Photo Courtesy of gobonnies.com
BY: SEAN WALLACE; SPORTS ASSIGNMENT EDITOR
St. Bonaventure’s men’s cross-country team races in the Atlantic 10 Championships on Saturday at the Elvin R. King Cross Country Course in Cedarville, Ohio, hosted by the University of Dayton.
Bonaventure finished last in 11 of the past 12 A-10 Championships.
Last time Bonaventure competed in Cedarville, it placed 14th out of 15 teams in 2023.
“I’m approaching the meet by training with lower mileage and higher intensity to sharpen up and feel fresh,” said senior William McCarthy, an economics major. “My goal is to feel the best I’ve felt all season and to run fast. As for a race plan, we believe the contenders will be there at the 6km mark. Therefore, the goal is to be competitive through the 6km mark and leave the last 2km up to grit,” said McCarthy.
Last season, McCarthy placed third among the team at the A-10 Championships.
“The conference meet is a big deal for us,” said junior Joshua Lopez, a business major. “I see it as our Super Bowl to emphasize its significance. The regular season meets are good for testing how smart you are on the course, seeing the type of fitness you’re in, and maybe even trying a new strategy since stakes aren’t too high. When it comes to the A-10 Championships, it’s the pinnacle of our season.”
Lopez talked about his goals and mindset heading into the meet.
“I want to leave everything out on the course. This is what I’ve trained the whole summer and fall for. As for my mindset and strategy, I’m ready to go for broke. Nothing more to it than being ready to race hard and fight for every mile,” said Lopez.
Bonaventure placed second out of 34 teams at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational, their previous meet, on Oct. 18 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Named CPL GoBonnies.com Student-Athlete of the Week, graduate student Clay Peets, a sports media major, placed first in a field of over 320 runners.
He broke the program record for the second time this season and the Gettysburg College course record with a time of 23:56.8.
The men’s 8K starts at 10 a.m., followed by the women’s 6K at 10:45. Admission is $10 per car.
