The girls’ and boys’ Varsity cross country teams have worked hard all season to prepare for ISB’s most anticipated sports event: IASAS. The first race took place on Friday, the 9th of October. Both teams showed grit, determination, and put up a great fight against the IASAS rival teams.
Unfortunately, the boys’ team did not get off to a good start due to the bad weather on Friday, placing them in fourth place after the 5km race. The team had a total of 86 points, 54 points more than SAS who finished first, with the fastest runner, Rohit Pal, finishing fifth at 18 minutes and 17 seconds. The boys’ Coach David Bentley shared that the team did well but their performance was hindered due to the team’s lack of experience with a “wet and slippery court.” Coach Bentley added that team, although young, pulled through despite of all the challenges.
The time trial races took place the following day. The boys’ team finished fourth with the total time of one hour and three minutes, only four minutes behind the first place record held by SAS. The team also team finished fourth in the overall results. When asked about the results, Coach Bentley replied that he was “very content with the results. Everyone tried their best and we did as we expected.”
The girls’ team also suffered from the the adverse weather conditions, and ended in fifth place. Becky Bradley (12) finished second with a phenomenal time of 21 minutes and 21 seconds, less than 2 seconds behind the first place runner. The girls’ team earned a total points of 115, 71 points more than the winning team, JIS. The girls’ Coach David Giles commented that “the conditions on the first day was really tough. It was muddy and damp. We had a couple of girls fall down during the race, but they were able to persevere and finish.”
The girls’ team did a fine job on the time trial race. They finished fifth with the total time of one hour and 16 minutes, only four minutes longer than the winning team, JIS. The team finished fifth in the overall results. Coach Giles stated that their goals have been met because the team ultimately “achieved their best.” He also added that they were “able to overcome some adversity on Friday” and make a “comeback on the next day,” which makes “this year’s IASAS memorable.”
Both teams tried to the best of their abilities and put in everything into the race from start to finish. The teams really made the panthers proud and happy – not simply because of the results but because of how much effort and commitment they put into the race.
Jeff M.
