1986 Boys Cross Country State Championship
Team Members: Eddie Raguso ’88, Saul Laird ’88, Michael Sansoucy ’88, Chuck Evans ’88, Mike Corso ’88, Enrique Gonzalez ’87, Mike Pudlo
Coaches: Coach Bob Desormier and Assistant Coach Richard McKenna.
Bishop Moore has had a tremendous amount of athletic success – every team places winning a state championship as its ultimate goal. It is especially satisfying when a season culminates in a state championship. Some teams use the final finish as the standard for their success.
A group of runners that set their sights on that ultimate goal for the 1986 season. The best finish prior to that for cross country was state runner up in 1981. Expectations were high. Team members dedicated their season to Pat Desormier, Coach Desormier’s son, who lost his battle with cancer during the season.
And run they did! They won the Deland Invitational, University of Florida Invitational, and the Catholic School State championship. Host schools used Bishop Moore’s participation in their meet to attract the best teams in the state – the ultimate compliment. Then with the true power of the commitment and the dedication of these young men, they went to Deland and captured the GRAND PRIZE! 1986 STATE CHAMPIONS!
At the state championship meet, all 7 Hornet runners finished in the top 45 – top runner and regional champion Saul Laird finished 5th. Congratulations as we celebrate this anniversary with you.
I had just moved to Florida that summer and wasn't sure what to expect going to my first practice. After practice was over it was clear to me that this team was very talented. However, as the season progressed we became more than just a talented group of guys we became a tight group of friends. As the new guy, I was welcomed like I had been around for years. After dedicating the season to Coach's son, Pat, we made it our mission to not let his memory down.
I don't think we lost a meet all year and while we were stretching just before the state meets, a spectator walked by us. As he passed us he said to a young boy that was with him that the team over there is from Bishop Moore and they might be the best Cross Country team Florida has ever seen. I'm not sure if his opinion has held up over the years, but while the state championship was pretty special, the friendships we made that season have stood the test of time.
Throughout my life, I've been lucky to find myself on teams with people from all kinds of backgrounds and abilities. Some of those teams did good things, some mediocre, and some disappointing. When I reflect on the 1986 CC team, I view it as one of those rare situations where a group of different people came together, and transcended what we could have achieved separately. We voluntarily made decisions to train before the school day. We pushed each other as much as we valued each other. Of course, Coach D knew precisely how to teach us and allow us to learn ourselves. For the big race, he understood how to keep us focused, so we could do what we came to do. And it worked! I am grateful to have been on that team, and in hindsight, the real achievement was creating that team. That team spanned 1984 thru 1988 and included all members. The State Championship was just a result, albeit one to remember!
As I reflect on our Cross-Country season of 1986’, I think about what prepared us to help reach our goals for that season. I remember Coach DeSormier taking the whole Cross-Country team to summer running camp in NC, and by the end of the week, we had coaches from other teams tell us that we have the talent to win State for the upcoming season.
I also think of the focus and determination we had that season. We started running before school, and on Fridays, we would have breakfast together. I think of the friendships we had on our Cross-Country team. We all got along very well and we would hang out on the weekends and bond together.
I think of the loss of Coach’s son Pat and how we dedicated the rest of our season to him after his passing. I think of how our assistant coach Richard McKenna stepped in and helped coach us for a good part of the season when Coach DeSormier was taking his son Pat to chemotherapy.
Looking back 35 years later, it’s very special because it’s the only Cross-Country State Championship that Bishop Moore has won.
I transferred to B.M. From Edgewater as a sophomore. I still felt loyalty there when I foolishly dedicated a song on the radio "going down" by Bruce Springsteen to say that the hornets were "going down" in defeat to the Eagles. That did not endear me to the football players Lol! The next year, when we won the state championship and the football team went 10-1 we had earned mutual respect. (Though I'm not sure I ever lived that down) I have always been so thankful to God that he brought me to Bishop Moore.
Being a part of the XC team gave me a sense of identity, belonging, and purpose in my young life. I discovered with hard work and discipline I could "run with patience the race (of life) before me" --Heb 12:1, which was emblazoned on our gold t-shirts we warmed up in.
None of us won the state championship as an individual (although Eddie came close as state runner-up in 1987!) We did it together though as a team.
I have tried to live up to the values I learned as a member of the team and from the mentorship of coach Desormier: honest sportsmanship, discipline, and an ability to sacrifice immediate gratification for long-term goals. Most of all, to honor God for the talents and blessings he provided. I haven't always succeeded in that, but over and over again in my life, I am reminded of the root of the positive parts of my character stem from my parents and the education and experiences I had at BMHS.
Thirty years later I decided to change careers and become a teacher so I could coach cross country to a new generation. I hope to have a sliver of positive impact on the boys and girls I coach that Coach Desormier and the BM XC team had on me.
I will always hold dear the many joyful memories that I treasure as a member of that 1986 team
I've coached many different sports in my career. I believe the cross country runner is the most impressive athlete of all. I would get calls from coaches all over the state asking us to come to their meets. The ones that we accepted would send out their invitations saying they were having a meet and "Bishop Moore" is going to be here. We raced 296 schools that year and beat 292. And we beat 2 of those four later in the year. We were a family, the men and women's teams plus the stat girls all contributed to the win. It was a day I will never forget. I wrote a book about coaching cross country and what we went through to win state. Saul got a draft copy as an attempt to help him get started in his coaching career, I am about to send it to a publisher. Gentlemen, coaching you was an honor. I love you guys, I feel like all of you are like sons to me. Didn't mean to lecture, I enjoy hearing from you.
