The Country Day cross-country team competed against John Adams Academy on March 15. The course consisted of a 2-mile path across the Kadema Drive River Access. 

Freshman Derek Taylor placed highest out of the Country Day boys, finishing in sixth place with a time of 13 minutes, 25 seconds. Taylor also placed first in a meet on March 8 against Buckingham Charter, finishing two miles 13:06. Sophomore Adam Akins followed in seventh place with a time of 13:56. Sophomore Callister Misquitta finished in ninth place with a time of 15:07, and freshman Orlando Ponce Blas finished in 12th with a time of 16:09.

Sophomore Grace Eberhart finished in second place against John Adam’s girls team with a time of 15:38, beating her personal record by 27 seconds. 

Although they did not win, the Country Day team had the opportunity to learn from this experience. 

“I feel like I’m improving a lot, even though I didn’t get a personal best,” Akins said. 

Cross-country coach, Joe Hartman, thought there was much to learn from this experience.

“As far as improving, the best thing we can do is gain experience,” Hartman said. “It’s been such a short season. It’s been a season to learn how cross-country meets work. To learn what type of running workouts will improve race performance, and what subtleties can make a difference in fitness and performance. If we are doing any of those things, we are improving.   With that perspective, the team has vastly improved in the first five weeks of the season.”

— William Holz