League championship.
That’s the new goal for the 2010 boy’s cross country team.“Initially our biggest goal was trying to qualify for the state meet,” head coach Derek DiGiovanni said.
The team has been off to a quick start, so they have had to reconsider their goals.
“We’re now looking at possibly winning the league in about two weeks,” DiGiovanni said.
Junior Jack Howard (16:25) led Seaholm to a second place finish at their first league meet Sept. 14.
The Maples believe they have a good chance of winning the OAA Red –one of the state’s elite leagues.
“We’re really proud to be able to compete in that level with the big schools such as Lake Orion, Clarkston and Troy,” DiGiovanni said.
Junior Zack Demko (16:48) led the Maples to another second place finish Sept. 28, at Stoney Creek Metro Park. Demko finished sixth overall.
“I felt really good about my second [league meet] finish,” Demko said, “knowing that it was the result of all the hard training me and the team had put in this season.”
Saturday, Seaholm competed in the Oakland County Championships at Kensington Metro Park. They received 11th place overall. Demko once again lead the Maples with a time of 17:26.
Demko and Howard lead by example.
“They’re incredible,” junior Andrew Benson said. “I don’t know how they run so fast, but they are definitely people to try to catch up to, and get as good as them.”
The team is not only successful on the course but also has great leaders to new team members.
“You know when I got on the team, I felt like I had been with these guys for years,” junior Timmy Christensen said. “They’re great. They welcomed me in and it’s just a big family.”
“All the guys are really nice and really support you,” freshman Jack Williams said.
The biggest challenge for the league will be out-running top team Lake Orion. The next meet is the league championship, which will take place on October 21st at Bloomer Park in Rochester.
