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St. Luke's Cross Country: Season Preview
The St. Luke’s Cross Country team looks to be in great shape this season with record numbers turning out for Head Coach Corliss Spencer.
A total of 23 runners make up the squad with members ranging from eighth grade all the way through to twelfth grade.
Spencer, entering her 11th year with the Cross Country program, is excited to have such a strong group of athletes competing this fall. “I’m so happy to have this number of runners, and I’m looking forward to seeing each and every one of them improve their ability to run distance and get faster.”
The 2019 squad is captained by Nick DiCorpo ‘20 and Jamie Ullman ‘20. Spencer is impressed with the qualities they have shown: “I am extremely pleased with Nick and Jamie. They are already doing a great job of leading by example and supporting all their team members.”
Preseason literally started with a bang as a lightning storm hit four trees at Waveny Park, disturbing the first practice of the year. The runners were forced to take shelter for about an hour before getting in their workout. Training has gone much smoother since then, and Spencer is expecting her squad to perform well in the seven scheduled races: “We have a lot of good runners in the group. In addition to our two captains, Danny and Brain Gall are returning. They have been working very hard during the offseason and earned All-America honors at the USATF (USA Track & Field) National Junior Olympics championship meet in Sacramento, Calif., this summer. I also expect Jackson Hart ‘21 and Colt Alford ‘22 to put in some very good times this fall.”
There are a number of new faces running for the first time and Spencer is thrilled to welcome them to the team: “We have a lot of new runners this year, which is great for the program. Liam Patty (‘22), Ford Lahey (‘23), Ava Beylouni (‘23), Hannah Gunn (‘23), Charlie Adams (‘24), Kieran Carbin (‘24), Kaan Savosoglu (‘23), Keilan Rosow (‘22) have joined the team and been working really hard.”
One of Spencer’s goals is for the runners to stay healthy throughout the season but she is also looking for the large group to bond and support each other: “Our number one goal is to be encouraging of one another. I want the group to stay engaged and focused on improving every single day.”
The St. Luke’s Cross Country team opens up the season with the Wilton Invitational on Saturday, September 14, before the first FAA meet of the year on Wednesday, September 18, at Sherwood Island Park in Westport.
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
