After four years of hard work and a winning season, the Nazareth Area High School Boys’ Cross Country team received well-deserved recognition from the Nazareth School Board at Monday night’s meeting.

According to Head Coach Ken Rolek, the boys not only went 11-0 during the fall season, but they also finished the year as the Lehigh Valley Conference Champions, won the District XI Championship, and finished within the top 20 teams in the state.

“Most of these kids have been running since middle school,” said Rolek. “This was our first championship.”

Rolek credited NASD Athletic Director Rosario Amato for initiating the recognition from the school board.  In his speech during the honor ceremony, Amato stressed that “we are in one of the most competitive athletic leagues in the state.”

Both Amato and Superintendent Victor Lesky commented that for a number of years, Nazareth was not taken seriously as a competitor in several sports, but that has changed.

 “We have come through time and time again,” Amato added.

Craig Welker, a senior, spoke on behalf of the team at the meeting. He thanked the board and administration for their support, and gave special recognition to Rolek and NAHS Principal Alan Davis -- Rolek for his 25 years of service and Davis for his cards and notes of encouragement.

“We performed great this year.  We ran competitively against all of the schools,” Welker said. “We trained really hard through the last four years.”

Steve Ruch, one of Welker’s team members, also addressed the board.

 “It’s nice to have won, because we were never looked at as a cross country school,” he said.

Luke Munyan, another teammate, chimed in.

“Yea, we broke the trend,” he said.

 Fifteen cross country runners (boys and girls) will be graduating this year.