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To say the Foresters are young would be a serious understatement. The '99 team will be comprised of four returnees, all sophomores, and a group of newcomers to the program. The biggest loss from the '98 squad is two-year captain and graduate Ben Lampe, who had competed in every race in the history of the Lake Forest varsity cross country program, which started in 1995. Head Coach Mike Wajerski, in his second season, adds, "We're going into the season as a young team. Last year's freshmen class turned out to be the best in the four-year history of the Lake Forest program and I have high expectations of them this year as well. They must not only improve their times, but also take on leadership roles." Joe Zemaitis and Dexter Thornton will serve as co-captains for this year's squad. Zemaitis was not only the top finisher for the Foresters at each meet he ran in 1998, but also took a hiatus from his cross country season to run the Ironman Triathlon World Championship. At the Hawaii event, he became the youngest competitor to complete the race in less than ten hours, including a three hour, 15 minute marathon, while finishing ahead of 90% of all competitors. Zemaitis notched two top ten finishes in the five races he competed in last year. He also beat over 63% of the runners he faced, which is the second highest season winning percentage for a Lake Forest runner. Fellow sophomores Zackary Warmack and Charles Evans also return for the Foresters. Evans and Zemaitis became the school's first Academic All-Americans last season. Last year's squad became the first Lake Forest team to compete in a regional meet and the first Forester team to host a cross country meet. This year's sophomore-dominated team will need to add depth in order to begin their progression toward the top of the Midwest Conference. "Our times over the course of last season improved more than anyone else around and we started some new and exciting things that will help build a strong tradition here at Lake Forest," commented Wajerski. "If we enter the season in better shape, this program can take the next step and move into the upper division of the conference." |