Cross Country Championship Draws Record Number of Participants

Third- and fourth-grade boys group up while running. (Photos by Ed Koskey)

The Diocesan Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Cross Country Championship were held Oct. 15 at St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton.

A total of 16 teams and 650 youth participated. CYO is one component of a parish’s youth ministry program and is coordinated by the diocesan Office of Youth, Young Adult and Family Ministry (OYYAFM).

“The Cross Country Championship is just a great event,” said Daniel Jones, CYO Coordinator with OYYAFM, “It involves a good number of participants from all reaches of the Diocese. There are individual winners and team champions, however all the kids, parents and coaches just seem to have a wonderful time. Everything associated with this is positive. How could it not be? There are probably 1,000 or more people here and everyone is having a great time.”

Third- and fourth-grade girls run close together during the meet.

Veronica Gaulai of St. Michael the Archangel School, Bethlehem-Limeport shows the medal she earned for placing first in the fifth- and sixth-grade girls’ race.

Kindergarten girls run during the meet.

Kindergarten boys start running.

Lincoln Feist of St. Jane drinks from his water bottle after running with kindergarten boys.

Henry Parrish of St. Ann, Emmaus, left, and Aiden Van Wert of St Jane give it their all as they near the finish of the third and fourth grades boys’ race.