Sussex Academy girls’ cross country looking to defend title
Sussex Academy cross country enjoyed a successful season in 2022. The girls, led by Katya Geyer and Lily Bowe, were crowned Henlopen Conference champions after going undefeated, while the boys claimed a 9-2 record.
“I’m excited to be running with my old teammates, but also with some new teammates,” Bowe said. “We’re going to try to win the conference title again and try to place the best we can at the state meet. I’m really hopeful for the season.”
The senior finished in fifth place at the 2022 conference championship meet. Geyer finished third. The 2022 conference title came after the team finished second in 2021.
“The program has been building, and it’s not just the numbers, but also the quality of the younger ones coming in and sticking with it for a couple of years,” said coach Jay Diaz.
Diaz is optimistic the girls' team will be able to compete for a title again this year; he has a similar belief with his boys' team.
“I feel our guys' team is much stronger,” Diaz said. “Some of that comes from the track guys who are competing to be on our 4-by-800 that ended up being the Division II state champions. There were guys on the outside looking in who in the past would have been good enough to be on the relay team.”
One of the members of the relay team is Justin Friscia, who ran cross country in middle school but had been playing soccer the last few years.
“I’m looking forward to the conference and state meets because we have a really strong team this year and we push ourselves every practice to try and get better every day,” Friscia said.
Experiencing what it will be like to be on a sports team for the first time is senior Jeffrey Holmes. He said he used to run with his dad, but after joining the team, he enjoys pushing himself to see what kind of times he can get.
“You progress at your own speed; don’t worry about how fast other people go,” Holmes said.
Diaz said camaraderie is very important.
“We preach to support in good times and bad – we’ve grown that way,” he said.
Invitationals will be major tests for the two teams, particularly the Saleseinum Invitational because it is held at Brandywine Creek State Park, which hosts the state meet. Diaz said it is one of the more challenging courses in the Mid-Atlantic because there are a lot of hills.
Joining the runners returning from last year’s teams will be transfers Duncan Winger and Ryan Buckler, who Coach Diaz thinks will contribute significantly.
The teams open the season Saturday, Sept. 9 at Lake Forest Invitational at Killens Pond State Park.
