Hot Start: Horvath Exhorts Troops to Victory in Cross Country Opener

Posted September 11, 2016 / Last updated September 11, 2016

Coach Rudy Horvath ’86 shouts encouragement to junior Ben Finicle, freshman Cameron Cancienne, and freshman Brandon Hall during the Mount Carmel Cub Invitational on Saturday, Sep. 10.

Jesuit’s cross country team kicked off the season in style, weathering stifling heat to capture the team championship in the Mount Carmel Academy Cub Run on Saturday, Sep. 10 despite holding out their top ten runners.

Jesuit placed five of its 16 entries in the Top Ten to edge second-place Belle Chasse, scoring 28 points to the Cardinals’ 31 (in cross country, the sum of a team’s top five finishes is the team total, with the lowest overall score winning the meet).

Junior Jordan Tufts finished third overall, posting a time of 18:01 on the three-mile course at City Park.

Rounding out the Top Ten were freshman Cameron Cancienne (7th-18:23), freshman Brandon Hall (8th-18:26), junior Michael Williams (9th-18:29) and junior Ben Finicle (10th-18:33).

Cross country aficionados paying really close attention to the minutiae of this article may have already done some quick math and noticed that Jesuit’s team total seems to be inaccurate based on the above information. But two Rummel runners finished in the Top Ten. Since Rummel did not field a large enough squad to compete for the team title, everyone else had their finish bumped up accordingly to compute the team totals. Tufts, therefore, got credit for a second place, while Jesuit’s other four scorers were credited with 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th-place finishes.

Also running for the Jays on Saturday were seniors Bridges Baudier, Randy Carter, Christian Crout, Harper Miller, and Sam Recile; juniors Jonathan Arnold, Peter Carr, Garrett Crumb, Ryan Guillot, and Jake Theriot; and sophomore Harrison LeBlanc.

“I liked what I saw today,” said Coach Rudy Horvath, who didn’t let his post-ACL surgery crutch prevent him from getting around the course to cheer on his charges. “The times weren’t too hot, but that’s because the weather was. Given the conditions, the guys ran exceptionally well.”

Jesuit returns to the City Park course for the second straight week to compete in the Rummel-Chapelle Invitational on Saturday, Sep. 17.

Galleries

Cross Country MCA Cub Run September 10 2016

Junior Ryan Guillot
Junior Jake Theriot finds a second wind at the finish.
Junior Garrett Crumb finishes the race.
Sophomore Harrison LeBlanc leaves it all on the course.
Junior Jordan Tufts sprints to the finish.
Coach Rudy Horvath '86 encourages junior Ben Finicle, freshman Cameron Cancienne, and freshman Brandon Hall.
Junior Michael Williams
Sophomore Harrison LeBlanc takes the middle, while teammate Jake Theriot, a junior, makes a move on the course's fringe.
Junior Garrett Crumb.
The team congregates prior to the race under the oaks near Harrison Avenue.
Freshmen Brandon Hall and Cameron Cancienne, along with junior Peter Carr tackle the "hills" of the City Park course..
Senior Sam Recile.
Junior Peter Carr and freshman Brandon Hall.
Freshman Cameron Cancienne and junior Peter Carr.
Junior Ben Finicle navigates the course.
Junior Jonathan Arnold, junior Michael Williams, junior Peter Carr, senior Sam Recile, and freshman Cameron Cancienne make early moves to the front.
And they're off!