The last six months have been anything but ordinary, but for the runners on the Saint Ignatius Cross Country team, the long-anticipated season has arrived.
The members of the team have been preparing for this moment for some time, individually and in small groups. They'll get their moment in the sun soon after countless hours of running and training.
The varsity season begins on Saturday, and the Wildcats are ready.
Several familiar faces will return to help lead the way. Seniors Peter Fitzpatrick and Aidan Monroe will serve as the captains this season after being bestowed with the title this spring. Both veterans are quite talented and will be the team's anchors for much of the season.
Fitzpatrick showcased his talents all season, but especially at the State Meet. On a chilly November day at National Trails Raceway, Fitzpatrick galloped to a time of 16:39. Earlier in the season, the Fairview Park native tallied a personal record of 16:22 at the prestigious Tiffin Carnival Race. He won the award for Most Valuable Freshman a couple of years ago.
Monroe also looked great at the State Meet last season. The Euclid native rolled to a time of 16:55 on the big day. That mark equaled his time at the Meet of Champions earlier in the season, an indicator of his great potential. In the classroom, his 4.0 GPA earned him Academic All-Ohio honors from the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (OATCCC). Monroe doubles as a volleyball player, and figures to be a key player with the Volleyball Cats next spring.
Beyond Fitzpatrick and Monroe, the Wildcats have plenty of other strong seniors. Luke Chesney, Connor Geary, Tom Kilbane, Connor McAndrews, Mike Mayer, and Sean Ward are all returning letterwinners who will provide leadership and strong times all season.
Sean Uhran is another smart runner who will bring his smarts and athleticism to the table. The rising junior earned Academic All-Ohio status and competed quite well at the State Meet. As a sophomore, Uhran notched a mark of 16:54, nothing to sniff at for a second-year runner.
Fellow junior Matt Kelly made an impact as a sophomore and is likely to do so again in 2020. Last season, Kelly raced to a time of 16:54 at the State Meet and also earned Academic All-Ohio status. A modest young man, Kelly isn't one to brag, so he'll let his times speak for him. When he's not running, Kelly helps out with the Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network.
Beyond Uhran and Kelly, a host of juniors will compete for varsity slots. Dan and Sean Becker, Will Leahy, Joe Sepesy, Luke Ali, Owen Rodstrom, and Chris Wolke all possess strong talent and good work ethics. With their drive, you'll be seeing them plenty this season.
The rising sophomores are no slouches, either. Tyler Cupar, Caleb Delacruz, Guillaume Carroll, Andy Ericson, Ben Showman, and Tim Shmelter all have the chops to be great runners. You may see a handful of them on varsity this year, but they'll definitely play a large role on the JV squad this year.
"The team is fortunate to have a solid senior class," says Head Coach Dr. Mike Gallagher '71. "As always, our goal is to compete for the state championship in Columbus."
Having sent some JV runners to the Keystone Icebreaker on Monday, the Wildcats' varsity campaign begins with the Painesville Riverside Invitational on Saturday. It will roll along with the Hilliard Davidson Summer Bash on September 5, the Oscar Grant Invite at Trumbull Fairgrounds on September 10, the Spartan Boardman Invite on September 19, the Strongsville Invite on September 26, and Woodridge Invite on October 3, and the Legends Meet on October 10. Of course, the schedule is subject to change. The schedule will be updated here:
https://www.ignatiuswildcats.com/xcschedule
The postseason begins with the District Meet on October 24, continues with the Regional Meet at Boardman on Halloween, and concludes with the State Meet at Fortress Obetz on November 7.