If autumn could be captured in a single day, Sunday, November 4, would be that day. Brilliant sunshine highlighted the autumn colors and nearly 200 runners excitedly bounced about and took their last minute warm-up strides, as the spectacular colors of 21 of NY’s top independent schools completely encapsulated the autumnal spirit of the fall season rapidly coming to a close. The Sabers joined the masses and toed the starting line for the NYSAISAA 5K Cross Country Championship, prepared to run fast and take chances.  

 

The starter’s pistol released the group and they scampered across the open field and into the woods, fighting for their position and eyeing the opportunity to pass opponents and claim points for their team. The conditions for racing were fast, along with the sunshine warming the runners at the start and finish, the taste of cool fall air greeted the runners through the daunting woods loop. The fierce competition brought out the best in all of the runners and when the top group emerged from the woods, senior, Eloise F. was again among them. For the second consecutive year, Eloise claimed an individual NYSAISAA Championship medal, finishing 4th out of the 186 competitors, with a time of 20:10.31 on the 5K course.  

 

Eloise set the pace for her teammates and they responded, as each of the top 5 scoring runners finished in the top 50 of the entire field, a first for Sabers’ Cross County program. Classmate, Sara Rose S. finished 31st, in her first NYSAISAA Championship, and juniors, Caroline C., Hadley H. and Emma H. finished 40th, 41st and 48th respectively, to round-out the top 5 for Spence, securing the team’s spot in program history, capturing 6th out of the 21 teams competing in the NYSAISAA Championship. The efforts of sophomores Brooke P., and Kayla D. and seniors, Charlotte G. and Amanda T. were essential to the team’s finish, racing ahead of opponents and collecting place spots to widen the team’s scoring gap.

 

The Sabers’ 6th place team finish was as spectacular as the final day of the fall season. Congratulations to all on a most memorable season!