Deerfield boys cross country enjoyed their first competitive efforts of the season at the Brush Invitational 3k and 5k this past Saturday. Peter Brush, Deerfield faculty and XC coach emeritus, inspired the team with apples and good cheer, and the boys responded with strong efforts at all levels of racing. The 3k event featured five DA runners in the top 15 finishers: Jackson Collins ’23, Chas Arnold ’25, Finn Broder ’23, Ethan Li ’25, and Paul de Bruyn Kops ’24. Chas and Ethan deserve particular commendation for racing well in their first ever Deerfield appearances. The 5k event featured a big individual win from Deerfield’s co-captain Quinn Hampson ’22, who cruised through a controlled effort to take the race in 16:33, just a few seconds shy of his PR and an exceptional opening mark for the year. Maxwell Wang ’25 raced to DA’s number two spot in his debut for the team, cementing his reputation as a fierce and smart competitor. Rounding out the top five were Carson Bynum ’23, Robbie Hua ’24, and Blix Salz ’24, while Joe Brown ’23 and co-captain Chase Cherewatti ’22 worked together to sneak under the 20 minute mark in 19:58 and 19:59 respectively. Overall, it was a solid first outing for the Deerfield harriers, and the varsity seven will look forward to next week’s challenge at the Canterbury Invitational.