Saints looking for boys’ cross country leaders

CEDAR RAPIDS - Colin Powell once said 'the best method of overcoming obstacles is the team method.”

This is the mind-set of the Xavier boys' cross country team.

The Saints lost 11 leaders from last year's team and hope to fill these roles using newcomers. Xavier has been preparing the freshmen and sophomores to step up and take leadership.

The group is smaller than it has been in the past, but senior Grayson Walther believes the team is closer than ever.

'We also put in a really good summer and got a lot of miles in for the season,” Walther said.

The Saints also have the help of their veteran coach, Nate Hopp, to push the team to its full potential.

'He (Hopp) plans our practices out strategically, depending on what we'll be facing in a race any given week,” Walther said. 'He's great at listening to what the team has to say and taking into consideration how we're feeling.”

Junior Jack Renning agrees.

'He's always pushing us to go faster and do our best in practices and meets,” Renning said.

The Saints are among the teams at the Iowa City West Invitational today at the University of Iowa's Ashton Cross Country Course.