Malatesta, Thiel Lead Cross Country, Volleyball

ANTHONY MALATESTA

• Junior
• Men's Varsity Cross Country

Anthony Malatesta really likes to run. A junior in only his second year on men's cross country team, Malatesta plots out his own training courses through Google Maps that take him down Main Street to Madison, up to Shunpike Road and the Shop-Rite shopping center, and back to Chatham on Southern Boulevard. Malatesta said he runs 8 miles a day during the season and 12 over the summer.

"It's very little skill, it's really just the hard work that you put in," Malatesta said. "The harder you train, the better you get."

Malatesta's training paid off Saturday when he finished in the top 10 of the cross country meet, qualifying him for the Meet of Champions this weekend. Malatesta finished the 5 kilometer race with a time of 16:52. Head coach Pat Barry said his best time for the 5k is 16:15.

Barry said Malatesta "pushes himself" to always improve. "The whole team looks to him," Barry said. "Even the older senior boys look to him."

Malatesta hopes to get into the Naval Academy and to keep getting better in cross country and his other sport, track.

Said Barry, "He's a wonderful kid anda  great runner, and I love having him on my team.

SAM THIEL

• Senior
• Women's Varsity Volleyball
• Captain

Sam Thiel has been playing volleyball since the seventh grade. When she hasn't been playing for the Chatham High School team, she plays club volleyball with several of her Cougar teammates.

"I love the intensity of the sport," Thiel said, "and I love how it's a team sport. I like how you work with other people, I like that when you win, you share it with someone."

The volleyball season ended last week when the team , but Thiel said she was just excited that the team made it to the state finals for the division. "I think we did a great job this year. Losing one of our key players last year, I think everyone really stepped up," Thiel said. "It's been an amazing season."

Before games, Thiel listens to music to get pumped up. Her favorite song to listen to is "Can't Be Touched" by Roy Jones.

Thiel will not pursue a volleyball career at Florida State, where she plans to attend college next year. Head coach Kristin Lopez said though she's "bummed" that Thiel won't be playing volleyball, she knows that Thiel will be "a big asset" to the campus.

"Sam's a great person, on and off the court. She's always just looking to learn and looking to do better at the next level," Lopez said.

Lopez has coached Thiel since she was a sophomore. "It's really fun for me as a coach to see [her] go from one kind of player who's just learning up to the kind of player who's making an impact on the court day in and day out," Lopez said. "She leads through her actions as well as her words."