Led by head coach Blair Zimmerman (middle with orange hat and white shirt), the Waynesburg University men's and women's cross country team embark on their first ever "midnight madness" run to start the 2009 cross country season.
WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Aug. 20) – Taking a page from college basketball, the Waynesburg University cross country program held their first ever “midnight madness” run to start the 2009 season at 12 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20.
Head coach Blair Zimmerman, who is entering his 11th year with the program, admitted that the midnight run was something outside of his comfort zone, as he typically ends his day around 8:30 p.m. Along with being the leader of the long distance runners, Zimmerman also works full time and is the mayor of Waynesburg.
However, he implemented the run with the message of the team going outside of its comfort zone to get better and make an impact on the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).
The run began with a few laps around the parks that make up part of the Waynesburg University campus. From there, the team took part in several hill runs near one of the school's dormitories.
Zimmerman was happy with the team's willingness and positive attitude towards the run, with the first participants arriving at around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday night.
Both the men's and women's cross country teams get the 2009 season underway on Sept. 5, when they travel to Maryland to take part in the Sea Gull Opener, which is hosted by Salisbury University. The Jackets host their annual home invitational on Sept. 12.
