PRHS Boys Cross Country Poised to Continue Success

Coach Mike Kiernan and his Pearl River boys cross country team have one of the more difficult tasks in high school sports.

The program has an outstanding record of achievement that includes six consecutive League 4B championships and 24 of the last 28. The Pirates are the defending Section 1 Class B champions with 20 titles overall and four Rockland County championships in the past 12 years.  They also have the daunting task of being measured against a Pearl River girls team that has lost but one dual meet since 1978.

But the Pirates appear to be poised for yet another strong season with Kiernan entering his third year at the helm as is assistant coach
Dan Kushner. 

“The team is looking promising," Kiernan said. "We return a lot of top runners and they have put in the work over the summer to successful. We are extremely deep. Four of our runners were second team all-county last year, including seniors Kieran Brennan, Joey Clinton and Stephen McNiff and junior Brian Edsall.

“We have a number of guys who have progressed over
the last couple of track seasons and are ready to go: Seniors Brenden Bateman and Devin Geraghty. juniors Jimmy Buchan, Kevin McGeever and Terence Hughes, and sophomores Kevin Parnow, Brian Cook, Ian Kelly, Brandon Ilie, Liam Higgins, Liam McGarvey and Kyle Smyth.  Also, freshman Ben McDermott, He can be very good.”

Tappan Zee is Pearl River's top competition in League rB this season.

"In the county it should be a four way race (among) defending champs North Rockland, Tappan Zee, Suffern and Pearl River," Kiernan said "It is going to be close.”

Kiernan believes that the change is class alignment, which takes effect in the coming season could have a major impact on the
Pirates.  (Class AA was eliminated with all schools now competing in four classes A, B. C. D.). 

“Before realignment, Pearl River would have been the favorite in Section 1 Class B," Kiernan said. "A lot of teams from Class A joined Class B, including last year’s Section A champ -- Brewster, which returns the whole varsity.  Brewster has three of the best runners in the state, but it is our depth that can beat them.  We are extremely deep. On paper, they are the favorite, but my guys think they can win and they have the ability to win. We are going to control what we can control.  We are getting these guys into the best possible shape so that they can be as successful as possible.”

The Pirates open the season on September 13 hosting Nyack
and Tappan Zee in a League 4B dual meet at the Pearl River Middle School.

2011 Pearl River Boys Cross Country Schedule

Day

Date

Meet

Site

Time

Tuesday

Sept. 13

Pearl River, Tappan Zee, Nyack

Pearl River Middle School

4:15 p.m.

Saturday

Sept. 17

WS Invitational

WS

10:20 a.m.

Tuesday

Sept. 20

Pearl River, Albertus Magnus, East Ramapo, Clarkstown North

East Ramapo

4:15 p.m.

Saturday

Sept. 24

Wave Mania Invitational

Warwick

9 a.m.

Tuesday

Sept. 27

Pearl River, North Rockland, Suffern

Pearl River Middle School

4:15 p.m.

Friday

Sept. 30

Maroon Invitational

Patterson, NJ

4 p.m.

Saturday

Oct. 1

Brewster Bear Classic

Brewster HS

10:20 a.m.

Tuesday

Oct. 4

Pearl River, Nanuet, Clarkstown South

Clarkstown South

4:15 p.m.

Sunday

Oct. 9

Manhattan Invitational

Bear Mountain

4:45 p.m.

Friday

Oct. 14

League 4B Championships

Bear Mountain

10 a.m.

Saturday

Oct. 22

Section 1 Coaches Invitational

Bowdoin Park

11 a.m.

Thursday

Oct. 27

Rockland County Championships

Bear Mountain

3 p.m.

Monday

Oct. 31

Ray Roswell Freshman Championships

Clarkstown South

3:30 p.m.

Friday

Nov. 4

Section 1 Championships

Bowdoin park

12 p.m.

Saturday

Nov. 12

State Championships

VVS HS, Syracuse, NY

9am

Saturday

Nov. 19

Federation Championships

Bowdoin Park

12 p.m.

Saturday

Nov. 26

New York Regional

Bowdoin Park

12:30 p.m.

Saturday

Dec. 3

NXN National Championship

Portland Meadows, OR

11:35 a.m.