The Big Green Running Machine earned its third consecutive MBIL Championship last Wednesday at Gann Academy, winning by over 20 points despite losing two of its top runners.

Just two days before the race, Lachlan Davidson ’17 suffered a seizure, but his speedy recovery allowed him to cheer on his fellow teammates, giving them an extra boost of confidence and elation.

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Nate Friedman ’16 held a strong front position until halfway through the race when he tripped and severely twisted his ankle, forcing him to drop out. Liam Conklin ’19, Ben Teixeira ’19, Charles Li ’17 and Connor Reif ’19 dominated as a tight pack, earning the 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th overall finishes, respectively. This left the final scoring position to newcomer Dashaun Simon ’17, who finished 14^th in a field of 121 runners.

Even without Simon’s impressive finish, the Gators would still have claimed victory with eighth-grader Samil Battenfeld’s awesome performance, crossing the finish line two spots behind Simon.

In addition to Conklin, Teixeira, Li, and Reif, who won league all-star positions by finishing in the top-10, Kate Eastwood ’16 also brought home some hardware for being the third girl to cross the finish.

With an especially young and talented team, the Gators look strong for several years to come. Wish the runners luck as they compete in the NEPSTA Division IV race on Saturday in South Kent, Connecticut. The boys and girls teams, running separately, will face off against squads from around New England.