THE CRUSADERS ARE ALL SMILES ON THE PODIUM AT RXC4!
In the days leading up to Saturday's RunningLane Cross Country Championships at John Hunt Running Park in Birmingham,AL, Brother Martin head coach Drew Haro referred to the race as Brother Martin's "last ride" for the historic 2023 season.
While Mother Nature turned the post-season championship into more of Tsunami of mud, it was still one the harriers of Brother Martin will not soon forget. Brother Martin's Noah Mooney led the team with a 15:55 (No. 66)
Senior Luke Regan was No.2 for the Crusaders with a 16:04 which put him at No. 108 in a field of almost 300 runners.
"After finishing first in the silver race last year, we wanted to see how well we could mix it up in the gold race this year," Haro said. "To be on the starting line at full strength with a chance to challenge ourselves against strong teams from all over the country was the opportunity this team had prepared for."
When it was all over, there were some anxious moments as the results continued to populate and the Crusaders continued to refresh the live results.
"When the results went final, and we finished on the podium, everyone was pumped," Haro said. "To represent Brother Martin, New Orleans, and the state of Louisiana like that with this group of guys is a memory I'll have forever."
"This year it was a mud fest," Regan said. "Surprisingly, the course was in worse condition than last year."
Not only did Regan and his teammates have to contend with the mud, rain poured down during the entire race.
"All of it together made it challenging, but fun as well," Regan said.
As a team, Brother Martin finished third.
"I thought our team did amazing," Regan said. "I am beyond proud of how every single one of my teammates did on Saturday. We stuck to our tried and true plan of running as a pack and it worked well for us."
For Regan, RunningLane was just the final chapter in a near-storybook cross country season which saw the the team place four runners in the top top ten at the LHSAA State Cross Country Championships barely falling to Jesuit, who won their third straight title.
"Personally, this season has cemented itself into my memories for the rest of my life us for the fact that I got to achieve my goals alongside my friends," Regan said. "To me, that is what cross country is all about. Ever since I was in the eighth grade, I have been working towards getting faster and faster and having a group of people my age that are just as dedicated to running as me has made the experience even more special. It's definitely something that is hard to put into words."
Brother Martin's No.3 runner on Saturday was Daniel Falk, who finished No. 108 with a time of 16:01.
Since the summer of 2022 when Falk's father had a stroke, the Brother Martin senior has been running with a purpose.
"Since my dad passed away, I've dedicated my running to him," Falk said. "So being able to have such a great time running with all my friends and being able to reach heights no other Louisiana team ever has really means a lot to me and everyone who has supported me through the easy and the hard times over the past years. I wouldn't have wanted this season to play out any other way than it did, and I'll always look back on it when I think about my dad."
Other Brother Martin in the team's top five included Eyan Calico (16:18; No. 127), Gabriel Metoyer (16:29; No. 164).
With the efforts of seniors like Regan and Falk, there is a different standard for the Crusaders XC program.
"The bar has been raised," Haro said. "I hope the next wave of guys are ready to keep pushing it even higher."