UCHS Cross Country Leads the Sports Pack

The University City High School Cross Country team just finished its 2014 season. Closing out the regular season was an exciting race at the district meet. Clayton won as expected, and MICDS (the pre-season favorite) and UCHS battled it out for the second state spot. MICDS prevailed, but it came down to the fifth runner and a mere difference of ten points.

Even so, UCHS placed four runners in the top 15 with Derrick Freeman, Isaac Levan, Cleo Pleasant and Benjamin Pomerantz qualifying for state. This is the best representation UCHS has had at the state meet in a number of years.  The UCHS team also had five personal records on the day, so districts was a very successful meet. 

The cross country team is one of the most successful sports teams at University City High School. The team is fortunate to have James Crowe, an UCHS alum, and parent to two UCHS alums, coaching the team.  Coach Crowe has made the team’s mission – for University City cross country athletes to develop their running abilities in a supportive and positive environment.  Each athlete learns teamwork, self- discipline, dedication, integrity and sportsmanship and carry these skills over into their academic and professional lives. 

Summer training will be starting before long and the Alumni/Team- 2 mile time trial is tentatively scheduled for Saturday August 9. Anyone interested in joining the team can contact Coach James

Crowe xccoachcrowe@gmail.com.

The UCHS Cross Country team has a long tradition of success both on the field and in the classroom. Here are just a few facts:

• The 2006 boys' team won the District meet and took 12^th at the State meet.

• The 2008 boys' team was runner up at districts and took 5^th at State.

• Since 2005, no boys' team has finished less than 4^th at Districts.

• Since 2005 the UCHS Cross Country team has had three different individual runners win Districts (David Lambus twice, Brian Hart, and Ali Klooster, twice).

• At state UCHS has had girls finish as high as 4^th (Ali Klooster) and 7^th (Anna Shafer-Skelton) and boys finish as high as 4^th and 6^th (David Lambus).

• In years when the UCHS team did not qualify, individual team members qualified for State. In fact every year since 2004 UCHS has sent at least two boys (and most years more than that), and at least one girl runner (most years more than that) to State.

• In 2012 and 2013 the class valedictorians were cross country runners.  Since 2000 there have been 7 class valedictorians that have been members of the cross country team.

• David Lambus holds the boy's UCHS record of 16:15 set in 2010.  Ali Klooster holds the girl's record of 19:46, set in 2006.