Catching up with Cross Country
Paxton, Mass. – The men's cross country team has been busy hitting the pavement for the summer road race season. Recently, Captain Dave Sheridan (Auburn, Mass.) participated in Kyleigh's Cure Run in Braintree, Mass. placing third place in his division while teammate Nick Hummel (Wilbraham, MA) finished second at the American International College Run for Education.
Sheridan finished the 10K course in a time of 43:49 averaging a 7:03 mile.
Kyleigh's Cure Run was established by Kyleigh Lydon's parents after their little girl was diagnosed with Galactosemia as an infant. They have dedicated their lives to finding a cure for galactosemia. Galactosemia is a condition in which the body is unable to metabolize the simple sugar galactose. People who get an early diagnosis and strictly avoid milk products can live a relatively normal life. If there is an accumulation of galactose in the body it can lead to serious complications such as liver failure, kidney failure, and brain damage. Currently no cure or treatment for Galactosemia and because this disease is so rare, there is minimal funding for research.
Sheridan has a particular interest in this run because he suffers from the same condition as Kyleigh. "Having Galactosemia it is nice to see the support around this race dedicated to finding a cure. I've never seen such a big turnout. I am astonished at how successful as it was. Galactosemia is such a rare disease that is often forgotten about." said Sheridan.
The Auburn native will spend his summer preparing for the upcoming cross country season, "After this race, I tried to identify the key points for training that I will focus on over the remainder of the summer. Each pre-season I try to get myself in tip top shape to start the season but sometimes I may be lagging behind in some areas. This race made me recognize my success to this point." quotes Sheridan, "I'm excited for the upcoming season, and with an experienced new coach there will be some major changes that will be good for the team."
Sophomore Nick Hummel placed second in the inaugural "Run for Education" 5K race sponsored by AIC held in Springfield, Massachusetts. Hummel, running with his club team the Mile Tree Racers, finished the course in 18:43.87.
The cross country team, under the guidance of first year head coach John Nicol, opens the 2012 campaign on September 1 with a dual meet between Western New England University and Elms College.
