Waddington Signs With St. Joe's

Posted by admin
6/20/11 12:50am

Central Bucks South senior Joe Waddington signed a letter of intent to compete in track at St. Joseph’s University. Waddington – a distance runner – competed in the 1200, 1600, 800 and two-mile during his high school career at CB South.

 
Joe Waddington – St. Joseph’s University (Track)
Major – Undeclared/Business
Final list of colleges: St. Joe’s, LaSalle
Reasons for choosing St. Joe’s: “I had a visit in the fall, and I really liked it. I liked the coaches and their presentation of the program and their commitment to academics as well.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in track at the collegiate level? “I played basketball my sophomore year, and I ended up getting cut, so I went out for cross country and winter track my junior year. I was pretty successful, and coach Cox said I had the potential to be successful if I worked hard at it. Through his training, I really developed. I really looked up to guys like Jon Eisemann and Tom Mallon. Through that training and leadership, it allowed me to believe that I could run at the collegiate level.
“This fall I decided I wanted to run in college, so I sought out opportunities that would allow me to do that, and those two opportunities were St. Joe’s and LaSalle.”
Coach Jason Gable says: “Joey’s biggest quality is his work ethic. He is such a hard worker at practice. Where others would break down during workouts, Joey just keeps pushing forward, giving 110 percent each practice and each race he enters.
“He’s a smart runner and is able to get a good feeling for the field when he is racing. Our primary role for him is our lead-off runner in the 4x800 relay and the distance medley relay. No matter which race it is Joey goes out with the leaders and then settles into the pact waiting patiently for just the right moment to overtake the other runners and get into the exchange zone first. He is very consistent in this manner, always positioning our relays for top placing in every race.
“Joey is leaving some big shoes to fill by the underclassmen. Nevertheless, coach Cox and I are very proud and thankful for all that he has given us and the team, and we are very excited to see what his future in racing at St. Joe’s holds for Joey.”
Coach Mike Cox says:  "Joey has been an integral part of our program for the past few years. He has grown so much in this sport and has become an elite athlete through his commitment to training and desire to push past the comfort level. He is a great overall student-athlete who is an all-around good person. He's a joy to coach because he trusts the training and has always committed fully to our core values as a program. He made a remarkable recovery after fracturing his knee during a fall at last year's state championship. Despite losing a whole summer of training, he was patient with building a strong base and managing the problems stemming from the weakened knee joint throughout the year."