Captains lead by example, character

The West Milford High School boys cross country team has two capable captains this year: senior Tyler Meier and sophomore Matteo Balestrieri.

“Both are leaders by example and character,’’ head coach Chris Jones said.

“Both are consistently in the top five of the team at every race. Both are consistently good in the classroom and are well-respected by their teachers.’’

Matteo Balestrieri

Balestrieri began his journey in cross country at age 10.

“At the start, I began running for the junior cross country program,’’ he said. “When I first joined the program, I hated running and I was doing it to get into shape so I could be a strong runner.

“Throughout the years of running and competing, I have grown to love the sport and team around me.

Among his strengths, he cited “my capability to work 110% every day at practice whether I feel good or bad.”

“I also feel like my ability to show good sportsmanship to all people I compete with allows me to run well and keep on with a good mind.’’

He is always looking for ways to improve as a runner.

“Aspects of the sport I feel like I can improve on could be my ability to keep running up tall and strong throughout and keep driving my knees,’’ he said.

“I also feel like I can improve on making sure the team doesn’t break down and we leave all outside problems out of the sport.“

Personal goals are to be No. 1 on the team “and to hopefully run in the 17s by the end of the season.”

Balestrieri’s goals for the team are “to see everyone getting personal records and to see the team go to (NJSIAA) Groups pushing all limits.”

As major influences, he listed “all my coaches, my parents and the team I have around me.’’

Tyler Meier

Meier started his cross country career as a high school freshman.

“I was attracted to the sport to stay in shape for track season because I thought it would give me a head start on every other sprinter on the track team that I wanted to beat in my first year,’’ he said.

“Once I started, all the people on the team made me like the sport even more.”

He considers his biggest strength in cross country to be his mentality. “My mindset going into every race is to catch everyone I can, so as everybody starts to fall back at the end of the race, I prosper.”

Asked his personal goals, he said, “I need to put more miles into the sport in the off-season as usually I will only do what our coach wants us to do and nothing else - unlike many of the guys on the team who put in countless miles all on their own.

“My personal goal this season is to just do the best I can without injury. As long as I can stay at the top of our team scoring points, that is perfect for me.”

He wants to see the team go to New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) sectional tournament for the second year in a row .

“More importantly, I want them all to push their limits and see what they are truly capable of this season.’’

Meier said the biggest influences on his cross country career were “Coach Jones, who kept me in the sport even when I thought I was done with it, and my mother, who only wants to see me succeed and mentions how her just being able to see me race makes her day.”

West Milford is scheduled to compete in the NJSIAA sectionals Saturday, Nov. 2.