It was a picture-perfect day for cross country running. The sun was shining, the temperatures were ideal, the home-course trails were ready, and an enthusiastic crowd of screaming fans provided the soundtrack as Country School hosted Hamden Hall in the final regular-season race of the year. Adding to the excitement, a soccer game was taking place right in the middle of the cross-country course.
By the time the dust settled and the runners collapsed across the finish line, The Country School girls had accomplished something remarkable: they had completed another undefeated season, extending their extraordinary winning streak to five consecutive years with the record of 131 wins and no losses.
The boys, meanwhile, delivered a dramatic one-point victory over Hamden Hall, 27–28, to close out their season with 22 wins against only two losses.
And there was one more reason to celebrate. Country School captain Liv Killam ran the fastest home course 3K in school history, establishing a new record of 11:30.
As they have all season, Country School girls were led by eighth-grade captains Liv Killam of Madison and Lucy Clark of Guilford, who finished first and second, respectively. Liv crossed the line in 11:30, followed by Lucy in 12:42.
Sixth grader Lexie Killam of Madison continued her outstanding season with a third-place finish in 13:58, followed closely by eighth-grade captain Francesca D'Andrea of Guilford in 14:04. Seventh grader Lucy Sharp of Woodbridge completed the scoring five in 14:38, securing a perfect team score of 15 points against Hamden Hall's 47.
Fifth grader Zoe Robinson of Guilford, whose improvement throughout the season has been tremendous, finished seventh in 14:58, while seventh grader Greta Scotney rounded out The Country School contingent with a gutsy ninth-place finish in 16:18.
Perhaps the most entertaining subplot of the afternoon involved Francesca D'Andrea, Lucy Sharp, and Greta Scotney of Old Saybrook. All three had played in the first half of the soccer game, raced the 3K during halftime, and then returned to the soccer field to finish their soccer game.
Five consecutive undefeated seasons is an extraordinary accomplishment, reflecting not only the talent of these runners but also their commitment, determination, and support for one another.
The boys provided plenty of drama of their own, edging Hamden Hall by the narrowest possible margin, 27–28.
Fifth grader Callum Pennington of Guilford led the Country School charge with an outstanding third-place finish in 12:23. Sixth grader Clark Pennington of Guilford followed in 12:34, while ever-steady sixth grader Luca Laurans of Guilford crossed the line in 12:43.
Seventh grader Bradley Kopeiken of Wallingford and sixth grader Luke Ouellet of Killingworth completed the team's top five, finishing seventh and eighth overall in 13:03 and 13:54, respectively.
Country School's depth was on display throughout the race. Third grader Simon Ouellet of Killingworth finished 16th, followed by sixth grader Grady Wepler of Guilford in 17th (15:55), eighth grader Kyle Jacobson of Killingworth in 18th (16:18), and third grader PJ Condosta of East Haven in 19th (16:56).
It was a tremendous team effort, and the one-point victory was a fitting way to finish a season in which the boys demonstrated tremendous growth, resilience, and competitive spirit.
Following the race, runners from both teams mingled with friends and families over snacks, celebrating the afternoon's accomplishments and an outstanding season. But the excitement wasn't quite over. Country School's runners were already turning their attention to the following Saturday's Connecticut State Cross Country Championship.
The final home race had delivered everything a cross-country enthusiast could hope for: ideal running conditions, enthusiastic fans, a school record, an undefeated girls' season, and a thrilling boys' victory.
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