After the District XI Class AA Boys Cross Country Championships last Wednesday, no one would have known that Catasauqua High School's boys team had just come off a winless season.

Among high fives, pats on the back, and words of congratulations for his team, Coach Kyle Rusnock said, "First and foremost, they gave it their all. They'll remember that forever and be satisfied with that."

The Rough Riders placed 17th out of 20 teams and that in itself provided some satisfaction.

"Teamwise, we were looking to not finish last. Anywhere from the bottom is good," said senior Jacob Rusnock.

Individually, Rusnock placed 32nd out of 136 runners. His time at the Bethlehem Municipal Field was 18:27.

"It was a little crowded, so I was taking shorter strides at the start. All year, I ran with Wilson's top three, so I stayed behind them," he said.

Teammate, Spencer Phillips, placed 50th in 18:52.

"I feel good. I did better than I expected. We worked the hills at practice, so it wasn't that bad. I kept passing kids, and I just tried to not let anyone pass me," said Phillips.

Regarding his top two finishers, Coach Rusnock was pleased with their performances.

"Spencer ran a great race. That should be an incentive for him next year. Jacob ran a great race. You know, the field becomes bigger and bigger when other teams come down here, but he did great," he said.

Dionas Lora, Zack Decamp, Andrew Rice, and Chris Sobrinski also competed for the Rough Riders.

Although the Rough Riders were without a girls team this year, Coach Rusnock is looking forward to the future.

"One of our goals is to get five girls and to get the boys better," he said.