Athletes of the Week: Tom Appleton and Peter Luff

Whenever you hear a group of deep voices chanting at D-Hall, chances are it’s the boys’ cross country team. Their strong esprit de corps echoes throughout the crowded room. At the heart of the group, almost always, are senior co-captains Tom Appleton and Peter Luff.Appleton started running in fifth grade, when he joined his middle school’s cross country (XC) team. He wasn’t particularly competitive in his first year, but as he continued to run he came to love the sport more and more. While Appleton grew a personal affinity and drive, his parents, both marathon runners, encrouaged him even further.“Growing up, my mom would always take my brother and me out to cheer on my dad in his races, and my dad would do the same when my mom was running,” Appleton said. “It didn’t take much persuasion to get me in running shoes.”In his late middle school years,Appleton doubled up on the sport, participating in both fall cross country and spring track and field. He became much more competition-oriented in his eighth grade season, though his team at the time was no-cut with a wide range of runners. Once Appleton arrived at the Academy, he immediately learned how fast and hungry the cross country team was, which only made him work harder.Coincidentally, Appleton raced against Luff in middle school, where Luff’s love for running also cemented; the championship middle school race passed by Luff’s house annually, so after years of watching he decided to try running competitively himself.Now, after four years at the Academy, the two have established themselves as distinctive leaders of the boys’cross country team, and have enjoyed giving back to the people below them. Luff said that as co-captains, they have to instill the younger runners with the same work ethic and commitment that past captains had given them.“I feel honored to be a co-captain of such a great team,” Luff said. “I enjoy having the opportunity to mentor new runners and introduce them to the traditions of the sport.”For Luff, the bonds he’s formed with other runners while on the team have meant a lot to him. He’s looked up to and learned from team leaders of the past, such as Tyler Courville ’14, Sam Gray ’14, and Holden Hammontree ’15. Luff has been impressed by the amount of effort each member of the team puts in, even during the summer, and he has found the coaches to be dedicated and inspiring. But, at a deeper level, he’s fallen in love with the sport itself.“I enjoy the purity of the sport. You can try to gain an advantage in a race through a special stretching routine or strategic pacing, but in the end it comes down to your ability to force your body to do something it doesn’t want to,” he said.“Finishing a run and feeling like you can’t stand up is an incredible sensation,” Luff continued. “It is very satisfying to

know that your mental willpower has managed to lay waste to your own body.”Appleton’s love for running is rooted in similar logic. To him, running is the most primitive form of athleticism: no expensive sticks or flashy gloves, no rules or referees.“Running is all about looking at the guy next to you and trying your hardest to run faster than he does,” he said. “I’d say it’s the most demanding sport, both physically and mentally;,because, at the end of the day, it’s just you. No one to pass to. No one to get your rebound.”Appleton also noted that the XC team itself introduces a whole different aspect to the sport, and said that it was “the best group of guys I’ve ever been a part of.”“Objectively, the cross country team is a hodgepodge of guys, a group that appears incohesive and all over the place,” Appleton said. “But something about cross country pulls us all together. Between the brutal workouts and grueling races, I think the common suffering and pain definitely brings us closer as a team.”In that context, Luff and Appleton collaborate well but come off as strong leaders in different ways. “This dynamic works in perfect sync to motivate the team to autumnal success. Good cop, bad cop, yin and yang. Tom and Peter,” upper Issay Matsumoto said.According to Appleton, Luff uses his speed and varsity experience to give “advantageous” racing tips to everyone on the team. Moreover, Peter has an incredible work ethic and he gives his all to the workouts. Senior Abe Kopun said that “there is nothing more motivating than hearing his raspy, wheezing breath closing in on you from behind during a workout.”

“Peter takes a more reserved role as captain, preferring to lead by example with his great races and regularly talking with each teammate personally, checking up on our conditions and such,” upper Jiro Mizuno said.On the other hand, Appleton leads the team in a broader sense, enforcing team spirit and its ferocious mentality. He has a strong moral compass. A new senior was rendered unable to run because of a brain injury, and it was Appleton’s idea to start a video log to keep in touch, even if it was only in the spiritual sense.“If we are doing anything that’s not morally right, he’s the person that will set us straight,” Kopun said.Mizuno said that the two captains have led the team through some tough times, even after losing eight runners—including the top four—to graduation last spring.“I feel that, although our dynasty of great runners over the years have left big shoes to fill, these fine captains have done an excellent job,” he said. “Through these particularly challenging weeks as we struggled to keep our streak and cope with our losses, Tom and Peter have always guided us in the right direction.”The two co-captains serve as role models for the large number of preps on the team and show them the ropes and making them feel at home. Meanwhile, they also ensure that the preps aren’t shafted in any way, giving them say in team decisions.“They always communicate with you and never leave you out of decision making,” prep Jimmy Liu said. “They take care of you.”