The cross-country team is entering the championship part of their season. They have four meets left, including one regular meet at Salesianum, then the Inter-Ac Championship, followed by PAISAAs. EA Day completes the season.
As only one Sixth Former graduated last year, the team remains almost the same, but it is looking a little different due to injuries and illness. Two of the top runners are out, and several are battling back from injuries. Head coach Mr. Brian Long has repeatedly expressed one sentiment this season. “I feel like we need to get our guys healthy,” he said. “So much of our season relies on guys getting healthy.”
There appears to be a bright light at the end of the tunnel.
“Both the men out from injury and sickness seem to be improving,” Coach Long said. “If the team can get back the men who ran well last year in addition to a few uprising new runners, it could hopefully repeat and get third at PAISAAs.”
Sixth Form captain Alex Dardarian agreed. “I think we’re just ramping up now. We are starting to hit our stride,” he said.
After a tough start to the season, where Haverford lost to Malvern Prep and Germantown Academy, the team rebounded and beat Germantown Academy in the Inter-Ac duels, earning fourth place. This effort was led by Fifth Former James MacColl, who edged out the competition.
That Saturday, the team hit the fastest course that the school would run this year: Whippets Invitational. The course is a lot flatter than the hill-dominated Belmont Plateau or the Course of Hills at Episcopal. The team all achieved personal bests, with Dardarian running a scorching 16:21. Haverford came sixth overall, sneaking onto the scene and earning them a shoutout on the Delco XC podcast.
Next, the team ran for the second time at Belmont versus Germantown Academy and Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. Belmont holds a special significance for the team: to qualify for EA Day, every non-senior runner must break 21:00 minutes on the course. Haverford sneaked past Germantown to win this meet by one point with notable performances by Sixth Former Liam French, Third Former Andreas Caldroon, Fifth Former Nate Gill, and Fourth Former Raymond Kresge. They also beat SCHA by almost 70 points.
After that strong showing, the team moved to compete at Episcopal Academy’s notoriously hilly course.
The Fords lost this meet; however, two of the top runners, French and MacColl, were not able to run. This race also solidified the roster for Salesianum, which is the most challenging course that the team participates in because it is all uphill.
Going into the championships, the team hopes to do well at Inter-Acs and PAISAAs.
“We will Hopefully be right in the middle at Inter-Acs,” Coach Long said. “And hopefully in the top half of the pack for PAISAAs. We placed third last year and hope to replicate.”
Dardarian agrees.
“We are going to go into Inter-Acs and PAISAA with this second breath we hit,” Dardarian said. “EA day is gonna be a battle that our team could definitely clutch.”
