Last year, the boys cross country team barely missed qualifying for the state championship, losing by a single point to Bristol High School. This close brush with the state championship should give the team a surge of motivation to shoot for state qualification this year. On top of this, many of the runners are encouraged by the team’s performance thus far. Senior Sam D’Antonio, three-year captain of the boys team, exclaims, “We’ve all been running exceptionally well. It’s been the best start to the season we’ve had for us seniors since freshman year.” In addition, the first BAL meet strongly affirmed the team’s high expectations as the Knights placed first in both the boys and girls divisions.

While the team’s success is one feature that stands out thus far, also unique is the variety of grade levels represented on the boys team. Last year, juniors and freshmen dominated the squad. This year, however, the team’s composition includes four seniors, a junior, four sophomores, and two freshmen. “We have a nice balance of grade levels of boys,” comments the team’s coach, Dr. George McFarland, who anticipates that the mixture will enhance the team’s training. Also, unlike the past two years, there are five girls on the team, enough for them to officially place in the district championships.  

With this promising lineup, many opportunities for growth lie ahead. In preparation, Coach McFarland has been developing insightful ways to improve the team. In the past, he says, the workouts have sometimes been overemphasized, leading to exhaustion and even injuries. This year, the long-time coach plans to focus more on “making a concerted effort of making sure that the athletes are rested.” In order to do this, he asserts, the most important thing will be what the athletes are doing to take care of themselves, including proper nutrition, sleep, and hydration. 

Looking ahead, Dr. McFarland adds, “I’m just hoping we maximize all of our energies at the conference meet, at the district meet, and then… see where we go from there.”