As Andover moves from preseason into the official season, the team hopes to repeat last year’s undefeated campaign, which culminated in a championship title at Interschols.
Andover hit the ground running in their preseason workouts. “Preseason gave us a very good foundation for the rest of the season. We covered a lot of miles in only a few days, and everyone worked very hard on the difficult hill runs and speed work,” said returning runner Connor Fraser ’13.
Unfortunately, Andover graduated six of last year’s seven varsity core members. Undeterred, Coach Jeffrey Domina said, “This year we’re flying below the radar for a change, which is nice. We’re going to surprise some people.”
With seventeen veteran runners this season, the team hopes to draw on the veterans’ experience and have the returners, especially captain James Hamilton ’12, act as the next set of leaders for the team.
Several newcomers will help fill the gap left by the Class of 2011. One “standout” on the team is new senior Mike Frasco ’12. “[Mike is] a brilliant runner with an impressive competitive record,” said Domina.
The combination of experience and fresh talent will provide Andover with the boost they need for another successful season.
Andover will have to work very hard in order to outpace their biggest competitor, Exeter, this year.
“Exeter always gives us the best competition and the Andover/Exeter race is the most exciting to run in from a runner’s standpoint. They are always very strong from the top of their varsity all through their team, and they have a big group of runners, which provides a lot of depth,” said Fraser.
With Interschols at Andover this fall, the team has the advantage of practicing the course each day before their final competition. The dedicated team is working tirelessly to win the first real race of the season on October 1st.
