Cross country had fallen off at Calvert Hall.
Since 2000, the Cardinals had struggled with the sport and went through several head coaches. That ended in April, when Randy Fowler finished his eight-year tenure at Mercy High to bring Calvert Hall back to prominence.
Recommended Stories
This fall, Calvert Hall is 4-2 in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference, and last weekend, the team finished second at the McDonald?s Cross Country Festival in Richmond, Va.
“They brought in an old Marine like me,” Fowler said.
Coming to Calvert Hall, Fowler lured former Cardinals coaching legend Jim McCoach away from Maryvale, where he started the cross country program. The two put together a summer running program to whip the Cardinals into shape for the fall, but tragically, McCoach suffered a stroke on July 26. He passed away on Aug. 2 and was buried on Aug. 7, the first official day of practice.
“That was a somber day,” Fowler said.
Brendan McKinney, a senior in his fourth season running for Calvert Hall, tried to take some positives from the death of his McCoach.
“That was kind of tough for us, but it gave us motivation for the rest of the year,” McKinney said.
The senior credits Fowler?s new style and the addition of more distance running and calisthenics as a reason for marked improvement this year.
“The team this year we have, it is very strong,” junior Bryan Borowski said. “We have a new work ethic. Coach Fowler came here with a great attitude and really got us pumped this year.”
The arrival of Fowler even drew players away from the Cardinals? soccer team, with juniors Alex Bogucki and Anthony Rowe running cross country for the first time this year.
“I knew Coach McCoach and Coach Fowler were coming to coach, and I really like them, so I wanted to run more,” said Rowe, who finished fourth in his division at the McDonald?s meet.
“My sister went to Mercy, and her friends told me such good things about him,” Bogucki said. “I was excited running for him. It is a lot more intense.”
Fowler recognizes that the success of the team so far is because of the hard work his runners have put in over the summer and fall.
“I have a solid group of young boys,” Fowler said. “Fortunately, these guys are buying into what I am selling.”
Cross country cards
» Calvert Hall skipped Hereford?s Bull Run in order to compete at the McDonald?s Festival. The team?s next competition will be Saturday at the Doc Jones Invitational at Annapolis High.
» This year, the Cardinals have defeated McDonogh, Archbishop Curley, Archbishop Spalding and John Carroll.
» Junior Anthony Rowe has been clocked at 4:28 in the mile.
