St. Anthony's Robert Doherty claims CHSAA boys cross country championship
Robert Doherty of St. Anthony's legs out a victory in the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA boys cross country championship at Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset on Nov. 1, 2020.
It wasn’t the easiest year to make a major jump up the cross country ladder, but St. Anthony’s Robert Doherty did it. All it took was a whole lot of confidence, some blazing speed, and the downhills to make it happen. Doherty, who finished outside the Top 10 at last season’s CHSAA league championship, is now the title holder after a 13 minute, 27.40 second triumph at this year’s edition of the event, held Sunday morning on the 2.5-mile course at Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset.
"It feels pretty good," Doherty said. "Last year, and the year before that, I would always be in races but I never won them. It feels good to actually be on top."
Doherty got to the top with a lot of self-motivation. He knew he was fast, he knew he was a smart racer, and he knew he could win. He just had to let his legs know.
"I think it was all in my head," he said. "I would tell myself ‘I’m going to go after it today and I have a good shot at winning this race.’ That’s exactly what I did today. It was all mental, really."
Doherty turned a close race into a relative run-away, using his quick feet to separate from the pack as the final downhill approached.
"Chaminade was trying to push the pace at the end," Doherty said. "I was like, ‘I can’t let him take the lead.’ So, I decided to pick it up and, the last downhill I just had to give it all I had to get to the finish. [My speed] helped me win this race."
This was Doherty’s third race at the Our Lady of Mercy course, which debuted last month. While the mostly-flat course is generally easier than the usual CHSAA jaunt – Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park – the winding turns took some getting used to.
Doherty came in second at the season-opener on Oct. 10 and said that he felt a lot more comfortable with the course on Sunday.
"The first couple times were a bit hard for me, but I felt like today I knew where to go and what to do during the race," Doherty said.
Chaminade won the team championship with 27 points, their second consecutive league title. The Flyers took four of the first six places. Frank Naudus finished second in 13:31.93. Michael Cahill was fourth in 13:36.99, Sean McDermott was fifth in 13:43.50, and Jake Orfano was sixth in 13:48.32.
