LOOKING FORWARD: CROSS COUNTRY
BY JACOB TORO
In years past, the U-32 cross country team has been known for some exceptional runners, such as alumni John Rahill and Sam Merriman on the boys’ side, while the current top runner in the state and the reigning ‘Gatorade Runner of the Year’ Rena Schwartz headlines the girls’ team.
Though the team may have lost some amazing runners in recent years, the program has recently gained a few powerhouse competitors, especially this year, as the team has plenty of depth.
“So far the season is going great, we are much faster than last year,” said senior Reed Patterson, who was ranked second on the team last year. “I’m actually at a substantially lower rank than last year because there are so many fast runners this year.”
Both U-32 teams, boys’ and girls’, placed first at their opening meet on Tuesday, September 8th, which was hosted by U-32. The girls’ side took first through fourth in their race with Rena Schwartz placing first. Montpelier runners Isaac Mears and Matt Hynes finished first and second on the boys’ side but were quickly followed by a pack of U-32 runners, led by sophomore Stephen Looke, who took third. U-32 also took fourth, and then sixth through tenth place.
“There are no shortcuts. Even the kids with natural talent (rare) will always lose to someone with equal talent who out trained them,” said boys’ coach Andrew Tripp, “Many of our kids trained properly in June, July and August. i.e. they ran 350–500+ miles over summer vacation.”
Now it’s time to continue training and prove that the grind was worth it. The ultimate goal for both teams is to be State Champions, and to have as many U-32 runners as possible qualify for New England’s. These goals are not entirely out of reach, but both teams need to continue the hard work and determination to succeed.
