While some might say the Cross-Country team has had a rocky season due to its losses against Nobles and Tabor, the team has still clearly shown dominance in the ISL. The team excelled in the early season as both the JV and Varsity squads decisively won their races; significant victories over Middlesex on their home turf and over Groton at homecoming provided the team with a sense of accomplishment and a surge of confidence.
The team’s primary rival, Nobles & Greenough, proved to be a challenge that the team wasn’t quite ready for. On Milton’s rainy and muddy course, the top four Nobles runners managed to slip ahead of our leading varsity pack to secure an instant victory. However, due to some of our important runners being injured, it’s difficult to tell whether the outcome could have been different, had the whole team raced. As Coach Trautz put it: “We were missing some important pieces.”
Most recently, the team obtained a nail-biting victory against St. Sebastians, taking the win by only a single point and ruining Sebs’ homecoming. Knowing Sebs had a strong top three, Belmont Hill’s goal was to place one runner in between in order to prevent a sweep. The plan succeeded, with Belmont Hill not only scoring a runner in 3rd, but also filling in places 5 through 11.
Looking toward the end of the season, captains Aaron Stanger ’24 and Miles Sandoski ’24 are confident in the ability of the team. The Panel Staff wishes the Cross Country Team good luck with the rest of their season.
