On Saturday, September 17^th, the University School Varsity Cross Country team placed 1^st in the McDonough Cross Country meet, beating a tough field of opponents including Western Reserve Academy and Firelands High School. The McDonough Cross Country meet is the 3^rd meet of this season, following the Frank Gibas Kenston and George Clements University School meet.

The McDonough Cross Country meet took place at Forest Hills Park. Forest Hills is well known for its difficult terrain. One of the hallmark features of Forest Hills is a steep hill during the 2^nd mile of the race. Runners were either stumped by or excelled past the hill, separating the field. Performance on the hill determined much of a runner’s fate in the race.

Notable runners in the McDonough meet included seniors Jack Shapiro, Reid Banbury, and Adam Tropper, juniors Akshat Chowskey and Rahul Jagetia, and freshmen Justin Iler and Graham Clark. Multiple runners finished in the top 20, with freshman Justin Iler finishing in 2^nd and leading the way. In the JV race, we placed in 2^nd with many great times. Notable runners in the JV race included juniors Ethan Whetstone, Cameron Ippolito, and Dan Accordino, and sophomores Cole Bowes, Robert Hegler, and Will Spencer. All the JV-runners placed in the top 30. Sophomore Cole Bowes did an incredible job in the race, placing in 5^th.

This cross country season looks very promising. Varsity runners will break their previous times, JV runners will establish more personal records, and new runners will improve their cross country skills. Under the assistance of Coach Moldovan and Coach Somers, this year’s team trains smarter and harder. Our team is constantly challenged during workouts, resulting in strong performances. This season, many competitors, notably Solon and Hudson, have some of the best runners in the state. Despite this, our team’s commitment to the sport and hard work in practice will help us rank among  the best teams in Ohio. Coaches Somers and Moldovan have been instrumental in helping our team in practices and personalizing training workouts for each runner. Their time and dedication does not go unnoticed.

The Cross Country team has many meets to come. Freshman Justin Iler is an incredibly gifted runner with a bright future ahead of him. Seniors Reid Banbury, Jack Shapiro, and Adam Tropper look to smash their records and be prepared for race day. Freshman Graham Clark is looking to make great strides in this season, and has accomplished a lot so far. Juniors Akshat Chowskey and Rahul Jagetia seek to get better times and place higher. No matter where you look, there is a theme of determination and dedication to this year’s team. The team is improving at each meet, and I believe this trend will continue as the cross country team looks to turn some heads this postseason.