Jake Borgesi has been one of the state's best distance runners for the past three seasons as a three-time state qualifier in Cross Country.
The Senior from South Fayette enters his final cross-country season with a 2022 PIAA Outdoor Track and Field 3200-meter run, a 6th place medal (9:07.99 PR), and a 2022 Pennsylvania Indoor mile 5th place medal (4:17.59).
Borgesi has many goals this year, but one stands out over the rest. "My biggest goal this year is to crack through and get a medal at XC states. I have been close in the past, but this is my biggest goal this season," said Borgesi.
Jake has come a long way from his freshman year running at the PIAA championships in Hershey until now. "Freshmen year, we were a AA school and just happy to make states. Now let's do something at states; let's get medals and place high as a team."The South Fayette boys return a strong team in 2022 that is in contention to win a WPIAL team title. "I think we are going to surprise a lot of people this year and snag a state qualifying spot as a team," said Borgesi.
South Fayette boys head cross country coach Joe Winans has been with Jake since his first year and has seen the tremendous progression from Borgessi.
"Jake has fully embraced the principles we aim to instill in our athletes. Respect, accountability, and confidence." Winans also noted that along with his fellow upperclassmen, Jake acts as an extension of the coaching staff and can comprehend the purpose and intentionality of our training. "We trust one another and can talk openly about training and racing, which has helped to make him a more well-rounded runner. He races intuitively but has developed his ability to understand race tactics."
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Athlete Profile - with Jake Borgessi
Favorite XC course: White Oak
Cross Country Personal Best- 16:06.20 (Youthtowne Clash)
Cross Country Accomplishments
2021 Youthtowne Clash Champion
2021 John Sample Invitational Champion
2020 Mingo Classic Runner Up
2019 Nike Cross National Northeast Regional Qualifier
3x PIAA State Qualifier
3X WPIAL Medalist
2019 WPIAL XC AA Team Runner up
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Do you have any advice for young people who want to start a career in XC?
My advice to people who want to start running cross country would be; don't let the highs get too high and not let the lows get too low. There will be highs and lows throughout each season. Athletes should never become overconfident or be too hard on themselves.
What age were you when you started running competitively?
I started running during my 7th grade track season, but I'd say I was not competitively running until 9th grade cross country.
What is your favorite memory about Cross County?
My favorite memory from cross country was the bus rides to and from the Foundation Invitational in my junior year of high school. All the guys on our team became close friends on this trip, which has helped us become a better team overall.
Why are you so passionate about running?
I am passionate about running because it is a very basic sport. I just have to focus on running a certain distance faster than everyone else. There are no referees I have to rely on to make calls or teammates who have to pass me a ball.
