It was a long, tough year at Poinciana High School.
The school was devastated by last year's run of hurricanes that knocked out practice facilities, classrooms and training areas.
There is a bright sign, though. Despite the hardships, lack of adequate athletic facilities, and trying to make up for missed time in the classroom, the Poinciana cross country team had one of its best seasons in years. The team struggled badly in the Orange Belt Championships, finishing in last, but several of the team's top runners were ill that day, including senior Jim Swauger, who was running a 105-degree fever a day before the meet.
The performance wasn't indicative of the Poinciana season, which started with a third-place finish in the prestigious Edgewater Invitational, an early meet that is a good indicator of the scope of the cross-country season.
Poinciana came in stronger than usual, recruiting a couple of runners off its outdoor track team, including seniors Ricardo Catala and Andy Mantt. With the new additions, to go along with McLaughlin's coaching, the team started to turn the corner this year.
Catala is new to cross country, but has made a big impact which is sure to show when the outdoor season begins.
"This season has been great for me,'' Catala said. "I've gotten from 20 minutes down to 17 minutes on my times and it's all been through hard work. I didn't believe in myself until this season, but when Coach told me I should run for him, I decided right there to make a go at it.''
Catala is also a basketball player, but he's struggled athletically since he was young. It's the confidence he's earned through track and field that have made him an asset at Poinciana.
"When I was young, growing up in New York, there were no track teams to run for,'' Catala said. "All I ever wanted to do was play basketball, but I was never that good. Then, I wanted to play baseball, but, again, I was never that good and I didn't make the team. I just wanted so badly to be an athlete, and I found track. I discovered if you want to be the best, you have to work the hardest.''
While Catala is new to cross country, Swauger has been at it for four years at Poinciana. He's struggled through some down times, but in a year when the entire school has been down, Swauger sees a rainbow at the end.
"This year we looked really strong,'' Swauger said. "Last year we spent the whole year rebuilding and we lost some people, but this year everybody stayed around and it's gotten a lot better.''
Mountt said the team was the best he's seen in his three years running for Poinciana.
"I had a fast time in the spring, during the outdoor season,'' Mantt said. "I know I can keep improving my times, because everybody on this team is just getting better. This time we'll be even better when it's time to go to states. It's going to be tough, but this year, I want it all.''
As the school tries to rebuild from the debris, the cross-country team is trying to provide at least one shining moment in a year of stormy weather.