Showing leadership from within

In a sport that can be at times grueling but ultimately fulfilling as cross country, proper guidance and leadership can come not only from coaches, but teammates as well.

The Warwick Valley High School boys cross country program has two captains - junior Jake Cosco and sophomore Leo Shostal - who are positive and significant influences on the Wildcats’ roster.

“Jake and Leo possess great leadership qualities and show a true love of the sport,’’ Warwick Valley head coach Michael Potter said. “They bring an unmatched work ethic to practice every day, are serious about improvement and treat teammates with respect.’’

Both student athletes have been quite accomplished on the course thus far this season.

“Leo is one of the top sophomores in New York state and has won (two) races so far this season, including our 60-team Wave Mania Invitational at home,’’ Potter said. “Jake is a staple in our top five runners and is the glue that holds it all together for us.’’

Not surprisingly, both captains are steadily getting better as long distance runners.

“This year they have shown a better focus on daily improvement and have been better about encouraging the rest of the team,’’ Potter said.

Most importantly, Shostal and Cosco are outstanding in the classroom.

“Leo and Jake are both High Honor Roll Students in the classroom and are considered Scholar Athletes who are recognized by the WVCSD each year for their academic achievements,’’ Potter said.

Potter is both proud and encouraged by the way the captains interact with their fellow runners.

“By being positive role models and leading by example, Leo and Jake never take short cuts, they never ask to get out of workouts and they push through pain and teammates notice this,’’ he said. “It’s cross country. If you’re not hurting you’re not trying. Leo and Jake are also very positive and cheer on teammates all the time, and they are not shy about offering words of advice on how to improve areas of training and nutrition.’’

Warwick Valley is next scheduled to compete at Washingtonville High School on Sept. 25.

“We have a great group of 33 guys and upperclassmen like Hank Wendell, Jake Tannar, RJ Dovico and AJ Kobrick who are all seasoned veterans at this point in their careers,’’ Potter said. “We have 15 freshmen, our largest group of freshmen in over a decade and the future looks bright.’’