The streets will be packed on Nov. 7 as The Big Spring cross country course was approved to host the state championship meet by the PIAA for the next 4 years. The Bulldogs are excited to show off the amazing facilities throughout the district and bring together community involvement as people from all over the state will be welcomed into town on this big day. Thousands of people are expected to attend this meet as six races are held with two hundred fifty runners in each. Athletic Director, Scott Penner, said, “There’s not a blade of grass that’s not going to be parked on.” This decision showcases the quality of Big Spring School District and the course that was created by the dedicated coach of 51 years, Robert Jumper, known to most as Coach Doggie, in 2005 after the high school was built.
Penner said, “A lot of people have said that it’s probably one of the best cross-country courses on the East Coast” with “six or seven courses that you can run.” Big Spring will hold this honor for the next four years, until the bid occurs again where the host will either stay the same or change through a voting process.
The excitement in Newville started to arise after this was officially announced in January on social media. The Big Spring School District stated on their post, “Some places are built for big moments and Big Spring’s cross country course is one of them.” This Championship race has been held on the Parkview Cross Country Course in Hershey since 2006, making this switch a big transition in the PIAA. This decision was in process for multiple years as the hosting bid from Big Spring was made two times before being approved on the third time this year.
There are many positives that will come from the switch for the runners, the spectators and the community. Penner said, “One of the attractive things about our courses is you can actually watch a race and see most of it.” Furthermore, it impacts the runners as this switch will not only change how far the team has to travel, but also how successful they will be throughout their season.
Three runners from the district went to the state championship this past year: freshman, Madeline Moyer; sophomore, Asher Baker; and junior, Gavin Wenger. This is predicted to change in the coming years as all three runners mention the “home course advantage” bringing motivation and success to the team.
Baker said, “We run it every day, and just have a better feel for the course than other teams would.” Moyer said, “I think the team is going to be more motivated to do better.”
Wenger has been running cross country for over 4 years now. He said, “We know how to run our course better.” All in all, the athletes hope this switch is hoping to bring success and benefits to all, even out of town folks as Coach Doggie said, “The whole area is basically going to benefit from it.” The Cross Country program is also looking to benefit the community on this big day and are looking for community organizations to be able to come out and advertise or serve. Penner said, “I would love for the community to take part in it and get to experience it.” Any organizations that are interested in offering concessions, entertainment or volunteer support are encouraged to contact the Athletic department as they begin making preparations for this big day on March 5.
This is a big step in the growth of the Big Spring Cross Country Program. The runners are also growing as a team. For example, Wenger said, “Our team chemistry has grown over the last few years…we have a lot of fun as a team.” This fun was also a theme when Baker said, “The team dynamic is definitely different than most teams, where others have individuals focusing on themselves. We’re kind of just enjoying ourselves.” Perhaps Coach Doggie said it best when he said, “I am proud of the team.”
