Boys Cross Country Fall Sports Sports

Basil Alfaro ’18: A Seasoned Runner

This season, Andover Boys Cross Country’s leading runner, Basil Alfaro ’18, has helped to steer the team toward success with his reliable speed and determination. At the Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) Invitational race, Alfaro was Andover’s first runner to finish and set a new personal record (PR) of 17:32 to come in fifth place overall. He also claimed first place overall in the team’s 21-34 home victory against Choate two weeks ago.

Alfaro first developed a passion for running in middle school, when he discovered the sport through his family. Since then, he has come to respect the mental and physical challenges of cross-country and continues to run because he enjoys the satisfaction of finishing a race.

Alfaro said, “I first started running competitively in seventh grade. I was dabbling around in several different sports, and I decided to do summer track since my older sisters were runners. For the most part, I was drawn to cross country because of its difficulty. In a sense, a cross country race is just a competition for whoever can endure the most pain. So for me, that’s the reason for why I run — to show and to prove to myself that I am capable of succeeding in a strenuous and mentally challenging sport.”

Known for his work ethic and desire to improve, Alfaro has become one of Andover’s most valued members for his running prowess and strong team presence.
Head Coach Patrick Rielly said, “Basil is a fierce competitor. He comes to practice ready to work hard and shows up to meets ready to push himself to the limit. He’s having an outstanding Lower year, and I know he’ll continue to be one of the leaders on the team for the rest of his Andover career.”

“[Alfaro] has contributed to the team in so many ways,” said Post-Graduate (PG) Patrick Dolan ’16. “He is a fantastic runner. He comes to race on game day, and his determination is one of a kind. His running prowess does not even begin to portray how amazing he really is; his vibrant personality and jaunty smile are enough to get me out of any rut.”

Colby Lapointe ’16 added, “[Alfaro] has been a terrific part of the team this year, and we are very fortunate to have him. He’s a hard-worker in practices and consistently motivates every member of the program to improve during races. Looking forward, I am confident that [Alfaro’s] strong work ethic and determination will help him find lots of success in our upcoming races and at Interschols this year.”

Throughout his Andover career, Alfaro has blossomed as a runner and looks to continue to grow in his next two seasons.

Alfaro said, “Running for the cross country team at Andover has definitely made me appreciate running and the sport so much more. I have really learned to love the sport here, especially the program, as well as the coaches and all of the other boys on the team.”

“My personal goal for the season is to break 16:30, as well as to make sure that all the new members of our team are having fun and enjoying the program as much as I have in the past two years,” he added. “By my Senior year, I would love to break 16 minutes. I want to make sure that when I look back on all of our races and meets, I know and feel confident that I gave my best.”