From course to course, the boys varsity cross country team has had an astonishing season, by taking home first place at the Jefferson meet for the fourth year in a row, winning the Sterling meet for the first time in Harlem history, also placing first at the Harlem Invitational, NIC 10 Preview, Schmidt Invitational, Pretzels Invitational, and finally, placing second at Conference. All of the athletes ran all time bests this season which is record breaking for Coach Jared Richardson’s five years of coaching here at Harlem! There are four graduating seniors on the team who bring a lot to the team’s success, especially during this cross country season: Owen Recoy, Leo Ramos, Nicholas (Nick) Tyrcha, and Dominic Carlson.

When asked who they look up to and why, both Recoy and Carlson said Coach Richardson, “No matter what he is always thinking about what can get improved or what he can change,” says Recoy.

Coach Richardson does whatever he can to make sure his athletes are taken care of.

“For the past four years he has been someone who has been there for me,” says Carlson.

The seniors have had exceptional role models to look up to, both Ramos and Tyrcha said Dylan Malmgren, a 2024 Harlem Alumni, “given his circumstances combined with his abilities he turned out to be a very good runner and a very good person… I really strive to exemplify what he did when he was here running with us,” says Ramos.

Malmgren made a big impact on the underclassmen during his time running with the Harlem Huskies.

“I like his work ethic, if he pushed himself to want to do something, he went and did it”, says Tyrcha.

Even outside of running, the team is still very close with each other and do a lot of team bonding on weekends, after school, and even during the off season.

When asked how they would describe the team’s dynamic or bond, Ramos said, “We’re very tightly knit, we like to joke around but we also like to get work done. We’re serious about what we do but we also enjoy it”.

The bond the team has created is something that can never be replaced.

Tyrcha said “It’s like a family, we hangout on the weekends, we do all types of stuff together… It’s not just a team it’s outside of the team as well.”

The cross country team has made outstanding accomplishments not just based on athleticism but also with academics, that being Recoy getting awarded MVP for the season, six All Conference athletes, nine Nic-10 Scholar athletes, and three out of the four seniors got four Year Varsity Letters.

All athletes on the team have had their own individual things that have helped them improve this season.

When asked about what helped them improve Recoy said ,“knowing what the goals of the team are and wanting to be able to make sure those are met”.

The seniors main goal is always trying to improve the team. “Having a good atmosphere and having a good culture. We always push each other to be our best in our workouts and I think that plays into a big part of it.” The seniors have learned a lot from being in a consistent sport all throughout high school.

When asked what their takeaways are from their four years in XC, collectively the seniors said, “It’s gonna get tough, there’s gonna be times you have doubt but if you continue moving forward and stay set on your goals it’ll get better and it’ll help you improve yourself physically and as a person overall,” says Carlson.

All of the cross country athletes have learned that some progress is better than no progress. “Consistency and wanting to be better everyday,” says Recoy.

Cross country is a very self determined sport so consistency is key to excel in it. “Always keep going, never give up, you need to stay strong. There are gonna be times you’re gonna get knocked down, you’re gonna have a bad race, you’re gonna have a bad workout, you’re gonna feel bad but you really just need to stay strong, look forward, and keep moving on,” says Ramos.

No matter the obstacle, there is always a way to improve and learn from it. “Discipline and doing something everyday, being consistent… even if you only improve a little bit every day, it adds up over time,” says Tyrcha.

The seniors have created a lasting impact on all of their underclassmen teammates and have created bonds that will last a lifetime!