Varsity Cross Country (Boys) vs. Andover

Deerfield Cross Country vs. Phillips Academy @ Andover, Mass.  10/29/11

With the day’s full slate of contests against Andover cancelled in the face of the Halloween snow blast, Deerfield’s cross country teams—scheduled to travel to Andover—were the only athletic events of the day.  In Andover, the boys team met with unsavory weather conditions and stiff competition from the Big Blue harriers.  A biting rain began to fall just as the boys’ race commenced, but both teams competed admirably and raced to an incredibly close finish on the New England championships course.  Andover emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins, besting Deerfield 28-29.

An exciting duel for first place unfolded over the 3.1 mile course: Andover’s number one runner, senior Mike Frasco, and Deerfield’s Ben Wood ’13 ran shoulder to shoulder for most of the race, with Frasco pulling ahead by mere degrees over the last lap around the great lawn.  Frasco won in 16:11, with Wood loping in behind at 16:14.  A pack of Deerfield runners followed soon after, led by Robert Beit ’13 (4th).   Fred Quesada ’12 finished 5th and Reed Horton was 6th.  Andover runners captured the next five places, securing their team victory, until Deerfield’s Brad Marshall cruised in (12th).  Saturday’s race saw senior Charlie Wilson’s return to the varsity seven.  Charlie finished 20th overall.  David Hamilton ’14 rounded out Deerfield’s top seven for another week, taking 23rd place on his first circuit of the Andover course.

Training for the week might be complicated by the foot of snow that fell on Deerfield as the bus returned to campus, but with two weeks to go before New Englands, the boys will find a way to get fully ready.  First order of business: one more dual meet with Pioneer Valley neighbors Northfield Mount Hermon.

Categories: Cross Country (Boys)