Andover Boys Cross Country Captain Avin Ramratnam ’24 balances the challenges of leading a large team by creating a light-hearted environment. From starting as a sprinter on the Track and Field team to converting to distance running on the Boys Cross Country team, Ramratnam has curated a place for growth and self-discovery.
Ramratnam said, “I joined track originally as a sprinter, and then my friends convinced me to switch to distance, and then I kind of fell in love with the program, fell in love with the community, and I tried out cross country for the first time last year, my Upper year, and I just fell in love with the sport.”
Ramratnam values the cross country community, especially as a member who was encouraged by a friend to join the team. Vance Fabrizio ’24, who has run with him since Lower year, highlighted Ramratnam’s growth.
“He’s gotten to know running a lot better. [As] someone who started out as a basketball and soccer player, he’s become better with the nutrition stuff, warmups, and how to treat your body right outside of practice. I feel like he’s definitely grown, especially this year. Just getting some of the newer kids on the team to…get sleep,” said Fabrizio.
Aside from emphasizing the physical health of the team, Ramratnam also promotes an interactive social environment for the team. He assures that each member can depend on their teammates and feel supported.
“While we do run together, and that is a great way to build camaraderie and teamwork, we also have to make sure we’re enacting our team values off the course and [outside of] practice as well, and we do that through team dinners. We sometimes watch movies together… We say ‘hi’ to each other all the time. Team dinners are the biggest thing. We eat together almost every night for dinner, which is a great way to build that trust and continue it throughout the season,” said Ramratnam.
Sami Tokat ’26 credited Ramratnam’s ability to mitigate issues while maintaining a supportive mindset for his team. Ramratnam balances the team’s energy, takes on challenging roles, and simultaneously keeps the environment fun.
“Avin’s always there, always someone we can talk to. He takes the situation objectively and is just a great leader all around. He communicates really well, he knows how to protect our own confidentiality, but at the same time communicate to the coaches when we need help. He’s the best Captain that we could’ve asked for,” said Tokat.
Fabrizio credits Ramratnam for the ability to hold runners accountable on the team, regardless of interpersonal relationships. He notes how Ramratnam navigates responsibility, while maintaining a good balance between being a friend and a Captain.
“I do have a lot of respect for him having to lead us. It’s hard to call out people you don’t know, but it’s harder to call out your friends. So I definitely respect him for that,” said Fabrizio
Ramratnam shared his vision for the Cross Country team, which is to work towards a positive trajectory of personal and team goals for the rest of the season.
“We’re off to a great start… We definitely gave it our all in the summer training, and, because of that, we had a great start to our season at the Manchester Invitational. And we’re looking to carry that spirit and carry that strength into the rest of the season. And we have big goals to beat [Phillips] Exeter [Academy], to win.” said Ramratnam.
