Cedars Run Down Their Longterm Goals
By Savannah Hershey and Aggy Discuillo — Staff Writers
The LHS Cross Country team has a great group of student-athletes this year. They are very strong and passionate. They have built great relationships and are able to work together. Coach Thomas Pearson has been able to watch them grow over the years. Pearson said, “The story of the team this year is just the whole team concept. We actually have a girls team for the first time in 7 years. The boys team has set that standard of commitment and hard work.” He is very confident in this group of student-athletes and can’t wait to watch what else they can do.
Building Culture with the Gals
The varsity girls cross country team has taken huge steps this season as they are making their way to leagues. They finally have enough girls to score. In order to score in meets, a cross country team needs 5 runners to cross the finish line. There hasn’t been a full girls team (5 runners) since 2009 but this year, it all changed. There are 7 girls on the team which is more than enough to compete and score.
Of course, growing the program didn’t start overnight. The current season’s high participation rate and success are the results of years of dedication. The core group of girls, Kirah Weikel, Savannah Hershey, and Abby Swanson, all sophomores, started cross country in 7th grade and have kept with it every year. “The girls team has really progressed starting at the junior high level and now moving into varsity,” said Coach Pearson. The girls team has created a great culture for Lebanon’s team as a whole and they are hoping that it continues. Kirah Weikel said, “I hope we continue making individual and team improvements to better ourselves and grow the program.” The team is pumped and ready for any challenges that will come their way.
The team won a meet for the first time since 2009! It was on September 14 against Penn Manor. The score was 32–23. They were led by Ashley Jocham, who was closely followed by Abby Swanson and Savannah Hershey. They are hoping to take home more wins this season!
The Journey of a Hard Worker
Just as the Cedar girls started out the season strong, so did LHS senior Caleb Hershey. Hershey’s strong showing thus far has set him up well for post-season competition. Coach Pearson said, “I would like to see what Caleb can do in the post-season going into leagues, districts, and states.” Right now Hershey is ranked 19th in the whole state of PA! He is prepared to run the big meets and improve his times. Through the 6 years of Hershey’s running career, he has progressed at an astounding rate. He runs 5 to 13 miles, lifts, and rides an exercise bike, every single day. His hard work has started to pay off this season and in every race, he has gotten faster and faster.
Caleb gained motivation from his supportive friends and family. Caleb stated, “I’ve always been pushed to be my best by the people around me. I’ve realized that all the hard work I’ve put into running over the past 6 years is really paying off. I want to encourage everyone to work hard at what they do because you do get a benefit.”
Not only is Caleb a great runner, but he is also a role model for younger kids on the team. Owen Kreider a freshman on the cross country team said, “Caleb’s hard work inspires me to push hard during races. I love watching Caleb run because he competes with every person and he cares so much about each race.” Caleb is inspiring Lebanon’s future runners to keep the culture alive.
Caleb is planning to go to college to become a social studies teacher. He wants to run cross country and track. A few of his college options are Temple, Kutztown, and Moravian. The boys team won a meet against Penn Manor and they were led by Caleb Hershey!
The boys and girls teams will be traveling to their LL-League meet on October 19th at Ephrata High School. They are always grateful when people come out and support them!
The cross country team is always looking for new athletes. If you would like to join the team, please send Mr. Pearson a Schoology message.
