Youth X-Country
Base. Build. Peak
After over a decade of success in endurance and field sports, the youth cross-country division of BaseCamp Athletic Club was launched in 2023 as an opportunity for athletes in Hunterdon and surrounding counties to try their hand at distance running. Our mission is to create a safe space for youth athletes to learn about the sport of cross country while improving their overall health and well-being. This initiative is meant to prepare youth athletes for their fall sports seasons.
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The program will run for 10 weeks (6/19-8/21) on Monday nights from 6-7pm and is designed to target students entering grades 5-8, but we can consider younger athletes (please feel free to email if your athlete falls into this category). While our program will be focused on running with an expectation of running 1-2 miles per session, Pro-Activity's strength and conditioning team will partner with our coaches to offer a tailored warm-up, plyometrics, and strength training in addition to a running program. In preparation, please:
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Youth X-Country
25$ÂValid for 9 weeks- Monday's 6p-7p, from June 19-Aug. 21
- Instruction on proper warm-ups, strides, pacing, hydration,
- nutrition, recovery, and strength training
- Fees include a $25 annual Kids Membership to BCAC
Youth X-Country + Speed & Agility
87.50$Every monthValid for 2 months- Distance running sessions & coaching (Mon. evenings 6p)
- Speed, agility & strength training sessions (sat. 9:30a)
Club Leadership
Club Director
Kristen Prendergast
Dr. Kristen Prendergast is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical school. Following medical school she completed her residency training in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Colorado in Aurora, CO. She went on to specialize in Pediatric Hospitalist Medicine and currently works at the Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital in Allentown, PA.
Kristen has been pounding the pavement in Hunterdon County since high school. After competing in middle-distance and cross-county for the University of Virginia she went on to coach briefly for NHHS and compete in local races. She is still an avid runner and enjoys training for distances from the mile to the marathon. She lives in Annandale, NJ with her 3 crazy children and her very patient and understanding husband.
Running Coach
Alysia Puma has been a member of Basecamp 31 since its inception. As a year-round athlete in high school and a field hockey player at Swarthmore College, she has thrived in this local community where she is able to connect with like minded individuals who are still looking to live their best lives and find new avenues of growth. Inspired by others at various points in their journey, Basecamp and ProActivity have provided a fountain of support as Alysia ran ultra distances, the Grand Canyon, and various marathons including New York, Chicago, the Marine Corps, Rome, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Steamtown, and Boston, among others. Alysia teaches eleventh and twelfth-grade English at Hillsborough High School where she also serves as the assistant boys' cross country coach. She is proud of her commitment to public education which began in 1994. Alysia and her husband Eric, a competitive runner and the Hillsborough High School head soccer coach, live in Flemington.
Alysia Puma
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Chris Gahagan
Chris holds a B.S in Exercise science and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist under the National Strength and Conditioning Association as well as a Certified Speed and Agility Coach under the National Sports Performance. Having worked with athletes in the Hunterdon county area since 2012, he currently serves as Pro-Activity's Head Strength & Conditioning coach, and has worked with multiple county, sectional and group championship teams, as well as individual state champions. He believes in a progressive and periodized approach to training to produce the best long-term athletic development. In his free time he enjoys playing soccer, training olympic weightlifting, and is an avid New York Sports Fan. He lives in Hunterdon County with his wife and two (future wrestler) boys.
HALL OF FAME
Notable athletes to have completed training programs with the professional staff at BaseCamp.
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Ryan Pomrinca, North Hunterdon, Hunterdon / Warren all-time wins leader, 3x NJ Place-winner, Lehigh University, National Qualifier
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Mike Pongracz, Delaware Valley, 3x NJ Place-winner, U. of Tenn Chatanooga, National Qualifier
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Bobby Stevely, Delaware Valley, NJ State Runner-Up
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Kyle Lightner, Delaware Valley, NJ State Champion, Rutgers University
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Todd Preston, Blair Academy National Prep Champion, Harvard University, National Qualifier
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