Bullet Shot: Alex Petrecca
Photo courtesy of Gettysburg College Athletics
By Matt Hutcheon, Contributing Writer
Alex Petrecca, a junior co-captain on the Gettysburg College Men’s Cross Country Team, has been leading the way for the Bullets team since his arrival at Gettysburg College in 2015. This season has been no exception, as Petrecca has been a top performer in each of the four meets this season.
Petrecca placed first for the Bullets Saturday, September 23 in the Aggie Cross Country Open at Delaware Valley University. The first time racing on this course, Petrecca finished second in the overall 126 runners. With a time of 29:06 over the 8,000-meter race, Petrecca was the fastest collegiate runner. The winner came from an army preparatory school. Petrecca’s strong finish, paired with several other strong finishes from members of the team, powered the Bullets to an overall team victory.
Coming off an injury last season, Petrecca was a consistent second place finisher at the end of 2016. Since Ben Taber graduated, Petrecca has assumed the role of pack leader.
In addition to Saturday’s performance, Petrecca also led the Bullets in their first 8,000-meter race of the season on Saturday, September 16 in the Kutztown Division II/Division III Challenge. Facing a stacked field of top Division II and III athletes on the first regulatory 8,000-meter course of the season, Petrecca crossed the line at 29:02 and placed 70th of 200 runners respectively.
The Men’s Cross Country team will rely on Petrecca’s leadership both on and off the course for the remainder of the season. Because of his strong start, Petrecca is named The Gettysburgian’s Athlete of the Week.
