For the first time in School history, both the boys and girls Varsity Cross Country teams are poised to win the Massachusetts Bay Independent League Championship at the Cambridge School of Weston tomorrow.
Head Coach Ted Barker-Hook believes that his teams are on the verge of accomplishing something truly special.
“On the boys’ side, we have won every race we’ve entered, but every one has been very, very close,” Barker-Hook said. “Last week, we had to go to a tiebreaker. We are certainly taking nothing for granted. But we have pulled away with a win each time. We feel like we have a good chance to do it one more week.”
Due to illness, the girls’ side has not fielded a whole roster all season.
“However, we hope that we will have a full team for the championship,” Barker-Hook said. “We think that there’s reason for the league to see that Brimmer’s got something going for both the boys and the girls too.”
Barker-Hook is optimistic for the versatility of the girls’ team, as they contain standout Middle School runners Elliana Barros ’30, Gloria Laurenza ’29, Charlotte Woolley ’30, backed by Co-Captains Chloe Scolnick ’25 and Ruby Cohen-Weinberg ’25.
Compared to last season, Scolnick believes that she has made significant progress.
“Going from last year, we didn’t have much extensive training,” Scolnick said. “My race times are faster by almost two minutes, which can bump you upward of 15 or 20 places in a race in our league. It’s significant.”
Scolnick hopes that her and her teammates can bring hom a championship win.
“I hope we win. It would be really amazing. I’ve been on this team for six years. It would be awesome end my senior year.” said Scolnick.
Barros also has a great mindset about progressing her running:.
“The competition is good because it makes me better,” Barros said. “It makes me want to push and be a better runner, it makes me want to win. I know what I can accomplish, I can do a good job and I can do this,” Barros said.
The Boys’ Cross Country team brings a more experienced roster with seniors like Huck Jennings and Patrick Whalen.
Jennings thinks the experienced roster has been key to their success this season: “This group has known each other for a long time, and I would say that really helped… We’re pushing each and every day with our workouts, but we’re also just having fun with each other”
Whalen has high hopes for him and his team going into the final race: “We’re looking to win and we clearly know the main goal for our season.”
Coach Barker-Hook knows what his boys’ squad has accomplished so far: “We have pulled away with a win each time. So we feel like we have a good chance to do it one more week.”
Editors’ note: Watch the Gators run at the Cambridge School of Weston at 4:00 p.m.
