By Sophia Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief
As students return to campus from their summer breaks, they will be reunited with their friends, teammates, professors, and coworkers. But there’s one other thing, being reunited with Saint Leo University.
After a year’s absence, the cross country team is returning to Saint Leo, and everyone is getting excited.
The choice to bring back the cross country team over other sports that were previously cut was mostly a practical one.
“It’s more economically effective,” said Marcal Lazenby, director of athletics, wellness, and recreation at Saint Leo.
By this, he means that the team will not require a facility that requires maintenance, as they practice and run around the campus itself. There also is no need for hosting events right away, and overall, it’s a “minimal sport.”
Shepherding in this returning team is someone also returning to Saint Leo: Head Cross Country Coach Anthony Deleva. Deleva, a Saint Leo alumnus, has coached high school cross country for years since graduating college, but is ready for this next step.
“I’m excited to get my feet wet and just actually coach at the college level,” said Deleva.
Having not only graduated from Saint Leo, but also having been on the previous cross country team, provides Deleva with a valuable background. Deleva reflected on his time as a runner at Saint Leo and how much he learned from his coaches and mentors. Those experiences certainly influence how he plans to coach this team.
“My goal would be to not change the program much as to what it used to be, but to kind of bring it back to what it used to be,” said Deleva.
Deleva was an obvious choice for the head coach position.
“I think that Anthony’s the best for the job. I want to bring back a guy who’s been a part of the program, who’s been a part of the greatness of the sport and the success of what this sport has had in the past,” noted Lazenby. “So, I wanted to make sure I chose someone who had that passion.”
The passion that Deleva displays manifests in his main cause: to focus on an inherent aspect of the Saint Leo community—the family feeling.
“My main goal is to get that culture back and have that family atmosphere,” said Deleva. “I think that if the team has that, like it used to be, people will want to come to the team.”
Because of his recent hiring, Deleva is now focused on last minute recruiting efforts.
“It’s really about connecting with people and getting more connections for recruits in the future, and hopefully, the program will build,” stated Deleva.
In addition to just the team itself, this new team is a symbol of hope on campus, after a discouraging couple of years of athletic team and budget cuts. But things are starting to look up, thanks to the return of things like the cross country team.
“I think for the university and for the student body, I think that it’s an opportunity for them to be a part of something special,” remarked Lazenby.
Even in a more technical sense, the return of cross country is beneficial to Saint Leo overall.
“Adding cross country adds more student athletes, and adds that diversity to the campus,” said Lazenby. He also noted how this will help drive enrollment for the university.
With the return of cross country, people wondered if that meant other sports may be coming back as well. As other programs are being evaluated, Lazenby wants to be prepared and bring them back in a manner that is sustainable for the university.
“The thing I want to make sure we do, is that we do it right. Obviously, it crushed those student athletes the last time we had to cut a sport,” said Lazenby. “We are going to do it correctly this time. Give opportunities to students to come to university, be a part of a team.”
As the Fall 2024 semester comes to a start, Deleva is gearing up for his new team by learning rules, connecting and socializing in order to recruit, and garnering outside support for his team.
“It’s a big step in a direction I haven’t gone,” said Deleva.
Overall, the return of cross country is being met with lots of positive feedback from the community.
“We’re not the richest school; we don’t have the most money in the league, but what we have is great people,” said Lazenby. The coaches, players, and support from campus are what make athletics at Saint Leo special and what keeps the morale going.
For those interested in staying updated about Saint Leo’s cross country team, follow them on their social media accounts like @saintleoxc on Instagram, and the Saint Leo Lions app.
