Boys’ Cross Country Rebuilds After Graduating Strong Class of Seniors
You have undoubtedly seen, or more likely heard, the rambunctious group of boys sitting on the right side of Elm Street Dining Hall throwing fists in the air with barbaric voices that echo across the building. This would be the boys’ cross country team. The word “cult” describes them in a nutshell, a brotherhood sworn by an incantation of the words, “Ache Te Vitu.” Known as the tightest-knit team on campus, the boys train together, eat together and sleep together. Their closeness has enabled the team to perform far beyond what was expected of them this season.
After four championship titles in the past four years, the only thing on the team’s mind was to win their fifth championship in a row, obtaining the legendary five-peat. The team had not lost a single race since 2010 and had entered the year with a 26-meet winning streak. The pressure was high.
Having had their top four varsity runners graduate last year, the team was not as strong as they had been in the past. This year’s varsity squad was essentially last year’s junior varsity, leaving the team distraught with little room to spend fooling around.
Additionally, the team lost senior Marichi Gupta, a valuable runner that they had recruited for the year, to a serious heat stroke in the first race of the season.
Co-captain and senior Tom Appleton said, “It was heavy. To be honest, no one thought we had a chance. After watching eight strong runners cross the graduation stage and grab that diploma last spring, I’ll admit that even I thought it was over.”
Co-captain and senior Peter Luff shared Appleton’s sentiments. “After four of our top five runners graduated last year, we knew that we would have to try to rebuild the team,” he said.
“There will be blood and there will be no mercy. The words 'Ache Te Vitu' will be carved into our souls and we will be victorious.”
Nonetheless, with the help of head coach Brandon Newbould and assistant coaches classical languages department chair Nick Unger and history department chair Bill Jordan, the team worked as hard as ever, not discouraged by the circumstances. The team knew that this season was going to be a challenge, albeit a new challenge that they were willing to take on.
“We all bought into the toughest training plan to date. We recognized that it was going to be easier than ever to lose; that if we slacked off for one day, we'd lose. That really motivated us,” Appleton said.
Luff added, “Many lowers and uppers whose places had never mattered to the team’s score in the past ran hundreds of miles over the summer in order to fill the shoes of the runners who had graduated.”
The season began with a relatively strong start, with the boys placing second to Loomis in a scrimmage at Choate. As the season progressed, the boys did everything they could with what they were given. The team looked to ensure their focus and commitment, enforcing the “no fraternization rule” against the girl’s cross country team, enabling the team to concentrate more on running and less on, well, communicating with the opposite gender.
Uppers Isaac Fingerson and Nolan Peacock compete for PEA. (Photo Credit: Rachel Luo)
Regardless of rain or shine, the boys showed up to practice everyday. Even when sports teams were not required to meet, the runners would make time on Sunday to go on runs. They showed immense dedication and relentless effort, proving them worthy during the season. Through hard work and training, the boys regained their strength from last year and remained on top. They won all their dual meets except for the ones against St. Paul’s and Andover, whom Exeter both beat at the end of the season during Interschols.
The highlight of the season for the team was beating this year’s New England Champions, Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH), during the only race on Exeter’s home turf. On parent’s weekend, light breezes and rays of sunlight shone through the trees lined along the Exeter course. In contrast to the nice weather, the boys were fierce and ready, their lungs burning to beat NMH.
As the race began, it was clear NMH would secure the top two positions without a problem, having two of their top runners out ahead of everyone else. Despite having run the course a number of times in the previous years, those two NMH runners “accidentally” cut 200 meters off the end of the course.
Nonetheless, Big Red ran outstandingly well. Upper Garrett Pitt finished in third, along with uppers Jiro Mizuno and Camden Corso following closely behind. By the sixth runner, the teams were at a tie.
“The race was completely up for grabs, and no one knew who would win,” Mizuno recalled.
Very soon, bystanders spotted Exeter’s seventh runner, upper Isaac Fingerson, from a distance. As Fingerson neared the finish line, the opposition began cheering, encouraging the NMH runner who was looming in Fingerson’s shadow, waiting to overtake him for the win. Fingerson sprinted as fast as he could and manged to cross the finish line first, edging out NMH by a single point.
Upper Jiro Mizuno powers down the course. (Photo Credit: Steven Kim)
Interschols was the race that put all the team's hard work and effort from the season to the test. The other teams were not expecting much from Exeter. However, as soon as the gun went off, a whole new Big Red team seemed to bolt out of the gates. “We raced like Spartans. Strong, ruthless and ready to die,” Appleton reminiscenced.
It was the 12th straight top 3 finish for Exeter, a feat that no other team can boast. Because of this, the team is not overly disappointed with third place. “I am at peace with our team’s third place finish and am very proud of the outstanding individual performances of our runners, the JV squad’s win and the classes of 2017, 2018 and 2019,” Luff said.
Appleton echoed Luff’s sentiments. “All in all, I was extremely proud of this team. I am honored to have been given the opportunity to lead such a fearless group of young men. We went from a team that no one believed in, to one of best teams in New England,” he said.
Feeding off of their third place finish at interschols, the boys are very optimistic for next year’s New England Championships. All the odds are lined up perfectly for them to take home first and rightly regain their status as New England Champions: the race will even be on Big Red's home course at Exeter.
At the end of this season, all seven varsity runners were uppers, meaning they will be back again next year, only faster and stronger. “We will be back to fight on our home turf this November, for a sweet autumnal redemption,” said next year’s co-captain Issay Matsumoto.
“There will be blood and there will be no mercy,” next year’s co-captain Jiro Mizuno said.“The words 'Ache Te Vitu' will be carved into our souls and we will be victorious. The dynasty will rise again like a phoenix and our successors will carry on the legacy of our predecessors.”
Treating this year’s championships as motivation for the upcoming year, the boys will stop at nothing to reclaim their title. Appleton reiterated the team’s mentality in confidence.
“So the ‘drive for five’ didn’t quite work out … what’s next? Three words. Reclaim the fame,” he said.