Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Team Places Second and Third at Cardinal Classic
The men’s and women’s cross country teams inaugurated their new home course at Colmar Manor Park this past weekend.
Image courtesy of Theresa Whitfield
By Theresa Whitfield
It was 70 degrees and cloudy on Saturday morning, perfect running weather for the cross country team to compete. The men’s team raced first at 10 AM, followed by the women at 12 PM. Both teams finished strong, with the women earning second place and the men finishing in third.
The meet took place at Colmar Manor Park, which is about three miles from campus. The park is now the official home course for the team, and it is also where the Landmark Conference Championships will be held. In previous years, the team’s home location was at Kenilworth Park. However, because the park is part of the National Parks Service, the team was unable to utilize it in times of a government shutdown. In the new location, they will be able to avoid that problem.
This weekend, the men’s team showcased the talent of the new freshman class. The top two finishers for the Cardinals, Paul Ames and John O’Rourke, are both freshman. Ames finished fourth overall (27:36.6), and O’Rourke finished fifth (27:54.7). Following closely behind was senior Cosmo Pirozzi (28:41.2), who finished tenth overall. The next finisher for the Cardinals, Brian Reinhart, is also a freshman. They earned a total of 66 points.
For the freshman, it was their first time running an 8k, and they rose to the task.
“It was the first 8k I had ever done, and it was a little scary. But we proceeded with caution the first mile, and felt really good at the end” Ames said.
The women’s team also competed strongly this weekend, running a 6k and earning 47 points. Sophomore Hannah Marino finished first for Catholic, and second overall with a time of 25:01.3. Following Marino, sophomore Paige Wilderotter finished fourth at 25:17.7, and senior Marykate Higley finished tenth in 25:57.7.
The course was mainly flat, and spectators could easily follow the runners. The hardest part of the course were the hills in a forested area mostly hidden from the view of those watching. Even though the hills were daunting, the Cardinals were prepared.
“It’s a tough course, but we trained on it for awhile so we learned it pretty well. We knew it better than everyone else out there” O’Rourke said.
Last year, the women’s team finished in third place at the Landmark Conference and were ranked number twelve in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association South/Southeast region preseason rankings. The men’s team finished sixth at Landmark Conference last year.
Overall, the Cardinals have started their season with strong energy and determination. It will be interesting to see how they progress on the road to conferences. Their next race will be on Saturday, September 28th at the Hornet Harrier Invitational in Winchester, Virginia.
