Two CC Seniors Cross the Finish Line First at Districts

Two seniors go the distance for their first place titles for cross country.

December 20, 2022

Two seniors on the SHS Cross Country teams won districts this year, bringing home two first place titles.

Both Matt O’Brien and Nicole Dauberman crossed the finish line in first place as District Champs.

O’Brien competes in the State Championship for Cross Country and finished in fourth place with a time of 16:81. O’Brien was recently named First Team All-State by the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches. This image is from last year when O’Brien was a junior. Photograph via @mattobrien on Instagram.

O’Brien went to districts for all four years of his high school career, and Dauberman qualified for three.

O’Brien was excited to win this year, seeing as it would be his senior year.

“It definitely felt really good,” O’Brien said. “[I was able to meet] some really talented guys in our district [which] is one of the strongest in the state. It was a good way to end it all.”

In her sophomore year, Dauberman came in at 15th place in districts and 8th place in junior year.

Nicole Dauberman races at the state cross country championship meet in Hershey on Nov. 6. Dauberman finished 27th overall. Photograph Courtesy of @SuskyWarriors via Twitter

“It felt really rewarding and exciting to win districts,” Dauberman said. “It was really fulfilling because that race was something I have been working towards consistently since late May and early June. I think the best part was just seeing how much all of the hard work and consistency paid off.”

Both of the senior runners have to train very frequently to be at the top.

“I run six or seven days a week- usually around 8 miles a day…” O’Brien said. “[I average] 55 hours a week.”

Dauberman explains that her hard work and improved attitude during races and practices helped her.

“I think I improved a lot on my speed and hills,” Dauberman said. “This year, I really focused on pushing the uphills and being competitive mid-race. I think the biggest difference this year compared to last year was that this year, I had a much more competitive and positive mindset going into races. I think that really helped me be more confident while racing and gave me the courage to make strategic and bold moves during races.”

O’Brien also saw improvement in his performance as the season progressed.

“I just continued to put the miles in and become more aerobically fit,” O’Brien said. “…doing the work outs and over time, putting in the training leads to improvement.”

With the district championship in hand, the two seniors will run at the collegiate level.

Cross country coach Jim Lebo Instructs his runners at the start of practice. Photograph Courtesy of Richard Harper

Dauberman will attend Rider University, running cross country and track and field, while O’Brien will attend Cornell University, running on its cross country and track and field teams.