John Jay Cross Country has a Lot to be Grateful For

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On Saturday November 9, John Jay traveled north to Wappingers and looped Bowdoin Park for the Section One Cross Country Championships. Boys and Girls, the Wolves two alphas laced up and sunk their teeth in.

Sloan Wasserman won for the second consecutive year (19:01.3) and Andy Condon finished first (16:26.0) on his last try as a senior. “I’ve been dreaming of this since freshman year,” said Condon.

Of course, the normal amenities applied. “The hill is always rough and so is running against such fast people,” he said.

The continually changing surface wasn’t so bad, though. Grass to cement to gravel, Condon explained, “It’s not much of a change, but it’s a little bit more stable to run on grass.”

Wasserman, on the other hand, had more internal struggles. “Yeah, I was a little sick going in, and I’m a little worse now,” she laughed off the woes.

A grind, she added, Wasserman was just as mortal at the base of the hill. “I pushed up really hard,” said the junior. “It had me tired for the rest of the race.”

“Mediocre,” was her overall estimation, but any pre-race pains for the states has her planning ahead. “I’ll take some emergency Advil,” she joked.

Next in line, Emma Barniv didn’t need a pill to ease the physical pain of falling, but the mental part was another matter. “I really felt good before, so I don’t know, maybe I could have placed in the top ten,” lamented the 14th place finisher.

There was no quit in her anyway. “I had to keep going,” said Barniv. “I worked so hard this season to get where I am.”

The rest of the way provided a point of pride too. “I am so proud of the finish because I was able to sprint through the pain,” she assured.

Not an issue for Ainsley Graham, she wasn’t crazy about the conditions either. Very dry and dusty, the 24th place finisher clarified, “My ankles were rolling because it’s harder to get traction.”

Unable to push as hard, she remembered how to approach the long end-run. “My instinct is to push it really quickly, but I can’t go as fast as I think I should,” explained Graham.

Third best for John Jay, her two week break is well deserved - even if unsettling. “I’m going to have nothing after school, which is a weird experience,” the sophomore joked.

Maybe the same for Dylan Scott, he seemed more well adjusted to a break. “I’ll be doing anything but running,” he quipped.

12th place, the senior earned his breather, and even with the dose of pessimism, he pigeonholed the reason for his success. “I would say a positive attitude goes a long way,” Scott asserted.

A sentiment he will take inside. “Season ends here, but we’ll be back for winter and looking to do great things,” said the springtime tennis player.

Lucas Mongiello too but first he had to close this one. “It’s been an amazing experience. The last four years have been really special,” said the senior who finished 13th. “I’m glad I was able to be with this team all these years.”

A perfect example was Luke Pinney, because the senior isn’t just a runner, he’s a cheerleader. “Hey, Hey, Hey,” he led the Wolves in chant. “John Jay has a team, we make our coaches beam. On the way, we leave a trail of steam that makes our opponents scream. John Jay, John Jay, John Jay.”

Not over zealous in the least, the 24th place finisher has good reason to rhyme. A foot disease kept him out all last year, and every day on the field is now like Thanksgiving. “I am just so happy to have a healthy season. The ability to run, and to push gives me a lot of joy, and I really like being here.”

23 places in front, Condon was in agreement and added gravy to the turkey. “Second place, the team success is so nice,” he concluded.