Boys Cross Country defeated Exeter this past weekend in a crucial end of season duel meet between the two rivals. Andover ran strongly from top to bottom and won by an impressive margin of 20-39. Renat Zalov ’11 paved the way for his teammates with a phenomenal sub-sixteen minute race. His crossed the line in 15:55, but the most important stat on the day was the tight thirty-second split between Zalov and Andover’s sixth runner, James Hamilton ’12. Although Zalov ran with intelligence and strength, he was beaten to the finish line by Exeter’s frontrunner, Arjun Nukal. Andover did not let one runner rattle them however, and in a remarkable display of teamwork and commitment, the top six Andover varsity runners finished before Exeter’s second runner. The Andover boys dispelled any hope their rivals had for an interschols win. Andover’s top six, which comprises of Zalov, Captain Patrick Wolber ’11, Matt Appleby ’11, Tim McLaughlin ’11, Hamilton and Nick Kearns ’11, asserted its dominance early and powerfully, and shut the door on the rest of the Exeter team. Coach Jeff Domina was very happy with the team’s performance, saying, “Andover-Exeter races are always exciting, but this one will stand out in my memory for the clear force with which the varsity boys defeated the Red.” He went on to call the group of top Andover runners a “remarkable pack.” Captain Wolber was also extremely pleased with the win, saying, “We ran perfectly on Saturday. We couldn’t have pummeled Exeter more precisely. They consistently breed runners who run with heart, pride and mental toughness that we respect and love to destroy.” Wolber was grinning for most of the day. He said, “sticking it to Exeter never gets old.” The JV team was not met with the same success as the varsity however, losing by only one point with a score of 29-28. Domina said, “Thirty Andover boys ran in the JV race, which was competitive from top to bottom, and I was so proud of the individual performances. Exeter has an exceptionally strong JV team this year, and they edged out our boys by a single point.” The team has been working incredibly hard all season in preparation for this weekend, the New England Interscholastic Championships, which take place at Deerfield this year. It will be the ultimate test and Andover seeks redemption after last year’s tough loss at the hands of a surging Loomis Chaffee top seven. As the only undefeated team in the league, Andover knows it is the team to beat and looks forward to the challenge that lies ahead at this weekend’s race.
