The Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country Teams seasons are well underway.

The Girls’ Varsity Team won the Passaic County Championship last season, and are looking to repeat this result. They are off to a 3-2 start to the season. Last year’s top two runners, Taylor Domico and Emily Becker, have both graduated and have passed the torch on to this year’s seniors such as Erin Hirz and Kate Chrisbacher, who will look to bring the Girls the County Title once again. Juniors Victoria Bregman and Catherine Rosario will also look to step up this year and ultimately capture their 2nd straight county title.

The Boys’ Varsity squad is off to a great start, with an impressive 4-1 record. In last year’s Passaic County Championships, the Boys finished 3rd, behind Passaic and Clifton. The Varsity Team features Senior Nick Hennessy, as well as juniors Jordan Leong and Jeff Bennett. The boys have their sights set on the county title. Mike Lehman talked to coach Jaris Rousseau on his expectations for the boys’ squad going forward this year.

ML: How are you preparing for your next race, and how do you usually prepare for races?

JR: The runners are being given speed and strength exercises such as core workouts and form drills while they run. They also always hydrate, rest, and eat well. That is something we try to get into their heads.

ML: What are your expectations going forward, considering how the team has performed so far this season and in practice?

JR: I see us striving to better our running times, our speed and our strength, as we teach the runners that those are things that will make them into elite runners. I expect the runners to learn to be wiser with decision making and pacing during races.

Aaron Hook talked to JV runner Andrew Ginart, a sophomore, who finished 6th in the JV Boys County Championships last year.

AH: How is it running with a team in a race?

AG: Running with the rest of the JV Squad is awesome. It feels really good to have an entire team behind you when you are trying to push yourself at the end of the race. It makes you feel good.

AH: Are you thinking about the County Championships yet, or is it too early in the season?

AG: Nah, I’m not thinking about counties yet. I’m just having a lot of fun right now and I like to focus on one race at a time. There will be a time down the road where I’ll think about it, though.

The Patriots hope to bring home the County Title on both the Boys’ and Girls’ sides.