Strong Cross Country team looks forward to new season

Photo: Coach Kyle Gordon

A roster of five runners will make up the Penn State DuBois men's and women's cross-country team this year. Runners are currently training for the fall season. Team members are Juliann Boddorf, Matthew Burke and Tamera Anthony, all of Punxsutawney; Micah Shaffer, of DuBois; and Austin Hawkins, of Philadelphia. The team members bring a wide variety of athletic experiences and accomplishments to the table.

Boddorf graduated from Punxsutawney Area High School. She qualified for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state championships every year of her high school career. She was the District IX champion last year with a time of 20:19. She will be a freshmen majoring in occupational therapy.

A fellow Punxsutawney High graduate, Burke identifies more as a sprinter but runs a pretty impressive 5-K at a personal best of 18:26. He placed ninth last years in the District IX championships. Burke will join the team as a freshmen majoring in computer engineering.

Anthony, another Punxsutawney High classmate will be a freshmen at Penn State DuBois majoring in pre-med.  She proved herself against a tough District IX by coming in 19th overall at the District IX AA championships.

Shaffer is a graduate from DuBois Area High School where he played tennis and soccer. He comes to Penn State DuBois from Gannon University where he played rugby. He will be a sophomore this fall and is majoring in environmental engineering.

Hawkins is a sophomore at Penn State DuBois, majoring in business management. He graduated from Philadelphia Electric High School. Hawkins also plays guard for the Penn State DuBois men's basketball team.