"Twenty-five years and a couple of weeks ago, Cheltenham ran its first race on the `new' course, this course right here. Or, as we say in Texas, where I'm now living, `this here course.' I was our fifth runner that day and it was twenty-seven twenty-eight Cheltenham.

     "Varsity runners, tomorrow morning I want you to wake up proud of what has taken place in this program, proud of the people who have participated in it. Very few of the people who thought about coming out for the Cross Country team get as far as the starting line of an actual race. And I want you to wake up proud of what you ran today, that you gave this race your best effort.

     "That's 1998 September 13, Sunday morning, tomorrow. Today is a lesson in humility. I want you to look around at the old, fat alumni who are going to whip your asses in today's race. I trained hard through a record Texas heat wave, but I'm still going to be out there along Church Road when this race is decided, so I have to take the opportunity to rub your noses in it now.

     "Seriously, I'm proud to be associated with every face I see here today. And I'm proud to have known all three of the [now deceased] runners whose names are on that [memorial] bench: Lee Moskowitz, Dave Sacks, and Mike Berry.

     "It's Cheltenham versus Cheltenham, gentlemen. May the best team win."

     [The alumni took the first five places for an honest to goodness shutout. I have to admit my effort was not part of the score, but it was still good to be part of it. This was a great crew, the team was undefeated in 1998, and they went to "States," the Pennsylvania state championship race. Of course, Coach Sexton had to be proud; after all, losing this race was a credit to his ability to coach runners who stick with the sport and stay strong as runners and who care enough about the program to come back and race.]