Argo Online

By Aman Haq

The fall sports season is one where soccer, volleyball, and tennis get the most attention. But another sport, Cross Country, has its dedicated athletes who run each and every day for 90 days. The 2009-2010 Cross Country season was one of change, a new captain, a change of coaches, and a new regiment. Cross Country is a sport that requires stamina, patience, and unwavering dedication. A runners mentality towards running can be summed up thus: “Running is heart, dedication, and the will to succeed”. The 2009-2010 cross-country season was one where through sunshine or showers, runners had to persevere and become stronger.
The Rutgers Prep Cross Country team participated in 5 events as a team, while individual runners participated in 4 events. The first team race was the Newark Academy Invitational on September 12th 2009. Out of 26 teams participating the girls team finished 9th while the boys team finished 8th. The second race the cross country team participated in was the Gill Invitational on October 14th 2009. The girls team placed 4th overall, while the boys placed 8th overall. The third team race was the PDS invitational: the girls team placed 3rd overall, while the boys also placed 3rd. The fourth race the team participated in was the Patriot Conference Meet on October 27 2009. The boys team placed 3rd while the girls team placed 2nd. The final race the cross country team participated in was the NJ Prep Championships; the boys team placed 6th overall, while the girls team placed 5th overall.
The 2009-2010 cross-country season was one of many triumphs. The runners watched as every week they ran harder and longer, and the progression was evident for each and every runner on the team. In the beginning of the season a handful of people had run distances of greater than 5 miles. At the end of the season every runner had easily eclipsed that mark.