Phoenixville's Cross Country Teams Hit the Ground Running

ROYERSFORD-Running cross-country can be a solitary venture.

That is, unless you run together and use each other as motivation.

The goal of first-year head coach Matt Varady is to have his Phantoms do exactly that and be one of those teams that others try to emulate, setting the tone at meets by working in unison and running together as a pack.

Phoenixville participated in a 10-team meet at Spring-Ford in preparation for the Pioneer Athletic Conference season. Five girls finished in the top 60 of a field of more than 230 runners.

This year’s squad will also have an international flair as French foreign exchange student Charlotte Waeber, who is a senior from Burgundy, France, joins the crew.

“We are working on building our endurance,” said senior Rachel Carr. “To see a team here do what Downingtown East [who had seven girls finish within two seconds of each other] did is what we want to do. It is so hard to run behind a big group like that. It’s intimidating as all you see is their heels all kicking together. We want to be that team.”

“I think we have had a good start so far,” said Varady. “A meet like this lets you know where you stand and what you have to work on. I think overall we did a good job trying to keep together. We are still just getting to know each others' strengths and how to push each other and where to do so.”

In a field that featured five other PAC-10 schools along with Bishop Shanahan, Downingtown East, Upper Merion and state contender West Chester Henderson, the Phantoms held their own as Carr crossed the line first followed shortly by her mates.

Carr and teammate Aubrey Halloran were quick to comment on how much fun it has been to have a foreign student on the team and how much they have learned form each other already.

“It’s so cool having someone here from another country,” said Halloran. “It’s so funny, one of the biggest differences that she had told us about is that we Americans eat throughout the day at any given time. Over in France they have three times a day and that’s pretty much it. I am looking forward to the season and can’t wait to get going.”

The Phantoms will have another preseason tune up this weekend as they travel to the Cliff Robbins Invitational before starting the season next Wednesday as Pope John Paul II visits Phoenixville in a dual meet.