“We had to do a mile run in gym class in sixth grade. I just so happened to beat some of the best runners on the cross country team, so therefore I decided to give it a shot the following year,” Eddie Penetar, sophomore psychology major, said.
Penetar is a well recognized cross country runner. Penetar has been running cross country since the seventh grade in his hometown of Blakely, Pa.
At Bishop O’Hara High School, he was named All-State and Runner Of The Year for cross country. Here at Cabrini, he has been recognized as a PAC champion and an NCAA championship qualifier.
“I decided after doing pretty well in high school that running would be something worth continuing in college,” Penetar said.
Along with running cross country, Eddie also participates in indoor and outdoor track and field. As he progressed through high school and continues with college, Eddie has one amazing supporter- his uncle.
“My uncle is definitely the biggest role model in my life. He is very supportive of me both in sports and continuing my college education,” Penetar said.
“Eddie has tremendous natural ability as a runner, and not only do I enjoy working with him, and watching him compete, I learn a lot from him as well,” Peter Schauster, assistant cross country coach and admissions counselor, said.
Schauster expects that the sophomore will help the young team “gel” together as the season progresses to defend their PAC (now CSAC) championship.
“He’s been put in the position as a leader on this very young team and although he was just a freshman a year ago, he’s certainly matured much from his first year as a collegiate student-athlete,” Schauster said.
Established in a pre-season poll, the young men’s Cabrini cross country team was chosen as the number one team in the conference.
“There are a lot of talented teams in the CSAC conference that we will be competing against, but I can guarantee our boys will be working extremely hard with the leadership of Eddie Penetar,” Schauster said.
