Varsity Highlights

The Pioneers fielded a very young team on Saturday morning, with only one athlete, senior co-captain David Torres, experienced with racing at the varsity level.  (Noah Kaczor, the other captain, was out with an injury.  Heal quickly, Noah!).  David led the Pioneers nicely, beginning with a start that kept the team together, then stretching forward to keep the top ten in sight for most of the race.  Catholic Central had a three-man pack setting the pace, and they made it a swift one; four guys finished top ten and were under seventeen minutes.  David’s 17:29 finish gave him a nineteenth position overall, and a new personal record.  Congratulations on finishing in the top 20 here, David!

The younger Pioneers filling the remaining six varsity positions were sophomores Tyler Leach,  Boris Burman, Dean Brigham and Max Shpilband and freshmen Eddie Codrington and Costa Willets.  These runners began the race on the near side of the starting-line pack, and went out well, following David with Boris and Tyler right behind.  Dean did a nice job negotiating traffic early on, passing on the outside, and the team settled into their pace together in the middle of the field.

The course is challenging, with rolling hills in the open areas and a steep climb far back in the trees.  The Pioneers were stretching out on the downhills and looked strong finishing the first mile.  The second loop in the woods took its toll, and the guys mentioned after the race that they were pretty spent after that second hill climb.  However, there were some exciting finishes for the runners.  Tyler and Eddie charged to the finish together, and freshman Eddie Codrington, with sprinter’s legs, was able to overtake Tyler just before the final chute.  Eddie came in 50th overall but second for the Pioneers, and set a new personal record of 18:18.  Wow, Eddie!  Can’t wait to see what happens next for you this season!  Tyler had a great run, shaving 5 seconds off his Time Trial time, finishing 51st in 18:19.  Dean ran very well, making sure to keep Tyler and Eddie in sight.  His finish, as fourth man for Pioneer, was a 58th overall in 18:26, matching his PR to the second.  Max Shpilband finished as fifth varsity man, scoring 65 points in 18:35.  Fantastic, Max – you set your own new record here today.

Sixth and seventh man don’t score for the team, but their efforts are critical in cross country racing, as they can effect the outcome of other teams by running well.  Costa Willets made his mark at Kensington finishing in 18:36, taking 5 seconds off his former personal record and staying right with Max near the finish line.  Good job, Costa.  Boris looked strong in the earlier part of the run, but was struggling at the end - he finished in 19:16 and was admittedly disappointed in his efforts.  Competition at the varsity level will lend valuable experience to these young runners, undoubtedly leading to a strong team in the future.