On October 29, the PDS XC Boys Varsity team competed in the Prep State Championships at Blair Academy. It was a long time coming for them—the team had trained for this moment since the start of their preseason. Coach Mazzei, the PDS XC Head Coach, says, “Looking at it, we knew it would be close. All the teams competing were amazing, and wanted it just as bad as everyone else.” The varsity team, consisting of Grayson McLaughlin, Alex Chia, Russel Moniak, Arius Seow, Michael Zhou, Charlie West, Jasper Mackey, and Cy Cooper, had each put in hours of work to make sure that PDS would take home the title for the second year in a row.
Sophomore Arius Seow said, “Defending the title and adding our name to the trophy one more time felt important to me and the team, and I’m glad we could keep the streak going.” Seow has managed to cut his time down by six minutes, an extremely impressive feat, and other members have cut down times by one minute or more, making this year’s cross country team one of the best this school has ever seen.
Cross country isn’t just a sport for them. Seow adds, “Running is so freeing. I get to come out here after school, decompress and relax for a bit, have fun with my friends, and become a more athletic person.” The team often goes on team building activities, such as movie nights, apple picking, and runs at the hardest course in the state, Holmdel Park. Mazzei mentions, “The reason we do so well is our individualized practices. Each person has their own requirements, limits, and goals, and so by spending time with everyone, you get athletes who exceed their absolute limits.” Practices include intense workouts, long cooldowns, and the occasional Shake Shack on the way back. Juniors Jasper Mackey and Cy Cooper say, “Team events and bonding is really important to us, and that’s honestly why we think we do so well and love this sport so much.”
The thing that makes the PDS cross-country team a real team is their community. It’s the reason they can run sub-6-minute miles through the entire race, and it’s the reason that they won the Prep Title for the second time in a row. Congrats, PDS Cross Country!
