into the PAC Championship, the team felt prepared for the challenges the course would present, having gotten a chance to preview the course earlier this season.
“It definitely helped us out,” said sophomore Jacob Pryor. “Coming in, we knew where we had to kick or when we had to run harder.”
With the previous knowledge of the course, the men were able to meet their expectations and perform well in the championships.
“We had projected ourselves to be in sixth place going into the race,” said head cross country coach Chris Hardie. “To make that prediction, we looked at best times and how some of the courses played out this season.”
The team as a whole placed sixth out of nine teams at the PAC Championships Saturday, Oct. 29, including three individual runners placing in the top 30.
“As a realist program, I have to be honest with them,” said Hardie. “They tried, and we were really happy with the effort they put in.”
While the results may have not been exactly what some team members wanted, they can walk away from the race knowing they put forth their best effort, according to Hardie.
“We were shooting for maybe fifth place,” said sophomore Joel Kuzminski. “It was a good race, though; we are young, and our top group really stuck together and finished up in the standings.”
For Waynesburg, Kuzminski finished first on the team and 27th overall with a finishing time of 29:13. Pryor finished next for the Jackets placing 29th with a time of 29:21, and freshman Mason Klopp rounded out the top three for Waynesburg with a finish at 29:26.
“Jacob Pryor cut a considerable amount of time off that course from the preview,” said Hardie. “His performance stood out as a championship performance as he was able to elevate his game.”
Freshmen Michael Cappelli and Justin Lewis, along with seniors Casey Heimberger and Cody Nail, rounded out the top seven for the Waynesburg men. The team’s assistant coach, Laurel Rush, also was a significant contributor to the team’s success at the PAC championship.
“She did a great job with the team this year,” said Hardie. “She put a really good plan in place, and the team was able to implement it.”
Heading into the event, the men were already at a disadvantage as they had lost one of their top runners, senior Brendan Keany, to injury.
“He has had some shin pain,” said Hardie. “He actually really hasn’t been able to run in the past two and a half weeks.”
With the event behind them, the men will now travel to Center Valley, Pennsylvania, to compete in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regionals Saturday, Nov. 12. Of the group of 10 men traveling to this event, five members will be freshmen, three sophomores and two seniors.
“Cody Nail actually has a graduate interview,” said Hardie. “He gave up his spot to a freshman, and I admire his ambition for that.”
With a full two weeks until regionals, the men will have a significant amount of time to rest up and prepare to compete in their next event.
“I have to get healthy,” said Kuzminski. “My leg has been bothering me, and that’s a big thing for me as I have to get some of my speed back.”
Similar to the PAC Championships, the Waynesburg men’s cross country team had the opportunity to run the course where regionals are to be held in two weeks in a meet earlier this season at DeSales University. With the knowledge of this course, the team is looking to run a smarter race, aware of the fact that they may have to run harder at different points along the course.
“There are definitely some areas for improvement,” said Kuzminski. “If I can make some improvements, especially at the start of the course, I should be able to meet my goal.”
In order to be ready for regionals, the team as a whole must get healthy, and with that, they could hit their peak.
“Our goal for regionals is top 23,” said Hardie. “That would be our best showing we have ever had at regionals.”
With the return trip to DeSales right around the corner, the team looks to improve upon its recent string of solid performances in order to do well at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regionals.