Last season as a freshman, Catasauqua’s Charlie Piervallo decided to join the cross country team.

It proved to be a springboard to his current career.

“Catasauqua has a small cross country team for both boys and girls and last year I decided to give it a try since,” said Piervallo. “I always thought running was fun, recreational, of course. I’m finding that I really enjoy the sport and I wanted to see how much I could improve.”

This season, Piervallo has been pacing the Roughies boys’ pack, as he often has been their lead runner crossing the finish line. In a recent meet at Southern Lehigh, Piervallo finished in 23:03.60.

Since the season began, he and head coach Kyle Rusnock have noticed a difference in his times. Earlier in the season, Piervallo ended a race in Jim Thorpe in 24:06.70.

His personal best is 22:20.

“Charlie has emerged as one of our top runners,” boasted Rusnock. “Being his second year, he is now competing at meets and doing great. He has knocked several minutes off his times from last year. Charlie is dedicated, works hard at practices, and it is showing. We are very proud of how he has improved.”

For Piervallo, it has been a matter of keeping everything balanced.

“My biggest obstacle has been learning not to push my body past its limits,” stressed Piervallo. “Running can be challenging because you always want to push yourself to go faster and farther, but I learned to listen to my body, and know when to slow down and recover.”

He has appreciated the guidance along the way.

“My coaches have been my biggest influence,” said Piervallo. “They are always encouraging me and pushing me to improve, even when a workout or race is tough. Their support has helped me stay motivated.”

With the season winding down, Piervallo is optimistic that he can continue to lower his time and increase his endurance.

“I feel like I’ve improved a lot since I started cross country last year,” beamed Piervallo. “I feel stronger and more confident now and I’m excited to see how much more I can improve this year. “I’m only a sophomore, so I will have two more years to improve.”