GXC Secures Interschols Title
While Exeter’s fall athletic teams were competing at Andover in their E/a games last Saturday, the Big Red cross-country was roughing it out at Avon Old Farms in Avon, Connecticut in the 2018 NEPSTA Interscholastic Championships.
The girls’ varsity and junior varsity teams were both crowned Division I in their respective competitions. The JV boys’ squad also secured another championship for Exeter. The boys’ varsity team, however, fell short of first place by just one point behind the winner, Northfield Mount Hermon School.
“Everyone’s performance on varsity was really inspiring,” senior and co-captain Charlie Neuhaus said. “[Lower] Varun Oberai came top ten in Interschols with a huge PR.”
The team was surprised by the snowfall on the morning of their race. Grace Gray, senior and co-captain of the girls’ team, had a positive outlook on the unexpected precipitation. “I’ve always wanted to race in snow [...] I was filled with excitement.” Gray continued, “I knew our team is tough and can race in any condition—we had some great experience with running through a knee-deep puddle at E/a just the week before—and I couldn’t wait for us to rise to this challenge.”
Exeter’s success was a result of the hard work put in throughout the entire season. The girls’ undefeated record and wins against their biggest competitors meant that there were high hopes to win it all. Upper Maddie Machado and winner of the girls’ JV race mentioned that “Coach Coogan told us all before this meet that we’d be running with targets on our backs as the projected winning team.” Machado added that Exeter’s previous wins helped the team rise to the challenge.
Senior Hanna Pak recalled, “We were there to give it everything we had to win. For some of us, it was our last cross-country race ever, so we wanted to leave everything out on the course and close the season with a bang.”
Both teams’ training leading up to the race was another contribution to their outstanding success. “Every day of practice prepared us to be the best runners and teammates possible for when Nov. 10 would come,” Gray said. From early morning pool-runs to Dame Road fartleks and even 6 a.m. long runs on wide left, the team had been prepared to face anything.
“We are really all about running with love,” Pak stated. “We knew we would run with love—love for ourselves, for cross-country, for each other, for our coaches and for all our teammates who weren’t at Avon with us—and that was what really mattered for us,” Gray said.
The runners’ determination to do well for their team as well as themselves was effective in securing top individual placings.
In the girls’ varsity race, lower Gia Pisano and senior Hanna Pak finished third and fourth overall; the other five varsity girls placed in the top 30. Teammate Gray lauded Pak’s killer race. “[Pak] shaved forty seconds off her prep year PR and broke 20:00 to finish fourth in the entire girls’ varsity race.” The girls’ JV team managed to secure both first and second place with spectacular runs from upper Maddie Machado and lower Leila Herman. Other JV runners came in top twentieth to lead the team to victory.
The boys’ team also celebrated numerous individual victories. Upper Will Coogan ran a hard-fought race that secured him a 15:34 PR and a 2nd place finish, just one second behind the NEPSTA champion. “I knew it was going to be a fast race [...] I tried to stay with the front pack as long as I could and cover everyone’s moves.” Coogan praised his competitor, saying, “Great race out of Farrel from Loomis who held me off on the final stretch.”
“Everyone’s performance on varsity was really inspiring,” senior and co-captain Charlie Neuhaus said. “[Lower] Varun Oberai came top ten in Interschols with a huge PR.”
Senior and co-captain John Martel praised lower Phil Horrigan’s kick that beat out five opponents at the end of the race. The Big Red boys swept the JV race: upper Sam Kim, senior Charlie Neuhaus, lower Croix Mikofsky and upper Jinwoo Kang immediately formed a strong pack at the front of the JV race, all finishing in the top ten.
Exeter boys’ varsity team’s one point loss to NMH was disappointing to all of its members. Nevertheless, they remain optimistic that they’ll bounce back next year to regain their NEPSTA championship title. Lower Andrew Luke mentioned, “losing like that is really hard, but it just makes us want to win that much more next year.”
The seniors are confident that despite it being their last time wearing the big E on their uniforms, the teams are being left in good hands. “I am so confident that they will keep bringing PEA GXC to greater heights and adventures.” Pak said. “I can’t wait to see what the team can accomplish next year.”
“[We are] like an overwhelmingly positive and close-knit family,” said senior Alexandra van Dijkum. Lower Andrew Luke had a similar outlook: “We’re brothers and we have each other’s back.” Gray reminisced on the cross-country team’s effect on her Exeter experience, saying, “Exeter cross-country will always hold a part of my heart… I can’t thank our wonderful team and coaches enough for giving me this home these past four years.”