2020 Season Preview

The situation facing the Haverford men's cross country team in many ways embodies the realities of the 2020 fall semester, as the team has members both on campus and off prepping for their next shot at competition. A program that has become accustomed to a routine of excellence both on the course and in the classroom has been suddenly forced to reckon with a changed world. 

In the fall semester, that means student-athletes are scattered across the country, with many members of the squad studying remotely together in Wyoming. Senior captain Matt Katz is one of those members taking temporary residence in America's least-populated state. 

"We've got seven guys, and two members of the women's team out here," said Katz. "A few of us, when we saw what was going on with the College, were a little hesitant to return for various reasons. We ended up getting in touch with one of the guys who has family out here, and that's how we ended up here in Casper, Wyoming of all places." Katz continued, "We can train easy, train hard, our workouts, all those things. There's a little bit of altitude here which is cool. We are able to do pretty much the exact same thing that the guys are doing in Philly, just in a different location."

For senior captain Nathan Akerhielm, the focus also remained clear despite the challenging times. On campus, three groups of eight team members workout together each day from Monday to Friday. These "functional units" on campus are currently stagnant, with the same eight athletes remaining together daily for safety purposes. 

Akerhielm added, "I'm trying to keep connected with the group on campus, and we both kind of coordinate efforts to have zoom calls and try to make everyone feels as one, even though we are across the country." 

Katz spoke to his role in bridging the gap between those on and off campus, "Keeping up constant communication is something that Nathan and I have been trying to do to keep engaged, and the team kind of relies on that communication back and forth." 

Akerhielm spoke to the importance of continuing to be prepared and focused. With an unprecedented semester to navigate, keeping running as an enjoyable experience for the team is of paramount importance. Making sure that cross country can be an outlet for the squad and not a chore is crucial. 

"The nice thing about running is that even if you aren't with all of your teammates, or you are just at home, you can still get out and run. Tom [Donnelly] has been sending out different training plans. I think everyone has done a good job of following that, and trying to understand that running should not feel like pressure right now. But hopefully in the spring, if we can compete in a track season, we are ready." 

Last season, the Fords made a 27th consecutive appearance at the national championship, with first year Ryan Kredell running to a 45th place overall finish, the best first-year performance from a Haverford runner since Karl Paranya in the fall of 1993.