David Shamritsky ’17 raced the final 100 meters of the last race of the season at Phillips Exeter Academy alongside teammates Will Reid ’15 and Gardner Wilson ’16. Shamritsky, Reid and Wilson finished in second, third and fourth places, respectively, in the combined Boys B and C class race on Saturday.
Usually, the Andover Cycling team competes in races where all of the competing 11 schools in the league race against one another on the same course throughout the class levels. In contrast, the Andover/Exeter face off involved only the two teams and combined classes of skill level to form larger races.
The Boys A raced as their own field, the Boys B and C raced together in one race and the Girls A and C raced together.
Riders were physically challenged on the extremely technical course. The trail was a loop measuring 0.7 miles, consisting of three 180-degree turns, a short grass uphill and multiple steep dirt uphills. All riders completed ten laps of the course, carefully navigating the various environmental obstacles to make it to the finish.
Shamritsky, Reid and Gardner highlighted the day’s races by finishing within eight seconds of one another in the top four, capping off a commanding season for all three in a dramatic team oriented fashion.
Members of the Andover Boys C also did well in the combined Boys B and C race. Hayden Weatherall ’18 managed to finish in great position just two seconds ahead of teammate Isaac Newell ’18 after working with each other for 20 minutes.
In Boys A, Paxton Hyde ’15 had the lead up until he fell on the dangerous grassy knoll, which allowed Exeter’s riders to sweep the field. Co-Captain Nicolas Swenson ’15 finished in first for Andover, but still came in fifth overall.
Hyde was a strong leader on the team in his Senior season. He finished with numerous top five places and one first place finish at Gould Academy. His determination and improvement inspired the younger riders to do the same.
The girls also raced well. Girls B boasted three riders placing in the top five.
“It was a ton of fun and a new course,” said Leah Adelman ’17.
Reflecting back on the season, the Cycling team has come together as a tight knit family, showing improvement across the board. Co-Captain Liana Margolese ’15 notably led her Girls squad to a Division Championship in Girls C.
Margolese said, “It has been an amazing season, and the team has grown incredibly. We hit every race this term, which meant we often had two seven- or eight-hour race days a week. Everyone remained energetic and met each race with enthusiasm. I am so proud of how hard all the riders worked and how far they have come.”
