Silence fills the air as the runners take their position at the starting line. Emilio Gonzalez ’25 steps forward, eyes fixed ahead, mentally mapping the grueling course. As the race begins, the first mile proves to be tougher than expected, but Gonzalez digs deep, finding his stride and rallying to score a point for his team — a powerful display of resilience and unshakeable grit.

Gonzalez began running cross country competitively at the start of middle school, and ever since, he’s continued to pursue the sport.

“I got inspired because the sport just seemed interesting to me,” said Gonzalez. “I’ve always liked running, but I didn’t know how I could find a team or place where I could just practice those skills.”

Upon joining the team his freshmen year, Gonzalez wasn’t as proficient a runner as he is now. It was through countless hours of dedication and perseverance that Gonzalez managed to become one of the best runners on the team.

“I usually train six days a week,” said Gonzalez. “Saturdays tend to be our invitational races so our training lines up for that. In the beginning of the year sometimes we have other meets, maybe two meets in a week, but during the most important part of the season it’s just on Saturday and the rest is all practice.”

But during the offseason, Gonzalez takes his work to the next level. Every summer, he goes to Colombia, and takes the high altitude as a challenge to overcome and grow.

“I’ll do a lot less volume even though I’m supposed to stay to a stricter training plan,” said Gonzalez. “It just gets hard with everything that comes up, but I’m still training every day, getting my miles in and just making out of that altitude training.”

Gonzalez’s long-time friend, Jeremy Wachtel ’25, has seen all of the hard work that Gonzalez has put in over the years.

“From the time that we were middle school to now, I’ve seen so much improvement in both his times and his ability to lead a team,” said Wachtel. “Between sophomore and junior year, he really, really put in a lot of work, and just went from being an average runner to being just amazing.”

Jennifer Smolyn, one of the head coaches of the cross country team, has watched over Gonzalez’s growth since his freshman year.

“He has come so far from when he started running in the beginning. Like many newer runners, they don’t know how to navigate cross country, especially because all the courses are different,” said Smolyn.

As co-captain of the cross-country team, Gonzalez has become a role model and leader that everyone on the team looks up to. When the team falls on tough moments, they can always count on his upbeat personality.

“I hope that everybody on the team knows that I’m somebody that they can come to if they need advice or support,” said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez led the team to a fourth place finish out of 30 teams at the Shore Coach Invitational at Holmdel Park — a course known for its especially tough terrain.

“We’re really pleased with how they performed. He was definitely in the mix in that race,” said Smolyn. “He got a slightly slower start, but in the first mile, he started putting the pieces together. In the second and third mile, he had really figured things out.”

As someone who is always looking for opportunities to improve, Gonzalez always reflects after every race with his team. Having been part of the team that won the county championships two years ago, Gonzalez has high hopes.

“It’d be really good to see us make it to groups this year and place very well in that race. On a more individual side, I’m hoping to keep lowering [my personal record] time,” said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez recorded his first sub-18-minute 5K this year at the first meet, and also helped PHS’s cross country team place first at the XC Fall Classic meet at Thompson Park. Even though Gonzalez doesn’t plan to run for a college team, participating in cross country has been about more than just the competition: it has allowed him to build strong connections with teammates and coaches while forming lasting bonds which will last much longer than the sport itself.

“The thing about this sport is that it’s as much [as a] team sport as it’s individual,” said Gonzalez. “You build these really strong connections, and, for me, the support that comes from coaches and everyone on the team is what keeps you going.”