News
Cross Country USA Race Trip - Issue 6
Six Highlander harriers headed to Belfast, Maine, for the 25th running of New England's biggest cross-country meet on the weekend of October 2. With 1,785 high school runners registered, it was a crowded 5 km course, with anywhere from 250 to 300 competitors in each division.
Much like hockey players have a morning skate before a big game, cross-country runners prefer to see a course ahead of time to get the lay of the land. We surveyed the course the day before, studying its ups and downs, twists and turns, and memorizing the tangents through each series of sweeping corners.
Max '27 was the best prepared for this course, having first competed here as a rookie Grade 9 student in 2023. He had an adventurous spirit then and has never shied away from putting in the miles. The payoff this year was a 5 km personal best on a challenging course.
Link '29 made a fantastic debut, once again demonstrating that he has plenty of running ability that deserves to be developed. Link was our top finisher, placing 15th among 257 competitors in his race.
Racing about 4,800 m farther than he usually does, track sprint specialist and hurdler Spencer '30 came along for the fun of competing and certainly made the most of the experience. He has already set himself a new goal: beating his older brother's record from 2022.
Multi-sport athlete Laura '30 stepped away from the Spafford Pool, where she swims, and Tanna Athletic Facilities, where she plays soccer, to take part in this exciting event. She has a wonderful competitive spirit and is never shy about giving her best effort.
Fellow varsity teammate Farrah '30 is another soccer player whose natural speed deserves to be showcased on more cross-country courses, and especially on a synthetic track. She left the starting line conservatively, then steadily picked off competitors as she glided her way around the course.
Our final Highlander of the day was the first athlete who came to mind when I began planning this trip. Chelsea '29 has been running and racing all her life and has the experience to appreciate just how special an event like this can be. Whether sprinting over 100 m hurdles, careening around our track oval lap after lap, or simply enjoying a solo run on a Sunday morning, Chelsea is a runner through and through. She had a fantastic first race in Belfast, outleaning her competition at the finish line by just two hundredths of a second!
A huge thank you to Mr. Donnie Armstrong for his coaching, chaperoning, and photography and videography skills throughout the trip. A great deal of behind-the-scenes work went into making this experience possible, and I am grateful to Mr. Joseph Seagram and Ms. Lisa Headley for their assistance. Finally, thank you to KES cross-country head coach Mr. Brodi Robinson for his support in making this trip happen.
King’s-Edgehill School is located in Mi'kma'ki, the unceded ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq People.
