Anyone who has walked around the Andover campus recently has witnessed the Phillips Academy Boys Cross Country team hard at work training for what promises to be a very exciting season. The team is filled with talent this year as core returners prepare to lead the team to a successful season. These returning runners include Captain Geoff Kwok ’10, Tim McLaughlin ’11, Patrick Wolber ’11, James Hamilton ’12, Phil Hofer ’10, Matt Appleby ’11, Ben Ho ’11 and Chris Batchelder ’11. New additions to the team include Renat Zalov ’11 and Nick Kearns ’10, along with Kian Ivey ’13. Although these athletes are new to Andover Boys Cross Country, head coach Jonathan Stableford has confidence in their ability. “Zalov and Kearns look especially ready to join the front-runners who are returning,” he said. Kwok is also excited about the talent and dedication of this year’s returning runners. He said, “I think all of our returners have come back in great shape and every single one of them is willing to push it this year to the ultimate goal – winning the New England championship.” These talented preseason runners have also welcomed new runners with enthusiasm and excitement. “All these new guys that I have met are swift kids that will push the team to another level,” said Kwok. Together with these new runners, the core group has an excellent chance against top competitors Phillips Exeter Academy, St. Paul’s and Loomis Chaffee. “My hunch is that the success of our team will depend on where our deep pack of runners runs in every race. I think they can end up near the front of the Interschols crowd, so we will be looking to run head-to-head with Exeter, St. Paul’s, and Loomis Chaffee, a team that has picked up two strong senior runners,” said Stableford. Last year the team finished in second place at the NEPSTA Division I Cross Country Championships. Andover returns this season looking strong, even with the loss of former Captain Eli Howe ’09 and Mike Discenza ’09, the top finisher for Andover at last year’s NEPSTA championships. This season also consists primarily of home races, which will give the team a huge advantage over its competition, especially when it comes to the infamous heartbreak hill on Andover’s course. The team will kick off its season with the Canterbury invitational next week.
