COUNTRY SCHOOL OWLS XC TEAM FLEXES THEIR TALONS AT WILLIAMS COED MEET

With a quarter mile remaining in the challenging, single-track Williams course, runners from The Country School, Pine Point and Williams School were faced with a hill with its own nickname adorning a plaque at its base: “Satan’s Staircase,” the sign read. 

 

In the pre-race meeting, Coach McDonough had warned the team to save something for the final hills, yet in reflecting afterward, runners had responses of “meh,” “5/10,” and “it really wasn’t as bad as I thought…I kind of just took it one step at a time until it was over.“

 

It was this tenacious attitude that buoyed the team to a stunning win behind the patient second-half charge of Anna ‘22 who took the meet’s top spot for the second straight week.

 

Yet even for those who didn’t score in the top spots for the team, the joy, energy and brazen grit over the 1.7 miles of rocky twists and turns was apparent across the board. Furthermore, the pack running displayed by the group was simply legendary, with Luke ‘24, Gabe ‘22, Laila ‘25, Tillie ‘25, and Miklosh ‘22 nabbing the 4-8 spots; meanwhile, a mere 22 seconds later, another pack stormed through in 11-14 (Liam ‘22, Liv ’27, Natalie ‘22, Ryan ‘24), followed by a third massive pack racking up spots 17-22 (Maribel ‘25, Alex ‘23, Anna ‘24, Sadie ‘23, and Chris ‘22).

 

This is the type of pack running that will pay dividends at the larger invitationals later in the year and coaches and spectators were in awe of this early season performance.

 

Worth noting, a “gentlemen’s wager” between Gabe ‘22 and Miklosh ‘22 resulted in a furious assault up the final paved hill with both Eighth Graders securing top-10 overall finishes. The coaches agree, both boys earned a “win” in the newfound rivalry.

 

After nearly half the team opted to add on three lengthy hill sprints after the meet, Coach Fixx was quick to declare there’s no doubt that these owl harriers certainly “spread their wings and flew.”