2010 Cross Country Season The 2010 Cross Country season will open for the Cardinals on September 4th with the running of the annual Bob Creamer Memorial 3k. The inter-squad event traditionally kicks off the season for the Jesuit harriers and has become a fun introduction to the competitive season. The Cardinals will then travel to the University of Notre Dame for the All-Catholic Schools championships on September 17th. This will be their first meet against outside competition. This year’s squad returns a very strong nucleus of runners that should make for an exciting and competitive season. The squad will be lead by Junior distance ace Dustin Hall (St. Mary’s, WV) and Sophomore standouts Stewart Jones (Weirton, WV) and Nick Bonaventure (Media, PA). Hall and Bonaventure are both coming off exceptional track seasons in which both set personal best marks and rewrote the WVIAC record books. Hall set a NCAA national qualifying mark in the 10,000m run and won the event at the WVIAC Outdoor Championships, while Bonaventure set a new WVIAC record on his way to victory in the 1,500m run at the same championships. Jones, who red-shirted in 2010, was the WVIAC Track and Field Rookie and Athlete of the Year in 2009. Also returning from last year’s Top Seven, are Sophomores Russell Mulley (Wheeling, WV) and Matt Mason (Bridgeport, WV). Both athletes had tremendous outdoor track seasons and should contribute heavily to the 2010 squad. Other returners looking to make an impact on the varsity squad are Seniors Chad Henson (Williamstown, WV) and Levi Morris (Woodsfield, OH), Junior Adam Carter (Wheeling, WV), and Sophomore Zach Phipps (Morgantown, WV). All of these athletes have varsity experience that could prove very valuable to a youthful Cardinals team. A new crop of incoming freshman are also looking to make their mark on the Cardinals program in 2010. High school standouts Luke Holubeck (St. Clairsville, OH) and Patrick Stanton (Fairmont, WV) headline the 2010 class along with Nathan Harshberger (New Martinsville, WV) and Jamie Wise (St. Mary’s, WV). All four of these new comers should add great depth to the Cardinals roster and should push for spots on the varsity roster.   Head Coach Ricky Moore has high expectations for this year’s squad and he sees this year as the turning point in the program. “We have been steadily moving towards the front of the conference each  season and regaining our standing as one of the top programs in the WVIAC. With the athletes that we have this season, I see it as a pivotal year in our program. I truly believe that we have the ability to not only win a WVIAC Championship but also push for a top 5 spot at the Atlantic Regional Championships.”