Men's Cross Country 1982
 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.  Ducharme remained 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.