Photograph courtesy of the
Dickinson College Archives Led by Dickinson Hall of Fame coach Joe DuCharme, with leadership
from co-captains Bob Cessar (pictured extreme far left) and Chris Smith,
the Dickinson Cross-Country team ran for a winning season in 1982.
Over the previous three years the cross country team's record had arisen
from an unsavory four and ten, to ten and four, and then to eleven and
six. Pictured is a race held on October 6, 1982 versus Gettysburg
and Franklin and Marshall Colleges. Although Dickinson came in last
place, Bob Cessar was third and Colby ninth. Gettysburg won and Franklin
and Marshall came in second, although DuCharme commented later that his
team had improved on previous years.The team was composed of eleven
members including Skip Persig (pictured second from left), Bob Cessar,
Scott Colby, Chris Smith, Rob Weiss, Matt Mace, Brian Lattimer, Ray Marsh
and Matt Smith. Coach DuCharme was assisted by Dave Garner. Cross Country has, until recent years, had a
sporadic presence at Dickinson College. It was introduced as a two mile
run in 1901. It was not yet an independent sport but was instead
attached to the track team. After gradually becoming non-existent,
perhaps due to lack of interest in such long races, it was reintroduced
as an independent intercollegiate sport in 1923. The athletes ran
in two meets in 1923, one in New York City and the other in Easton with
Lafayette. Previous to 1923, a small squad had practiced but there
were no meets. The practice course was three and a half miles long. After again becoming non-existent, the sport
was revived in 1934, still under previous Coach Craver. In 1958 it
was again re-introduced after an absence of fifteen years under Coach DuCharme;
the team of 1958 made it a notable return for the sport since it was undefeated
with a three for three record.Ducharmeremained at
the helm until the mid 1980's when Coach Don Nichter took over.
Michael Goldberg
Sources: All information taken from 1982,
1983, 1984 and 1985 Dickinson Microcosm and the Dickinsonian.
