Cross country on the move

Natalia Ghan
Staff Writer

Both men and women’s cross country have been hitting the trails of Bond Park since early June to build upon  the teams’ depth and talent; it has clearly paid off in the men’s most recent victory at Wendy’s Invitational last Saturday. 

Carl Geiger surges ahead of Mount Tabor.

Having had their two best runners graduate last spring, the ladies’ team especially has been working to reestablish a strong group of front seven runners, and plenty of athletes have stepped up to the line. Senior Elora Galluzzo joined cross country her second year of high school, and now hopes to run in college. “I didn’t work hard at anything freshman year, and when I started running, that all changed.”A number of sophomores also took up the challenge of reaching the top, with Allison Rosen improving the most dramatically since last year, currently in the leading position. The girls’ dynamics are young and deep, giving the ladies a bright future for the next two years; Coach Cooper explains, “We don’t have a front runner, but a solid pack.” These ladies hope to secure second place in the 2013 conference meet, and will have to stay ahead of Panther Creek, Middle Creek, and Cary.  

The boy’s 2013 cross country team is one of the best Apex has known. Senior and front runner Mihret Coulter stays focused at practice and competition; when asked what he hopes to achieve this year, Coulter replied, “I would like to win the state meet.” Junior Jordan Kokoska is working to cut 45 seconds and finish within the top ten individual places at the state competition. Freshman Ben Savino pushed himself hard to win the JV race at Adidas Cross Country Challenge, and after this past Saturday’s race at McAlpine Park, is currently in the top seven. Working hard and setting goals has led the boys to finish first and second at a number of races over the course of the season, the most recent being Wendy’s Invitational this past weekend. The race showcased top teams from across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia, and out of these thirty teams the boys came in first.  Apex men’s cross country is looking to place first at conference and if all goes well, finish within the top four at regionals and advance to the State meet. 

Whether these runners are on the starting line where adrenaline runs high, at the two mile mark when it’s time to  push through, or a hundred feet from the finish at conference race, they all share a strong commitment for the sport. This has motivated both teams as a whole to work for what they want. Senior Rachel Jones explains, “There is a satisfaction in pushing through things you didn’t know you were capable of.”