Varsity Boys Cross Country
At the core of what we do is cultivate a love for the sport and help our student-athletes see the immense value in pushing their limits.
- Pete Jennings '99, Head Coach
Schedule
Current Record
Roster
Name | Class | Grade |
---|---|---|
Atharv Awasthi | 2022 | Grade 11 |
Alexander Badami | 2022 | Grade 11 |
Alexander Brereton | 2024 | Grade 9 |
Colin Brereton | 2021 | Grade 12 |
Robert DiDonato | 2021 | Grade 12 |
Ethan Feigles | 2022 | Grade 11 |
Gregory Kraynak | 2021 | Grade 12 |
Charles Murgia | 2023 | Grade 10 |
Jacob Spain | 2023 | Grade 10 |
Patrick Tronoski | 2022 | Grade 11 |
Andrei Vava | 2024 | Grade 9 |
Samuel Wang | 2023 | Grade 10 |
Henry Wescott | 2022 | Grade 11 |
Dane Wetzel | 2022 | Grade 11 |
Coaches
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Peter JenningsHead Coach
Pete Jennings '99 took over as head coach of the boys' cross country team in 2007. In 2010, he guided the Patriots to an undefeated season and a Inter-Ac League Championship. That same year, GA finished second at States (Pennsylvania Independent School Athletic Association meet) and Jennings was named the PAISAA Cross Country Coach of the Year.
In 2019, the Patriots finished second overall at the Inter-Academic Athletic League Championships. Robert DiDonato '21 (16:15.90) and Matt Sandifer '20 (16.57.50) went one-two for GA followed by Alex Badami '22 and Ethan Feigles '22, who finished seventh and ninth, respectively. The Patriots finished fourth overall at the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Championships where DiDonato (15.49.60) and Sandifer (16:22.80) again went one-two. DiDonato went on to make history when he became the first GA student-athlete to qualify for the Foot Locker Nationals, which took place in San Diego, California on December 14. DiDonato, who finished 31st overall, qualified by finishing 10th overall in the Boys Championship 5,000-meter Run at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Meet, which was held on November 30 in New York City. DiDonato clocked in at 15:34.10 to finish in the top 10.
"It’s huge," said Jennings. "Only forty boys and forty girls qualify. It is just ridiculously hard to do so, especially in the Northeast this year, which is just stacked. In just two years, Robert has vaulted to the pinnacle of high school cross country. He had the goal to make nationals from the start of the season, and he never wavered or backed down from any of the work that it took to get there. It is an incredible accomplishment and one that he has really earned through the hundreds of miles he has put in this fall."
The 2018 season saw GA finish third at the Inter-Ac League Championship and fifth at the Pennsylvania independent Schools Athletic Association Championship. The team finished the regular season with a perfect record in Inter-Ac dual and tri-meets.In 2017, the team went 3-4, but consistently registered season-best times. Jennings helped coach Matthew Sandifer '20 to a First Team All-Inter-Ac selection.
Jennings graduated from GA in 1999 and was captain of his cross country and track teams. He ran Division I cross country and track at the University of Richmond where he was selected to two Atlantic-10 All-Conference teams, and was named team captain and team MVP.
He has also been GA's head boys' track and field coach since 2005.
(Updated on 7/16/2020)
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Matthew NotaryAssistant Coach
Matt Notary became an assistant coach of the boys' cross country team in 2007. He graduated from Liberty High School (Bethlehem, PA) in 1996 and was captain of the track team. He ran Division 1 track at Princeton University where he specialized in the 800 meters and helped the team to win three consecutive Heptagonal championships in both indoor and outdoor track. He has also been an assistant coach for boys' and girls' track and field at GA since 2007.
"Distance running is a sport in which dedication and effort are rewarded with improvement that is tangible and quantifiable. I really enjoy seeing our runners train hard every day and then, on race days, experience the thrill of conquering that difficult section of a cross country course or running a personal best time on the track." -
Tom JenningsAssistant Coach
Facility
The spectator-friendly 5K course, designed in 2012, features challenging terrain as it winds its way around all of GA's athletic fields. Though it starts on the paved walkways through The Preserve, the course quickly switches to grass and eventually wooded paths as it enters into the Sisters' Woods for two hilly loops. Runners complete a final lap of the upper fields before a dramatic finish on the track inside Carey Stadium.
Team Records
Class Records 5K | ||||
Athlete | Time | Course | Year | |
Freshman | Elliot Rhodes '08 | 17:37 | GA (old course) | 2004 |
Sophomore | Elliot Rhodes '08 | 16:34 | Haverford | 2005 |
Junior | Hirsh Shah '11 | 16:31 | Haverford | 2009 |
Senior | Yeremiah Shemuale '05 | 16:49 | Mercersberg | 2004 |
Course Records "Old Course" | ||||
Athlete | Time | Meet | Year | |
Course Record | Paul Thistle (Wiss.) | 17:00 | v. Wiss. | 2005 |
GA Course Record | Stuart Udis '05 | 17:01 | v. PC | 2004 |
Freshman | Elliot Rhodes '08 | 17:37 | v. EA | 2004 |
Sophomore | Joe Korth '12 | 18:00 | v. Malvern | 2009 |
Junior | Hirsh Shah '11 | 17:39 | v. Malvern | 2009 |
Senior | Stuart Udis '05 | 17:01 | v. PC | 2004 |
Course Records Fort Washington State Park | ||||
Athlete | Time | Meet | Year | |
Course Record | Nick Meloro '12 | 18:01 | v. EA | 2010 |
GA Course Record | Nick Meloro '12 | 18:01 | v. EA | 2010 |
Freshman | Sam Levin '14 | 19:35 | v. EA | 2010 |
Sophomore | Max Huang-Hobbs '13 | 18:40 | v. HS | 2010 |
Junior | Nick Meloro '12 | 18:01 | v. EA | 2010 |
Senior | Hirsh Shah '11 | 18:13 | v. PC | 2010 |
Course Bests by GA Runners | |||
Course | Time | Athlete | Year |
Belmont Plateau | 17:06 | Nick Meloro '12 | 2010 |
Chestnut Hill Academy (5K) | 17:27 | Pete Jennings '99 | 1998 |
17:27 | Stuart Udis '05 | 2004 | |
17:29 | Yeremiah Shemuale '05 | 2004 | |
17:30 | Drew Gill '12 | 2010 | |
17:31 | Max Huang-Hobbs '13 | 2010 | |
Chestnut Hill Academy (3mi) | 16:30 | Stuart Udis '05 | 2004 |
16:38 | Carter Skeel '11 | 2010 | |
16:44 | Yeremiah Shemuale '05 | 2004 | |
16:44 | Nick Meloro '11 | 2010 | |
17:03 | Joe Korth '12 | 2010 | |
Episcopal Academy (Lankenau) | 18:13 | Pete Jennings '99 | 1998 |
Episcopal Academy (Newtown Sq) | 18:37 | Will Leonard '10 | 2009 |
18:46 | Hirsh Shah '11 | 2009 | |
George School | 17:08 | Nick Meloro '12 | 2010 |
17:34 | Will Leonard '10 | 2009 | |
17:36 | Hirsh Shah '11 | 2009 | |
17:39 | Max Huang-Hobbs '13 | 2010 | |
17:48 | Carter Skeel '11 | 2010 | |
Haverford School (Haverford College) | 16:21 | Hirsh Shah '11 | 2009 |
16:34 | Elliot Rhodes '08 | 2005 | |
Lehigh University (Paul Short Invite) | |||
Malvern Prep | 17:56 | Hirsh Shah '11 | 2010 |
17:58 | Nick Meloro '12 | 2010 | |
18:09 | Carter Skeel '11 | 2010 | |
18:28 | Pete Jennings '99 | 1998 | |
18:28 | Max Huang Hobbs '13 | 2010 | |
Mercersburg Academy | 16:49 | Yeremiah Shemuale '05 | 2004 |
17:15 | Stuart Udis '05 | 2004 | |
Penn Charter | 16:45 | Max Huang Hobbs '13 | 2010 |
16:51 | Ben Ritz '13 | 2010 | |
16:55 | Dave Kepner '99 | 1997 | |
17:00 | Nick Meloro '13 | 2010 | |
17:01 | Pete Jennings '99 | 1998 | |
Plymouth Whitemarsh | 17:51 | Nick Meloro '12 | 2010 |
17:52 | Hirsh Shah '11 | 2010 | |
17:56 | Joe Korth '12 | 2010 | |
18:01 | Carter Skeel '11 | 2010 | |
Valley Forge Military Academy | 17:49 | Dave Kepner '99 | 1997 |
17:51 | Pete Jennings '99 | 1998 | |
TEAM PRACTICE RECORDS
Long Run
20 Miles - Ben Talus '10 (2008)
10 Miler
63:01 - Nick Meloro '12 (2010)
65:12 - Stuart Udis '05 (2004)
Cooper Test - Pre-Season
3500 - Nick Meloro '12 (2010)
3470 - Hirsh Shah '11 (2009)
3400 - Hirsh Shah '11 (2010)
3300 - Carter Skeel '11 (2010)
3200 - Joe Korth '12 (2010)
Freshman Plank Competition
5:23 - Ben Ritz '13 (2009)
Indian Hills
8 Repeats - Ben Talus '10, Will Leonard '10, Carter Skeel '11, Hirsh Shah '11, Joe Korth '12 (2009)
Power Push-Ups
7 - Max Huang Hobbs '13 (2010)
6 - Nick Meloro '12 (2009)
Cupcake Quarters
58.3 - Pete Jennings '99 (2003)
58.5 - Yeremiah Shemuale '05 (2003)