Athletes of the Week: Connor Chen, Croix Mikofsky and Gavin Pitt

By Maxine Park ‘22

In the green mountains of Gill, Massachusetts, the finals to the Boys Varsity and Junior Varsity interscholastic championships came to a victorious close. As the Exeter Boys Varsity cross country finishes first in the Varsity race, the Junior Varsity race is coming to a close. All team members rush to the course to cheer on those who have not finished. Exeter swept the top 12 spots in this race. The success, according to the cross country Captains and seniors Connor Chen, Croix Mikofsky and Gavin Pitt, is due to the tremendous team dynamic of the team. 

Mikofsky reflected on the historic meet. “I learned so much about leadership and camaraderie that day,” Mikofsky said. 

The boys’ cross country team is collaborative to its core, Captain and senior Connor Chen agreed. “Interschols at NMH was a perfect example of our team’s unity and our passion for each other’s successes,” Chen said. “It was the perfect capstone to our season and reflected all the workouts, lifts and effort we poured into our year.” 

Chen began running when he was in the third grade in his home city, Hong Kong. He grew up as an athlete, and competed in swimming, soccer and basketball. He came to Exeter as a Prep and immediately felt at home with the cross country team. “When I met the cross country team, I immediately knew that I had found my fit. We jumped right into fun workouts and they introduced me to a few of their long-standing traditions,” he said. 

The older runners in the group worked to make him feel like he belonged on the cross country team, which informed Chen’s current goals as a captain. “I strive to foster a similar relationship with each new runner that joins PEABXC… As a captain, I recognize the effect of leading by example, and strive to set a standard of diligence and persistence in everything I do. I also work to bring the team closer outside of practices and races, just as the older runners did with me when I was a prep,” Chen said.

In the midst of an unconventional season right now, “this team has taught me about the importance of unity and enthusiasm,” Chen continued. 

Mikofsky shared Chen’s prior athletic experience as a basketball and soccer player. However, he started running after hearing about the campus renowned team dynamic of the Boys Cross Country team. “I had heard that the cross country program at PEA was special and I decided to come out to tryouts. I immediately fell in love with the team, the energy, and the competition. The rest is history, I guess,” Mikofsky said. 

Like Chen, Mikofsky noted that the cross country team assisted in his transition to Exeter. “The XC team was essential to my transition to Exeter. No matter what, I always had a table at dinner where I felt I belonged,” he said.  

Mikofsky reflected on his first race at Exeter, a meet against Choate Rosemary Hall, and how that has affected his meet preparation in past years. “It was my first time racing against another school in my life. I went in with no expectations of myself other than to work hard, and I frequently think about that race when preparing for big competitions,” he said. 

Looking forward, Mikofsky is confident that the lessons and skills he has learned on the cross country team will be life long. “Being on this team has ignited a passion for the outdoors and for adventure that I am sure I will carry with me through college and life,” he said. 

Pitt started running on the track team his prep year. He found he had a love for distance running and, like Mikofsky and Chen, had heard about the camaraderie of the boys’ cross country team. Pitt says that the impressive mileage of the Cross Country team “gave us a mutual respect for one another, and allowed us to connect on a deeper level than if we were just hanging out outside of XC.” 

Pitt’s favorite course during his time at Exeter is DeMerritt Hill Farm located in Lee, New Hampshire. “The course is pure XC: rolling hills cutting through apple orchards... it made the race really interesting,” Pitt said. “A big part of our training is focused on handling hills, relaxing on the uphills, and smoking the downhills.”

Other teammates are eternally grateful for the hard work and effort that the captains have exhibited during their time at Exeter. “I really admire the commitment that the captains have not only to pushing everyone on the team to their limits, but making everyone feel included despite their grade or running ability,” upper Arya Nistane said. 

“The reason our team has been consistently good for so many years is because of this inclusive culture we’ve fostered,” Nistane continued. 

Similarly, senior Phillip Horrigan would describe the captains as role models. “[The captains] have shown that they can be consistent and accountable leaders and they have modeled, for me, what it means to be an athlete here at Exeter.” 

Upper Garrett Paik expressed gratitude for the captains and their work ethic. “I have a lot of respect for the captains because they’re really humble, and because they race hard,” Paik said.  “When it comes time to race, they give it their absolute all, which sets the tone for the rest of the team.”

This season, the captains will be training with and under Coaches Newbould, Unger and Jordan. “Each one of them brings so much to our team. They all are just endless wells of information, and there was never a dull conversation on our runs,” Mikofsky said. 

“All of the coaches are great,” Pitt added. “I really appreciate training under Newbould especially.”

Coach Newbould regularly joins the team during their training sessions and has come especially close with the captains. “It’s nice to have a guy who comes from the sport, who runs 130+ mile weeks and understands what training and competition are all about. He encourages us to push ourselves with the training and respects those who do. He genuinely cares about the team,” Pitt said.

This unusual Fall Term will certainly present new challenges. The captains are aiming to continue to be fearless leaders. Chen concluded, “whether through movie nights or card games or ultimate frisbee, I aim to create a brotherhood of unity, passion and enthusiasm.”