UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa—As the Penn State men's cross country team looks back on their past three meets at the halfway point of this 2019 season, they have a lot to be proud of.
Coming in first at the Dolan Duals, the Spiked Shoe Invitational, and the Buckeye Preview, this men's program has already been riding high on talent and momentum. With the depth and motivation that this squad has, these men believe that this season is going to be one for the books.
Junior Ben Bumgarner feels that his team is right on track with training and believes that the group mentality has been key to success.
"I think we could not have asked for a better start to the season, there is a really good attitude on the team right now. Everyone has been working very well together. I think that we are all striving for a team goal rather than an individual goal," he said.
Bumgarner has helped lead this team with his enthusiastic personality and his drive for success. He is able to encourage his teammates through workouts and daily hang out sessions.
"I'm trying to stress to the other athletes that we are all doing the same workouts," Bumgarner said. "It is just being confident in yourself and confident within each other."
With the help of his fellow upperclassmen like Bumgarner, senior Billy McDevitt has helped shape a team bond through specific team-oriented activities and setting time aside for the group off of the running trails.
"A lot of us live together or in the same building. We are always around each other which has made us become really good friends and has also helped cheer one another one at meets," McDevitt said.
McDevitt's leadership is evident in more places than housing, as he helps lead in practice to make sure the whole team works as one.
"I think that it is important to emphasize to each athlete that we can all be the same and we all deserve our big breakthroughs but that all comes from mental confidence," McDevitt said.
Bumgarner also emphasized to the underclassmen that the sport of running is unlike any other.
"I think it is so important to not have a short memory as a runner. It is important to not get too hung up on any single meet because running is a sport where there are many highs and lows," he said.
While the men's team has a lot of talent on its own, they wouldn't be where they are without the support of the coaching staff, head coach John Gondak and associate head coach Angela Reckart.
Specifically with the help of associate head coach Angela Reckart, who was recently promoted to her associate role and also works with the distance runners during the track season, this men's program has seen a tremendous amount of improvement over the past couple of years. Bumgarner's class has worked with Reckart and each other since they were freshmen, and that dynamic has led to success.
"I feel like we are hitting our workouts on the nail perfectly. I think that my class with Coach Reckart are like a power team," Bumgarner said.
Whether they are hanging out in practice or in a house off campus, this group is a strong one and those results are showing.
Both Bumgarner and McDevitt feel that with the confidence and drive that this team has, the sky is the limit for the rest of the 2019 season.
