The 2025–2026 Wayland-Cohocton Cross Country teams got an early start to their season this year—long before the first official meet. In July, the athletes supported competitors at the Ironman Musselman in Geneva and then turned their focus toward a major community outreach project.
Inspired by their participation in last year’s McQuaid Invitational, the team launched a 24-hour track walk in late August to raise funds for the Arbor House Domestic Abuse Shelter. Their goal was simple but ambitious: keep the Wayland-Cohocton track active for a full day and night with walkers, joggers, and runners while collecting donations for a worthy cause.
The event was an overwhelming success. Athletes from across the district joined in, along with families, community members, and staff who came to walk laps, make donations, and cheer participants on.
“When it got dark and the lights came on around the track, people kept showing up in support,” said Coach Michelle Curtin. “Families brought their kids, parents walked while their children played nearby—it really felt like the whole community was coming together to do something good.”
Throughout the night, the track was alive with activity. Members of all fall sports teams came Friday morning to kick off the event and members of the football team returned in the evening to lend their support, making the event both a fundraiser and a memorable team-bonding experience. The boys soccer team even came back Saturday morning to offer some much needed relief after a long night.
While no total lap count was kept, several impressive milestones were reached: Coach Derek Hitesman logged 50 miles, Dr. Curtin completed about 15 miles, Bre Hitesman walked 13, and Coach Curtin tallied roughly 40,000 steps—similar to many of her athletes.
Coach Curtin expressed her gratitude to the many people who made the event possible. “I want to thank Royce Flickner for supporting this idea and encouraging all the fall sports teams to get involved,” she said. “Our cross country parents are the best—they brought food, walked, made breakfast, helped clean up, and transported kids. And Coach Hitesman and his family stayed the entire 24 hours, keeping everyone motivated.”
She also extended thanks to Dr. Feinman and her family for participating and increasing donations, Adam Fisk and Jim Holbrook for setting up and managing the lights, LMC for donating construction lighting, and the NYS Troopers who stopped by during the night to walk and ensure safety. Wayland Family and Sports Medicine added extra support by sponsoring laps—$5 per coach and $25 per lap for Dr. Feinman.
In September, INSERT NAME from Arbor House visited Wayland-Cohocton to accept the team’s donation of $3,179. During the visit, all student-athletes attended a brief presentation on domestic abuse awareness and the services Arbor House provides. The donation will completely fund the organization’s “Shop with Cops” program, which allows youth to purchase holiday gifts for their families alongside local police officers.
While the money raised was a meaningful contribution, the greater reward, Coach Curtin said, was seeing students, families, and community members come together for a shared purpose. “The opportunity to connect, support one another, and make a difference—it’s something we’ll all remember.”
Cross Country Team Members:
Hope Ammarell, Amelia Feely, Isabella Feely, Australya Mossburger, Riley Goodwin, Kaeleigh Sharp, Irie Panzer, Josh Delafield, William Thomas Schlueter, Nolan Wilcox, Owen Cromie, Zane Kiesl, Gavin Merrill, Timothy Gray, Ben Williamson, and Gunnar Bauer.