Fall 2019 Cross Country

Midseason highlights include the Brown Invitational where nearly all of the senior runners set season bests and personal records. This meet also saw junior Jonah Gorevic take first place in a competitive field of nearly 200 runners, posting a Hackley record-breaking time of 15:27.30 over the 5k course, followed closely by sophomore Brendan DiStefano who finished in 9th place in an impressive time of 16:00.52.

The end of the season (though it’s not over yet!) has been punctuated by dual victories for the boys team at both the Ivy League and NYSAIS Championship meets. At the Ivy Championship, Jonah Gorevic, Brendan DiStefano, and Charlie Rudge earned First Team All-Ivy status. Will Rifkin and James Spencer earned Second Team All-Ivy status. At the NYSAIS meet, Hackley’s top five runners placed in the top 13 in a field of 160 athletes. This was the first ever NYSAIS Championship victory for Hackley Boys Cross Country, and the team is currently ranked 2nd in New York State for Class C schools. The boys look forward to competing at the NY State Federation Championship Meet on November 23rd and at Nike Cross Regionals on November 30th.

While the girls didn’t have as many accolades as the boys this season, the team continued to work hard and will continue to build over the next couple of years. Sophomore Eve Spencer ran first for the Hornets all season and earned First Team All-Ivy status. Captains Alex Evangelidis and Sadie Friesen led by example as they put forth their best efforts in workouts while constantly showering encouragement on their teammates. While the team will miss the captains as well as newcomer Ava Knapp, the future looks bright for the underclassmen.