The J. Taylor Finley Middle School co-ed cross country team is rolling out the welcome mat for incoming seventh and eighth graders to join the squad and get in on the after school fun.
Finley social studies teacher Jarrad Richter coaches the team, which will be returning nine of its 16 members from last season, including rising eighth graders Kiley Barch, Ryan Donovan, Grace Gordon, Jamyn Husselbeck, Mia Johnson, Kiera McGuire, Claire Parks, Dana Saramago and Louisa Skrobela.
Coach Richter is hopeful that every Finley that’s not already committed to a fall season sport will consider joining the cross country team. The squad competes against local middle schools and runs in a county invitational meet held at Sunken Meadow State Park.
The Finley co-ed team trains daily after school, extensively stretching and going on runs of various distances to develop strength and stamina. The athletes learn about pacing themselves over the course of an entire race and how a cross country meet is conducted and scored.
Finley has traditionally had a competitive cross country program. Coach Richter believes he has a good nucleus returning and a very good chance of having a successful season in the fall.
Finley’s boys will have meets with Kings Park, Commack, Stimson, Candlewood, West Hollow, Oldfield and Elwood. Finley’s girls will compete against the same schools on the same dates with the exception of Oldfield.
Interested in joining the Finley co-ed cross country team? Send a message to Coach Richter at jrichter@hufsd.edu.
The school doctor will be at Finley on Wednesday, September 1 at 8 a.m. to give physical exams for student-athletes who want one. Athletes can submit paperwork (private physician physical form and interval health history) to the nurse on Monday and Tuesday, August 30-31 between 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and requalify for fall sports. Athletes can also sign up and get cleared by the nurse on Thursday and Friday, September 9-10 during their respective lunch period.
Checklist prior to tryouts:
Every student needs to get re-qualified by the school nurse for each sport season. The nurse can only clear a student if they have the following forms on file:
• Private physician physical exam form: (link below)
http://www.hufsd.edu/assets/pdf/resources/2021/health/private_physical_exam_form.pdf
• Interval health history form: (link below)
http://www.hufsd.edu/assets/pdf/athletics/2022/interval_health_history.pdf
http://www.hufsd.edu/assets/pdf/athletics/2022/interval_health_history-sp.pdf
• Parent permission form: (link below)
http://www.hufsd.edu/assets/pdf/athletics/2022/parent_consent_form.pdf