Boys’ cross country sprinted ahead of the competition for a 27-28 victory at Cold Spring Park against the Wellesley Raiders Wednesday, Oct. 9. The meet was the team’s senior night, a special race followed by a celebration dedicated to recognizing the graduating members of the team.
North’s victory was especially sweet, according to senior Nathaniel Hill, a captain with seniors Thomas Ruane, Asher Salmon Hansen, and Knox Wallask, as the seniors were able to prove their talent at their last home race as Tigers.
“It was the last race at Cold Spring for all the senior guys, so we definitely put a little more into it,” said Ruane.
The 5k race began as runners took their starting strides on the field. Wellesley’s top runner swiftly took the lead within the first minute of racing, with North’s first competitors remaining a few paces behind in a pack with rival Raiders.
“We knew that we had to put at least two or three guys before their second guy, because we knew their first guy was quite quick,” said junior Max Badri.
At the start of the second lap, Wellesley maintained its lead, putting itself in a good position to end up with the title of first finisher. During this loop, additional Wellesley runners pushed ahead of North.
According to Badri, the opposition’s advance left him with a difficult choice to make: he could either go out in front with his opposition or stay behind and hope they start to slow down.
When fellow team member Wallask came up behind him and pushed his pace, it became obvious to make a move forward, Badri said, as both ran into the group of Wellesley runners.
The rhythm of the race remained the same until the final stretch, where Badri found himself in a head-to-head with his last remaining Wellesley rival for the first-place finish.
With his last strides, Badri pulled ahead of the competition with a time of 16:24. Other Tigers followed closely behind, ensuring their victory at the seniors’ final home meet of their high school careers.
“We were hoping to come here, get a win, and set some personal records,” said Hill. “And we were able to do all of those things. It was a great race.”
According to math teacher Shawn Wallace, the assistant coach, it is important that the team does not become overconfident as a result of their big win.
“You can be happy with the way that you race,” Wallace said, “But you can never be satisfied. So you got to still be hungry. You don’t want this to be the end of it.”
The Tigers, 7-1, will face off against Brookline at Lars Anderson park Thursday, Oct. 17.
