Cross country: the unseen sport

Those who participate in cross-country can sometimes seem like the “forgotten athletes,” but training for long-distance running is among the most vigorous training at the high school level. Participation on a cross country team serves as testament to an athlete's physical and mental fortitude.

“What people tend to overlook is that it is one of the hardest sports from a training standpoint and the actual meet is a celebration of that hard work,” said Maria Vezos who has been a member of Kittatinny Regional High School's Cross Country Team coaching staff for 15 years.“ These kids run miles and miles, do intense interval and track workouts throughout the season in the scorching heat and freezing cold.”

Cross country runners are a unique breed, and one that Gianna Celi, a sophomore runner for Newton High School, embraces.

“I love the people and the team and the strong bond that we have formed,” she said. “It mentally prepares me for other things in my life and physical makes me stronger.”

The sport also brings out spirit and determination.

“Cross Country has taught me to push myself against my limits,” said Kittatinny junior Ashley Espinosa. “Cross country runners push themselves through the pain. They run during rain or shine and don't let the pain get the best of them.”

The sport is in a class by itself because, though the harriers compete as a team, it's individual effort that counts toward the score. The first five runners from each team score points for their team, so the first runner to cross the finish line gets one point, the second gets two points, the third three points and so on. The lower the team score, the better. The sixth and seventh runner from each team can also earn points, however these points are not added to the team score, rather these runners can contribute by displacing finishers from the other team(s).

“Our sport is every other sport's punishment,” said Kittatinny senior, Josh Langley.

Vezos concurs.

“It's so true,” she said. “Cross country runners go out there and embrace their run and training, while in other sports, if equipment is left on the field or flags aren't retrieved, the consequence is the team has to do laps.”

In addition to the physical conditioning, running requires mental fortitude.

“I just like the idea of getting stronger, both mentally and physically,” said Kai Pender, a sophomore runner on the Kittatinny team. “Even thought I know that in every race there are people who are stronger and faster than I am, I like the idea of testing my limits and finding a new summit.”

Diana Eigner had been an Assistant Teacher at Newton High School for 20 years and the school's Head Cross Country Coach for 22 years.

“Cross Country is a unique sport in that we become a close knit family and are always supportive of everyone’s accomplishments in all aspects of the life,” she said. “There is also no sitting the bench in cross country: all team members run and work towards their personal goals. Individual achievements are seen through each runner’s best times, which help the team as a whole.”

Practices start in the summer with the teams meeting several times a week, for Newton at Kittatinny State Park and for Kittatinny, at Lodestar Park. These practices are key so that runners can build critical summer base miles and endurance.

Team bonding is important. When they aren't training, the Newton team gathers for pasta dinners, games of man hunt, movie nights and team breakfasts made by the coaches before big meets. Kittatinny has bar-be-ques, movie nights and pasta dinners. “ I love the camaraderie with the team because it is unlike any other sport,” said Peter VanOrden, a senior on the Newton team. “The workouts put you in phenomenal physical shape.”

Where most sports have a girls' team and a boys' team with their own coaches, cross country at these two schools sees the boys and girls practicing together under one coaching staff. When it comes to meets, there is a separate girls' race and a boys' race.

“The unique dynamic does not seem challenging for me,” Eigner said. “I believe the great qualities that each group possess brings out those qualities in each of the other group.”

One problem both teams, and others in the area ace is numbers.

“Some years we have more boys and other years more girls,” Eigner said. “We never have high numbers at the same time. I believe kids are specializing in one sport in today’s age. Where cross country use to be a complimentary sport to build other muscle groups for one athlete’s primary sport, kids are focusing on their primary sport all year. Private coaches are encouraging working on one specific sport, which seems to eliminate their participation in cross country. We still get kids whose primary sport is running.”

A true testament to the commitment to running at both Newton and Kittatinny is that both schools have had athletes who have gone through their programs and then continue to run at the college level.

“With such a young and inexperienced, yet talented group, with the boys' team, we are looking for gained experience to come quickly to get the new runners to fill the shoes of the graduating seniors from last year,” Eigner said. “ Improvements have been seen already this season with the three meets under our belts thus far.”

As for as the girls' team, she said, “With a small group, the girls are working on their own personal best times for each meet and looking to improve their team’s scores with each regular season meet.”

“The Kittatinny girls' team is the defending Colonial League Champions and are hoping to repeat for another win as well as to qualify for the third year in a row at Group Championshiops,” Vezos said. “Our boys are very low in numbers this year, however have been working very hard in practice and are looking to break 20 minutes as the season progresses.”

Since the courses weave through woods and up and down hills, spectators for the most part see cross country runners at the starting and finish lines.

“On most courses, as coaches, we know where to go and see the runners at a few points along the way,” Vezos said. “But for a good part of the time they're out there, it's all about self talking, knowing when to make the right move and staying strong.”

Cross country is challenging, demanding, painful, and rewarding all wrapped into one.

Kittatinny senior captain, Emily Ward, surmises that "Running pushes you to always give your all even when you're not feeling well.”

Cross country is also continuous: there are no breaks during a race.

“It is a very difficult sport and has no half times or water breaks like other sports,” said Kittatinny freshman Molly Riva.