Coach Szostak’s 2023 campaign started off strong, as his cross country team turned heads at the Roxbury Invitational. The meet, hosted at Horseshoe Lake Park (Succasunna) on Saturday, September 9th, was the first chance the boys’ and girls’ teams got to show the state how dangerous they can be this year. On the boys side, it was senior Ben Connell (15:35) and sophomore Brody Watt (15:46) leading the team to a 1-2 finish. John Richardson finished with a PR of 16:29 for 9th, and Cody King finished out the race with a 17:09, good for 21st and securing the win.
The girls were led by Lucinda Putnam (13th in 20:43), Spencer Sorge (24th in 21:45), Ayla Johnson (27th in 21:54), and Meredith Mitchell (42nd in 22:59). The quartet battled a tough field to end up fourth overall on the day.
To any fan of the sport, this performance was no surprise. Throughout the past few decades, Bernards has become a powerhouse on the trails. The boys team has won the Meet of Champions three times (1981, ‘82, and ‘85), while the girls team took first in 1982. Additionally, the girls have finished runner-up at the M.O.C. four times. On the state group level, the boys have captured an incredible 23 titles, including 14 in a row from 1974-1987. This tally only trails CBA in state history. The girls team has had eerily similar success across the last half-century. 10 straight state titles from 1977-1986 highlight an impressive 12 total titles, trailing only Red Bank Catholic (20).
Connell says, when asked about how it feels to follow in such impressive footsteps, “I think it’s neat that we have such a long and historic program because it shows how long we have been competitive and how many people at Bernards have come out to run.”
Bernards has never stood out for student population. However, from a geographic standpoint, this success can be attributed to hills and prominent running areas nearby. Any way you go from the high school results in thousands of feet climbed over the course of ten miles. When runners enter flat courses, times become lightning fast. Other times, opponent teams can not handle hills like Bernards can. Running sites such as Natirar and River Road Park allow the team to get quality speed sessions and long runs in during the season.
Coach Szostak, says, “The upperclassmen teach the underclassmen how to work hard, and then when they become upperclassmen, they pass it along to the next group…Also, being in an amazing geographic area to run certainly helps.” Stayed tuned as the cross country team looks to take back the sectional and state titles later this fall.
