Led by senior Anna Marino and junior Oliwia Moyer who placed sixth and 14th respectively, the Lady Pirates cross country team finished fourth at the South Group II sectional championship and earned a qualifying spot for the States Meet. Under new leadership from Head Coach Keith Kesten, the team ended their regular season with an impressive 13-3 record .

Kesten expressed his excitement at the opportunity to assume the position of head coach, having been both an assistant coach for the Hopewell Valley girls’ cross country team in the past and the CHS coach for distance in spring track.

“I think it’s a really awesome opportunity, and I’ve been an assistant coach for a really long time,” Kesten said.

The team has had to adjust to a new coaching style with Kesten, as he helps members of the team avoid injuries and remain more consistent to themselves. He has also implemented new workouts to best assist them.

Senior Madison Willers describes how she has felt a personal improvement. She said what Kesten is doing is working for the team as a whole. 

“I’ve definitely felt more consistent, and I feel like I am improving, and what he’s doing is working and I really like that,” Willers said. “I like how he has this set plan, and I like how he’s trying to make sure that we are including stuff that we need to do in order for us to improve.”

The Pirates finished second at the Burlington County Scholastic League with Marino, Moyer, and junior Abigail Flannery earning a first-team All-Star team. Marino finished second with a time of 19:47.90, Moyer finished sixth with a time of 20:53.00, and Flannery finished seventh with a time of 21:32.90.

The team has also found themselves with two new captains, Marino and Willers. As role models for the team, they are an inspiration for the younger runners on the team as they work to build relationships within and amongst the runners. 

“I love being a role model, and I was so excited when I was given the opportunity to be captain of this team, because, I mean yeah it’s a big responsibility, but it’s so exciting,” Willers said.

Overall, the team has built a good relationship with each other, as both Kesten and Willers cited it as an important aspect of the team that drives them to continue and improve. 

“I hope to achieve a really enjoyable experience for the people involved, and to make sure we go through this running journey together,” Kesten said. 

The team will be running at the Group II State Meet at Holmdel on Saturday, November 4th.