Waynesburg Athletics The Yellow Jackets have found new talent in the younger members of the team. This past weekend, the Waynesburg University Cross Country teams participated in the Fisher Invitational. The women’s team placed third out of six teams and the men’s team placed last. They did find a couple of hidden gems that really showed some new attributes.
“This year we want to focus on confidence and building our overall training process, as well as building consistency within the younger athletes on our squad,” head coach Chris Hardie said.
Freshman Kyin Jeter led the men’s team with a best time of 18:38.1 and finished 46th. He was followed by junior Ethan Wilson and senior Kyle Casella, who crossed the line in 47th- and 48th-place finishes.
“I try to lead by example and show the younger guys how things are run here, which in turn helps motivate me to be a better role model and runner,” Casella said. “To me, it’s a win-win.”
The men’s cross-country team has depth. It has one senior, three juniors, and the rest are made up of sophomores and freshmen. They will need to look towards their younger guys and work with some of the depth in their squad to step up and take a stand for themselves.
The women’s side, however, was led by a sophomore Erin Belveal. Belveal ran a 21:28.23 time and placed 10th at the Fisher Invitational. Belveal has won numerous awards at Waynesburg, including the PAC newcomer of the week. Junior Alexis Hepburn and freshman Kaitlyn Ritchie followed in 21st and 27th place. Belveal has pushed herself and assisted in putting Waynesburg in that top three placement. Last year, Waynesburg lost an outstanding athlete in Grace Tanskley, who was the WUESPY Female Athlete of the Year. Belveal has shown that she is a great candidate for the job.
“I can improve on having a better mindset by not allowing my mind to quit and push myself even when I want to slow down,” Belveal said. “The new team members are all very positive and love putting in the hard work, which I feel will be a good thing if the team keeps a positive attitude for the whole season.”
Waynesburg has some strong depth in its lineup. Every day makes you wonder who will be the next athlete that steps up and leads their team to a top three finish.
“Everyone is important in this squad; no matter who you are, you have to be ready to step up when the time comes,” Hardie said.
Both teams will look ahead to this Saturday when they travel to Bethany College for the Bethany Invitational.