A new volunteer assistant coach ran alongside the men’s cross country team as he led them into this season.

The men’s cross country team, consisting of about thirty runners, welcomed their very first assistant coach, Kevin Somerville. This year at the start of the season, Mark Purdy, the men’s team main coach, reached out to Somerville personally.

“I feel so fortunate that he is helping us. If there were any kind of emergency [in past seasons], I was in a really bad position. . . . now I can kind of split the team up at times. With the assistant coach, I can get the practice started and I do not [need] to be there,” Purdy said.

Somerville said that he enjoyed running cross country in high school and has coached at other schools.

“[It is] just great to get involved with a great group of guys like we have at Revere here. . . . It has been really great getting to know [the team]. I have been able to get out and do runs with the team. Coach Purdy and I spend a lot of time together just talking about the team and how they are growing throughout the year,” Somerville said.

Jack Bollinger and Troy Pierson lead the men’s cross country team as co-captains. Both have already reached new personal best times this year. According to Bollinger, Somerville fits in well.

“He definitely is an accomplished runner in his own rank, so he definitely brings in a lot of new knowledge, ideas, and energy to the team,” Bollinger said.

This year’s coaching job differs from Somerville’s past experiences, as he has mainly coached at the middle school level.

“[High school] is a fun age to coach. [Students] are starting to take this a little more seriously, and we are still able to have fun. . . . [I would] love to continue being involved with the [cross country] program,” Somerville said.

The men’s and women’s cross country teams both practice five times a week at Howe Meadow or at the school. Meets take place on Saturdays.