Four competitive programs toed the line in Exeter, New Hampshire: Phillips Exeter, Phillips Andover, Northfield Mount Hermon, and Deerfield. The Lions from Exeter proved more than equal to their formidable reputation as they stormed to a commanding victory, followed by Andover, and NMH. The Doors, greatly diminished in numbers by a sickness, some injuries, and standardized testing, earned the last spot in the team standings.
However, that result belies the tremendous efforts of many individuals on the team. Despite the soggy, relatively slow racecourse, Zavi Salomon-Fernandez ’25 set an individual season best time and many others matched or nearly matched their best runs to date. The fact that the runners were able to accomplish those times in the face of a difficult training week, a slow course, and while missing many of their teammates is a testament to the tenacity of spirit and the sheer joy of racing that so many of the Deerfield runners possess. While the Doors will need to lick their wounds as they complete their final preparations for the biggest contest of the season, they have every reason to keep their heads high. Looking ahead, Deerfield cross country will take advantage of a training week before our final dual meet against our neighbors to the north, Northfield Mount Hermon on Saturday, November 5th.