The St. Xavier cross country season is off and running, they have one thing on their mind: a return to the podium.
As they are now three races into the season, the Tigers have finished second place as a team in the opening Tiger Run, seventh at the Huntsville Southern Showcase in Alabama, and fourth place in the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational this past weekend.
Senior Nick Sanders has made a name for himself early as a top runner in the state after taking first place in the Tiger Run, 14th in Huntsville, and adding an 11th-place finish over the long weekend.
“Individually, I would love to run sub-15 and place top three at state,” Sanders said. “I think that our team has the potential to beat Lafayette and take a shot at Trinity.”
Junior Matthew Frick and senior Sam Schweickhardt have also been factors for the Tigers, rounding out the top three in the first two races of the year.
“I’m looking forward to redeeming myself for a junior season that was below my expectations and feeling that championship-season adrenaline again,” Schweickhardt said. “I want to prove that Trinity and Lafayette haven’t taken us out of the running and bring home some hardware this year.”
This now senior-heavy squad fell short of their expectations last season with an eighth-place finish in the state meet. This was the worst finish as a team in the Coach Yochum era and something the team took personally.
Additional seniors Marshall Wilson and Anthony Passafiume also look to improve from the underwhelming ending last year. Both have produced quality finishes early on and look to climb the ranks heading into October and November.
“Our performances this year have been really solid,” Wilson said. “As a team, if we stay consistent and keep working like we have been, we can go farther than people think.”
The Tigers head to Chicago this weekend for the Palatine Invitational and look to add some hardware back to the trophy case.
