Boys Cross Country takes a photo in celebration of their feat.
Andover Boys Cross Country raced in the Black Bear Invitational on Saturday, placing third in a competitive field of 16 teams in the Boys Large School Varsity Race. The team built on their impressive performance last week at the Manchester Invitational with another resounding performance this week. Leading the charge was stalwart Tam Gavenas ’25, who finished first, shattering the course record with a time of 15:27, an entire minute ahead of the nearest competitor.
Co-Captain Jakob Kuelps ’25 spoke highly of the race, noting not only Gavenas’ record-breaking performance but also the overall strength of the team. He emphasized that the team’s collective effort made the event particularly memorable.
“The race went well, and Tam Gavenas led the field comfortably. He ran a really strong race and, of course, broke the course record. Varsity boys also placed third out of 16 teams, which just shows how strong we are as a team,” said Kuelps.
The brilliant performances didn’t stop there. Kuelps mentioned another standout runner, Arun Kapoor ’25, who finished thirteenth out of 129 runners. He also commended some Junior Varisty runners who filled in for varsity and stepped up to the occasion.
“I’d highlight Arun Kapoor. It was his first race of the season because he’s had some calf problems, so it was great to see him out there on the line. Also, because of injuries, some JV Boys had to fill in for Varsity, so they really stepped up for the team,” said Kuelps.
Benedict Dwyer ’28, for which the invitational was only his second cross-country race, highlighted the strong sense of support among the team. He mentioned how everyone motivated each other, with constant encouragement to help shave off every possible millisecond.
“Of course, Tam was a standout, but as a team, we did really well, with each person pacing one another and pushing one another to shave off those milliseconds. The team was helpful in pushing one another along and challenging each other, and it was just a great environment of people cheering each other on,” said Dwyer.
Russ McLaren ’27 echoed that sentiment, stating that the team’s support for one another was what drove them forward, even after the race. Both during competitions and outside of them, the team’s camaraderie created a motivating environment, helping each member push their limits and improve together as a unit.
“The whole team was cheering everyone else on; that was definitely a strength of ours. We were cheering for everyone but especially our own team, so support was our biggest strength. The whole team is together in the tent, and after your race, people will come together and support you, so that really feels good,” said McLaren.
Kuelps credited the electric climate for helping the runners persevere through the notoriously hilly course. He added that the atmosphere and energy at the meet were infectious.
“It was a very hilly course, mainly rolling hills, which means you’re going up and down a lot, and the course becomes a little slower. This course, in general, is not a really fast race, but the atmosphere was awesome. Since this is one of the bigger meets we go to, the atmosphere was great, with the runners powering through the hills because the energy was definitely there,” said Kuelps.
Looking ahead to next week, Boys Cross Country will race at Choate on Saturday.
