VERO BEACH — In his third season as head coach, Gerry Roy has demonstrated the commitment and flexibility required to translate his personal passion for running into a movement aimed at establishing a quality varsity cross-country program at St. Ed’s.
That’s no easy task at a small school with overlapping sports seasons, meaning coaches have to share athletes.
The perception of cross-country as less than a “major” sport further complicates the process.
Despite those limitations, Roy remains undaunted.
“I see a lot of encouragement this year with our more serious runners training during the summer and having a positive influence on the rest of the team. Sean and Josh have created a great deal of excitement, especially for the younger runners,” he said.
Roy was referring to junior Sean Kenney and sophomore Josh Hurwitz.
In the only race on campus this year, the pair finished first and second in a tri-meet. Kenney set a school record for 5K with a time of 18:12. Hurwitz was right behind at 18:20.
“That was pretty cool,” Kenney recalled. “I had no idea what I’d done until after the race. I was shooting to win and the record was a little extra bonus. To do it at home was pretty sweet as well. It was a nice little prize.”
Seven girls and five boys make up the 2013 varsity team. To spur interest, practices were shifted from early morning to after school with a greater emphasis on sprint training.
“More kids can attend practices in the afternoon,” Roy said.
Dark, cool mornings were not conducive to attendance.
“Change has been beneficial. We have more cohesiveness. The kids are excited by a shift to more speed training and a less distance.”
Hurwitz ran cross-country in middle school.
“I ran a lot this summer for lacrosse. I’m in pretty shape, and I think I should join the team. I’ve been working hard.”
He shaved nearly two minutes off his first race of 20:08. Roy has the makings of a strong team with Kenney and Hurwitz as a nucleus.
Eighth-grader Nathan Zamerski is an up-and-comer with potential. He won a race this year for Stephanie Zugrave’s middle school team.
With the girls, junior Morgan Benson, senior Chiara Villacorta and junior Cassidy Layton finished fifth through seventh in the tri-meet.
“I hurt my back last year and couldn’t play volleyball,” Benson said. “So I came out for cross-country to get in shape for soccer and lacrosse. I had to train all summer to get better at long distance running. The guys are faster. It’s kind of tough to keep up with them.”
Like Hurwitz and Benson, Kenney recognizes the crossover benefit cross-country endurance training has for his “major” sport – rowing.
“I know some of the kids are primarily getting ready for other sports,” Roy acknowledges. “But I’m happy with that. I would prefer to work more on quality than quantity. There’s a spark and I’m trying to stir it into a flame. The goal is for kids to see they can be part of a successful team.”
This is Villacorta’s third year on the team. She is also the only senior and can offer a unique perspective on the gradual transformation taking place.
“We’re more serious with afterschool workouts – including sprints. It’s more intense and that adds a serious component. We’re a diverse group of different grades forming one unit. Everybody plays a role.”
Villacorta’s aiming to get under 22 minutes from her previous best of 23-plus.
“The only way to get faster running long distances is to get faster running short distances,” Hurwitz said. “Sean and I can make a fair case at districts. Sean especially. I will have to see how I feel that day, but we both have a chance to move on.”
