De La Salle's cross country team ran away with a sweep of the cross country category for our 4Frenzy Fan Choice Awards. Coach Sandy Buchanan is delighted for the recognition, and she and coach Jill Suminski are also most appreciative for the votes for 'Favorite Cross Country Coaches".
Buchanan has been the head coach of De La Salle's cross country program for four years. Suminski, her assistant coach, is in her first year. This season, they had a total of 48 boys on their team-17 seniors, 7 juniors, 10 sophomores, and 14 freshmen. The team was led by five senior captains.
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Buchanan is not surprised that her boys swept the individual categories. "Each of them deserved the nomination and each deserved the votes they received," she said.
Fisher Schluessler won 'Favorite Freshman' and Buchanan said "he has shown great athleticism at camp and has continued to develop his running and racing skills over the course of the season."
Andrew Renaud was awarded 'Favorite Sophomore' and has taken over the spot as sixth runner. He later came to take the number one spot at the regional meet, "running a personal best time of 17.23. Drew is also a Macomb County Academic winner with a 4.0 GPA," Buchanan said.
Zachary Jarski won in the category of 'Favorite Junior' and was running the varsity number three last year but surpassed that and was their number one runner throughout the season, achieving his personal best of 17.26 at the regional meet. He also joins Renaud as a Macomb County Academic winner with a 4.0 GPA.
Joe Davey was rewarded with 'Favorite Senior'. He has ran in the number 2 spot for most of last year and this year. Even though injury has prevented him from finishing the season, Davey had scored points for De La Salle in league meets and is also a Macomb County Academic winner with a 4.0 GPA.
Sam Streberger was given the award for 'Comeback Runner of the Year'. He ran in the number three spot for most of last year and started in the number two spot this season. Battling foot problems, Streberger was able to hold onto his varsity rank throughout the season.
De La Salle's cross country program is a year-round endeavor. These students train all summer and continue on throughout the winter. During the summer, the team heads up to a running camp at Loon Lake for a week. There, they run two-a-day workouts and work on their leadership skills. "This camp sets the tone for our entire season," Buchanan said.
There is no doubt that this team is dedicated to not only cross country, but also to their school as a whole. The time and effort the team members put into their sport exemplifies why they swept the cross country category in our 4Frenzy Fan Choice Awards.