Junior men’s cross country standout off to a strong start

It’s early in the men’s cross-country season and junior Zach Michon has already excelled. Michon was named Atlantic 10 Performer of the Week on Tuesday Sept. 11.

He finished with a time of 26:20 in the 8.4k at the 2018 Penn State Spiked Shoe Invitational. He led the Hawks, taking eighth place in a field of 92 runners.

Michon said that his early success is a measuring point for him to improve on for the rest of season. Michon also mentioned that he wanted to use this race as away to get his bearings.

“When I finished I was excited to see some of our own guys very close behind showing how we closed our pack this year,” Michon said.

Graduate student and teammate Collin Crilly said that Michon is one of the most talented runners he has ever trained with.

“What impresses me most is his consistency day in and day out. He is always pushing us to do better,” Crilly said. “He never seems to have a bad race, which really impresses me the most.”

Michon’s consistency can be credited to the balance of his strong mental game and physical talent.

“This sport is half mental and half physical,” Michon said.“If you go in with a weak mindset then you will fail because you’re going to give up, going to shorten your shred, do things to seek that relief from the pain of running.”

Michon also said the most important thing is to push yourself beyond any point you have been before.

“That is the main thing that your body has not done before and one of the most rewarding parts of this sport,” Michon said. “It is the only way to get to that level needed to have that hard mindset.”

Michon said that Crilly has influenced him throughout his career at St. Joe’s.

“He has been a great training partner over the past few years,” Michon said. “We are always challenging each other and pushing each other and making sure all our work gets done in the correct way.” 

Michon also talked about how head coach Mike Glavin has pushed him to improve as a runner.

“He puts a lot of pressure on us, but I think its positive pressure,” Michon said. “It makes us all aim high as far as goals and what we want to accomplish for the season.”

Glavin has worked with Michon for the past two years. He said Michon leads by talent and performance.

“He is a good person to follow.” Glavin said. “He is always doing the right thing and going in the right direction.” 

Glavin also talked about the chemistry that’s present in this team’s culture.

“What we had this year has caught fire,” he said. “Students have all become a little more involved in the sport as a group, as opposed to the mentality of what can I [the individual] get out of it.”

Michon’s main goal is for the team to excel and compete for an Atlantic Ten Championship.

“Everyone is talking about winning an A-10 Championship this year, which is something we can accomplish,” Michon said “It won’t come easy, but I think everyone this year has the right mindset and it’s a great possibility.”