Robinson hit the ground running in the first meet of the cross-country season and haven’t looked back since. On Sept. 3 In the first meet of the season, Robinson faced off against Plant, Leto, Sickles, Alonso and Gaither.
Multiple runners from RHS finished in the top ten, with Peter Smalley finishing second for the boys 5K with an astonishing 17:47 and Jacob Sackenheimer placing sixth with 18:02 in the boys 5k. For the girls 5k, Brennan Baryza (’27) claimed second with a time of 19:52 and Gabriella Rodriguez ended with a time of 22:49, in tenth place. Since this first meet, Robinson runners have been working exceptionally hard to overcome some of the challenges stacked against them.
“[The] season started out pretty bumpy [with] the cross-country coach for many years retiring last season and we’ve been readjusting to having Mr. Montero as our new coach,” Baryza said.
Last season, longtime coach Mark Altimari retired, leaving the Robinson team with a new coach and a young team, with much of the ranks of RHS cross country consisting of only freshmen.
“It’s been different, but we have still been seeing improvements, especially with a lot of new freshmen coming in,” Baryza said.
Many members of the team remain hopeful, despite the loss of their old coach. One such member is Jacob Sackenheimer (’27), who believes that “This season is shaping up to by an incredible one”. Jacob is a prolific member of the RHS cross-country team, finishing sixth in the first competition of the season, and only being a sophomore.
“The team is stronger than ever,” Sackenheimer said. “And [we’re ready] ready to make a run for the state championship.” Although states seem a little ambitious, hopefully Sackenheimers confidence will be infectious, helping inspire many of the newer runners.
“Both teams are ranked in regionals and currently advancing to states,” said Coach Montero. States is a prodigious achievement, yet Montero sounds confident that the team can push forward and compete against some of the best in Florida. “We have had a boom in freshmen and sophomores this year,” said Montero. This boost in young blood hopes to potentially contain and replicate Robinsons potential success in the years to come, especially as runners such as Brennan Baryza and Jacob Sackenheimer continue to develop.
“The dedication from every member of the team has been nothing short of inspiring. We’ve got a tight-knit group and the drive to win,” Sackenheimer said.
Despite the various hurdles the runners have to overcome this season, Robinson appears to be taking the issues in stride and seem confident in their own abilities to carry them to districts and beyond.