Rowan men’s cross country had a successful season opener on August 30 in the Stockton Invitational, as they placed in seven of the top eight slots in the meet. One of those slots was held by senior Joshua Cason. 

Cason, who is a transfer from Camden County College, has high expectations this season for both himself and the team. One of the Sicklerville native’s main goals is to win Nationals, as the team came eerily close to taking home the crown last year. 

“We were a couple seconds off from getting Nationals last year,” Cason said. “And so I think it would be really great if we can get the whole team there. Try to do the best I can to be a part of that and get us over the hump this year.” 

Cason thrives on overcoming mental roadblocks and views running as a different animal compared to other sports. 

“Running was probably one of the only things I was better at,” Cason said. “And I really do like to run. It’s just different compared to all the other sports. Yourself really, it’s just more of a mental task. I like overcoming mental challenges.”

One of the key reasons why Cason has had success is his ability to be calm and relaxed before and during his runs. 

“I’m calm and relaxed,” Cason said. “I don’t really do too much of like, I guess overdoing it, like swinging the arms and everything. I try to stay calm and relaxed during my races and that keeps me focused and into it.”

Cason regularly displays his ability to be a team player and always go the extra mile, which catches the eye of Dimit. 

“He’s just a great team player,” head coach Dustin Dimit said. “He’s always doing what’s best for the team, hard worker. And, those are the things as a distance runner that are important is, you know, getting out there and putting the miles in.” 

Dimit has high expectations for his senior runner this season, one that will hopefully end with him at the top of many leaderboards.

“A guy who’s top five at the regional championships and top three at the NJAC championships,” Dimit said. 

While Cason wants to do well for himself, he is determined to make everyone around him better in the long run. His excitement for the team to do well is something that he displays while he runs. 

“I’m very excited to hopefully get to Nationals this season,” Cason said. “I think it would be great. A great team trip. It would be a great honor to get the whole team there. And yeah, I’m extremely hyped.”

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