With the starting line ahead, the Madison High School cross country team enters the new season with the outlook for a state title. With the returning class of seasoned veterans and the rising underclassmen, the team looks to build off of last year’s finish while chasing faster strides and looking to show opponents what it means to be a dodger.
In the most recent race, the Oak Ridge Invitational, the varsity boys had 4 runners finish in the top 50% of runners, and the varsity girls had 6 of their runners finish in the top 50%, with Isabella Bolstad leading the Dodgers in 9th place. This a strong start to the season and a great opportunity to find what to improve on and what to look forward to for the next race.
There are a total of 10 seniors on the Madison cross country team. These seniors have dedicated their time to the Madison High School cross country team, and are key staples of the dynamic which the Dodgers prove time and time again to be effective.
The seniors on the team are Philip Natale, Peter Falcone, Malcolm Horan, Benjamin Engel, James Castanon, Emma Cipriani, Dylan Hock, Karl Maurer, Peter Munter, and Alexander Vadas. These seniors are the backbone of the team and will help mentor the underclassmen as the season goes on.
On Monday, September 15th, three journalists interviewed four members of the cross country team. When we asked how they were preparing for the season, the cross country representatives said that they are working hard on injury prevention and working to make sure all the runners are prepared for whatever the courses throw at them.
Chris Wu, a senior runner, states “just kinda focusing on maintaining our bodies and staying healthy,” as their first priority. Over the summer, the team went to Vermont for a camp. There they got to bond as a team for a few days, go on runs together, and grow as individuals.
From the looks of it, the Madison High School cross country team is as prepared as they can be for their next race. We hope from all of Dodger Media Online that our cross country Dodgers can hit the course running and continue their season with great races for the rest of the year! You can find their schedule on Instagram on @mhsnjxctf or at madisonpublicschools.org.