Country School Runners Make Their Mark at Taft’s Rhino Run
On Wednesday afternoon, two of the newest members of The Country School girls cross-country team traveled to Taft School for the annual Rhino Run and made it clear that they intend to be forces to be reckoned with as the season unfolds.
Seventh-graders Greta Scotney and Lucy Sharp led the way for the Country School girls, turning a demanding 1.5-mile course into an impressive showcase of strength and determination.
Scotney, a newcomer to Country School and a soccer player who has brought her considerable athleticism to the cross-country trails, finished 16th among 122 runners, covering the rolling course in 16:41. Just behind her was fellow seventh-grader Sharp, who used her formidable ice hockey training and conditioning to cross the line in 17:00, good for 22nd place and ahead of 100 other competitors.
The two didn’t stop when they crossed the finish line.
With a demanding stretch of the season still ahead, Scotney and Sharp stayed on to run additional hills with their male teammates, building strength for some of the tougher races still to come.
The Country School boys were equally impressive, with 114 runners charging away from the starting line at the base of the Taft athletic fields.
Sixth-grader Clark Pennington paced the young Country School squad, powering his way to 15th place in 14:08. He was pushed throughout the race by his fifth-grade teammate—and brother—Callum Pennington, who finished 24th in 14:58.
Seventh-grader Bradley Kopeiken rounded out the Country School scoring, finishing 34th in 15:34 and giving the team three strong performances over a challenging course.
The Rhino Run course offered no easy way around the hills. The entire 1.5-mile race was run on grass, with two substantial climbs testing the runners’ strength and endurance and no stretches of pavement to provide a break.
Perfect racing weather, enthusiastic fans and approximately 20 schools made for an energetic afternoon at Taft.
For Country School, the results offered something more valuable than a collection of places and times: a glimpse of what may be ahead.
341 Opening Hill Road, Madison, CT 06443
P. 203-421-3113 | Health Office F. 860-469-2550
24/7 AI Support Agent | 203-350-7692
P. 203-421-3113 | Health Office F. 860-469-2550
24/7 AI Support Agent | 203-350-7692
Founded in 1955, The Country School is a coeducational day school serving families across New Haven and Middlesex counties, PreSchool through Grade 8. Our motto, "A World Built for Students. So They Can Take on the World," guides a curriculum built on inquiry, knowledge, and character development for every individual, regardless of background.
The Country School is a community where diversity is celebrated and people of Color are welcomed, valued and supported.
We do not discriminate - nor do we tolerate discrimination - based upon age, gender, race, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetic predisposition, ancestry, social and economic status, or other categories protected by Connecticut or federal law.
The Country School employs without regard to gender, race, color, national or ethnic origin, and sexual orientation to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities made available to its community. The Country School is an EOE Employer.