BXC Wins E/A Matchup

This past weekend, Big Red’s boys’ cross country team went head-to-head with its biggest rival, Andover. After a year of plotting revenge from last year’s close defeat, the team worked hard on its home turf and left with a taste of sweet redemption. The boys came through with a score of 26-31, with the margin between the two coming down to both team’s fifth runners.

Andover’s team, as usual, had provided tough competition and set the scene for next week’s Interschols. They had brought on their strongest, but Big Red was ready to take on anything they threw at Exeter.

It was a close race out on the course, but Exeter had a 10-second win by senior Atticus Stonestrom, who has consistently won every single race this season. In second place came senior and co-captain Garrett Pitt, who never fails to edge out a sprint and finished the race with a kick against Andover’s first runner. Seniors and co-captains Issay Matsumoto and Jiro Mizuno crossed the line not far after Andover’s second runner, grasping the fifth and sixth places. It was a while after that before the crowd saw any red and white singlets at the finish, but luckily, senior Isaac Fingerson saved the day, securing the win for Big Red, managing to finish as Exeter’s fifth runner.

“Saturday is everything we’ve worked for since the very first days of tryouts. Ache Te Vitu.”

“Andover always competes to their best ability,” Matsumoto said of the team. “So regardless of how either team looks on paper, E/a is always a battle.” Andover came, they saw, but they failed to conquer.

Some goals for next week’s Interschols, which will be held at home, include developing a deeper varsity team and taking back the title that was stolen from them last year. “Our goal is to tighten the spread between our first man and our fifth,” Pitt explained.

This week’s victory sets an example for next week’s championships, boosting the team’s confidence and hopes of becoming the winners. Interschols will be the last cross country race for all of the graduating class, the last chance to redeem the title and call themselves winners once and for all.

“Am I nervous? Yes. Am I scared? A little bit. Am I ready? Hell, yes I am. I’m ready to kick butt,” Mizuno said.

The boys have been undefeated in every one of their dual meets this season. They are determined to win, being one of the most favored teams to take the title.

Mizuno said, “Saturday is everything we’ve worked for since the very first days of tryouts. Ache Te Vitu.”