Cross country runners made impressive strides

By Tanisha Ramachandran ‘26

The members of the W+H cross country team pose together after a rewarding practice.

Once again, the W+H cross country team is on the verge of completing a successful season.

The Rams have accomplished a lot this past season, according to coach Jamal Burden: “I think the team’s performance this season was great. We still have a lot of work to do but I look forward to them doing really well. The kids are encouraged, ready to run and it’s very exciting to coach the kids that we have.”

The team has achieved multiple new personal bests (PBs) and run some of the toughest courses in the state. One of the main highlights for the team include running in the Shore Coaches Invitational 5K race at Holmdel Park, which is a significant achievement for a cross country runner. This course is considered one of the most difficult courses in New Jersey, known for its rugged features and steep uphill landscape.

W+H runners overcame the challenges that came with having to compete in the middle of a thunderstorm while being soaking wet; they showed strength and determination in overcoming what they would describe as “tic tac injuries.”

“Personally I’ve gained a good sense of community amongst the team, good camaraderie and everyone seems to be improving,” senior David Ezra Flatau-Jones‘23 said.

This season was a first for a lot of the runners and they seem to feel pretty confident about how they have done and look forward to being a part of the team for the years yet to come.

“I’ve gained more athletic ability and gotten in much better shape overall. It was pretty successful, being my first season actually,” Sam Cohen ‘25 said.

The Rams also gained a great amount of memories from this year and the team will greatly miss the seniors next season. The upperclassmen are incredibly passionate about the team and always push their teammates to do their best during meets and practices.

“Something I’ll definitely miss about the seniors is their spirit and their ability to lead,” Mohisha Jha ‘26 said. “They always push everyone to try their best and they’ve got great compassion toward the sport.”