Seahawks’ cross country teams are ready to run

In case you didn’t know, Seahawks really like to run.

The Sussex Academy girls’ cross country team has made it a standard practice to win the Henlopen Conference, collecting the last three, while members of the boys’ team believe they can improve on their Henlopen South title.

The girls know how special it would be to send their lone senior, Katya Geyer, off to college with another Henlopen Conference title.

“It would be four times in a row. It'd be great,” Geyer said.  “Coach wants us to do it – we all want it – and we're all working for it, but we know other teams are also training in the summer and it's a process. We're just trying to get everyone on board.”

Coach Jay Diaz said there are six varsity runners returning on the girls’ team. 

“The experience is solid, so we've got big hopes for those girls,” he said. 

The boys are optimistic too.

“A lot of us have been doing this for a while – some of us, even five years – so it would be kind of nice if we can all finish off with a good year,” said senior Will Parker. “We look like we're gonna have a really good team, and we're gonna be really strong.”

Diaz said the boys’ team has a good mix of veterans and strong youngsters and newcomers. 

“This year, I look for Ryan Moody to be one of the tops in the state, period,” he said.

“We're looking forward to the competition part of it and just pushing ourselves to see how good we can all get,” Moody said.

It seems the key for many of the boys is friendly competition on the Sandhill Fields trail.

“I'm looking forward to seeing how my other teammates can help push me and how I can help push my other teammates,” said senior Kieran Probert.

With a strong senior class, the support from classmates could go a long way in reducing times.

“I'm really excited to see the guys around me who've been working so hard blow up over the season,” said senior Doug Kleintop.

“I look forward to helping inspire and lead the others around me who have been running with me for the past four years,” said senior Rocco Buonopane.

Sussex Academy will open its season at the Lake Forest Invitational at Killens Pond State Park Saturday, Sept. 6.