A Four-Gone Conclusion: Boys Varsity Cross Country Dynasty Continues, Varsity Girls All PR and Finish in the Top Ten!

With a huge finish at the Virginia Showcase a few weeks back, Jude ran a huge PR - 20:00. While his performance was an incredible accomplishment, Jude wanted more - and he has been training like it. Last week, he absolutely demolished our hill workout at Monticello, legs churning as he ascended to the top of the mountain at full speed. In order to break 20:00, I suggested he run his first mile in 6:20, so when arrived at the mile mark in just 5:55, his message was clear - I'm going to break 20:00 today. Not only did Jude break 20:00, he ran 19:30 - a massive PR in the final race of his extraordinary career! As he rounded the final corner and saw the time on the clock, he had an exhausted smile a mile wide! :) Way to do those spikes proud, Jude! His race was so fast that even if you removed one of our top 5, we'd still have won the meet!

 

Jude was not the only athlete to break the 20:00 mark today. Ryan - an 8th Grader - dropped A MINUTE AND TWENTY ONE SECONDS off of his previous best. In the beginning of the season, Ryan thought he might oscillate between soccer and Cross Country - but after completing some challenging workouts during preseason, he committed to Cross Country full time - and what an incredible fit it has been! (He is a Johnson after-all.) His time of 19:55 is bananas for an 8th Grader, poised for a magical career to come. He worked closely with Nico, the PR King, who came through the line in a time of 20:04 - two minutes faster than his time at VTCA and a FULL MINUTE off his previous best. Nico looked strong and in control throughout the race - his mile split of 5:50 is a PR in itself! He and Ryan were key members of our success this afternoon - and will be massive pieces of our team moving forward!

 

Saving the best for last, Alexander (20:17) came through the mile mark in an impressive 6:10. Passing more than thirty runners throughout the race, Alexander was constantly moving up, driving his knees and pushing himself to accomplish his absolute best. Alexander earned a PR of FORTY ONE SECONDS, while Zeke, his training partner also ran a PR of 20:55! Both seniors, Alexander and Zeke have had incredible careers, training together everyday for the last four years. Congratulations!

 

The 2025-2026 school year officially ended after graduation was held on June 6, 2026. Wasting no time, it was only four days later, on June 10, when the Varsity Cross Country team gathered for our first practice of the summer at the Monticello Saunders trail. As I reached the top of the hill and the visitors center for the first time, Hayes, Miles, Peter D, Peter W and Jack had just completed their second such lap, six miles in and counting. From that day on, this team of Varsity Cross Country runners approached the off-season with a seriousness of purpose that has only been matched by themselves - in previous seasons - a level of dedication required to be elite. After our Saturday track workouts, they always ask "what are we doing tomorrow?" Typically, the answer to that question includes instructions for some inordinate long run - anywhere from 6 to 18 miles - just adding on a fun, tough, focused week of training. Today, the answer to that question of what should we do tomorrow is a little different. It's something to the tune of: TOMORROW YOU SHOULD CELEBRATE! YOU DID IT! YOU ARE STATE CHAMPIONS!

 

In many ways, we are victims of our own success. Around Tandem and throughout Charlottesville, it was a "four-gone" conclusion that the Tandem Boys Varsity cross country team was going to win the state championship. We've earned that prestige by dominating Virginia Cross Country for each of the last three seasons - and that pressure is an incredible privilege. To compete at that level requires an immeasurable amount of hard work, dedication and commitment - and this team represents all of that and so much more.  Beyond that, they're fun, humble, determined and kind - using their power and celebrity status for good, building up younger athletes and even other teams, inviting them to a combined practice or to cool down with us after a meet.

 

 

I am incredibly grateful to be a part of this team and I know I speak for my fellow coaches when I say it is challenging to put into words just how proud of them we are. Today, we ran ten athletes, and seven seniors, who have accomplished an unprecedented amount during their high school careers - they do not even know what it feels like to NOT win a state championship. 

 

Throughout the season, the Tandem Badgers Varsity Boys Cross Country team met every demanding challenge head-on. Taking on grueling workouts like Big Macs, the Michigan, the Newton and Man Makers, these student-athletes showed remarkable grit and dedication. Championship-caliber programs inevitably face high expectations, and today, when the pressure was at its peak, you all rose to the occasion! I am proud - but not surprised - as we've been there before.

Girls Varsity Cross Country - There is something about the November Magic that surrounds a state championship race. With the wind howling and leaves swirling, the girls made their way to the starting line, with lofty goals on their minds. The competitive portion of the season began right here - at Panorama Farms - as the Badgers took on local competition in the Ragged Mountain Cup. Lucy, a senior and the only member of the team who had participated in the relay before, took the baton first, running with confidence. She shot off the line and sent a message to her team that she had their backs - this was going to be a fun and successful season. 

Throughout the year, our Girls Varsity Cross Country Badgers have made incremental improvements - working together as we navigated Biscuit Run, PVCC or the Monticello Trails. As we entered the month of October, their times began to drop with the temperatures, first with the Virginia Showcase and then the mid-week competition at New Covenant. Still, many of the members of our scoring five sought out a new PR - and they truly performed at their peak when it mattered most: this afternoon, at VISAA Division III State Championships, all seven Badgers ran their season best.

I stood at the top of the course's largest hill, just prior to the mile mark, as Sawyer rounded the corner. There was a déjà vu moment when a coach turned to me dumbfounded and asked "who is that? She is flying!"  Sawyer, who joined the team this season, has taken Virginia Cross Country by storm. The best part? Nobody enjoys running more. Sawyer dashed up the hill towards the first mile, arriving in a blazing fast time of 6:45, working closely with Lucy.  Improving at an unprecedented rate, Sawyer has dropped nearly a minute in EVERY RACE THIS SEASON. Today was no different, her time of 21:37 was a brand new PR - ONE MINUTE AND NINE SECONDS faster than she ran at New Covenant two weeks ago, earning her the following accolades: VISAA Division III All State Honors, 15th Place overall, and a new Tandem Friends Cross Country School Record! Congratulations, Sawyer!

She didn't do it alone. Lucy, for the second season in a row, saved her absolute best for last, dropping nearly THREE MINUTES off her time at the same course just a few weeks ago. Lucy's time of 21:50 is her best of the season, only three seconds off her all time best, earning her 19th Place overall and a place on the VISAA All State Division III podium. Lucy has been a leader on the team since she was in 8th Grade, and she took that role very seriously. At the end of yesterday's practice, Lucy gathered the girls into a huddle, offering the kind of wisdom that only a multi-time all-state athlete can share. She has been especially humble, and every athlete on the team has benefited from Lucy's presence and leadership.

A year ago, Eve broke the 25:00 mark for the first time at the 2025 VISAA Cross Country State Championships, crossing a significant performance threshold. She rode that momentum right into indoor track season, and then outdoor track season, followed by a summer that featured high mileage training. She has approached this season with a seriousness of purpose, pushing every single workout, becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. As a result, her performance at the 2026 VISAA Cross Country State Championships was incredibly special. Eve attacked the competition throughout, earning a strong position early and moved up constantly throughout the race. A member of our scoring five in every meet this season, Eve broke the tape in a time of 23:07 - a PR of NEARLY TWO MINUTES!!! 

November is Dhruvi's favorite month in which to compete - she always saves her best for the biggest stage. "I just want to run a PR," Dhruvi reflected on her goals for this afternoon. She did that - and more - taking advantage of the downhills en route to a 7:12 first mile. Dhruvi meant business, as her pace was well ahead of any that she has run before! Constantly challenging the athletes around her, she moved aggressively from pack to pack, resulting in a new PR of 24:26 - A FULL MINUTE faster than her previous best! 

Rounding out the scoring five, Alice (25:51) had a PR as well! It has been an exceptional season for Alice, who has been strong and consistent, improving steadily and working hard in practice everyday. Alice really stepped up today and ran as a scoring runner for the first time on a big stage! Closing it out for the Varsity Girls, Caffall, our top content creator, dropped OVER A MINUTE off of her previous best, capping off her season with an impressive time of 26:55! Caffall has provided so much fun and positive energy this season, and she has taken her running to another level - August Caffall - meet November Caffall - a sub 27:00 runner!

Seeded 13th, the Girls Varsity Cross Country Badgers moved up 5 spots - finishing in the top ten - 8th overall - and easily defeated old rival Fredericksburg Academy. Congratulations to our extraordinary girls team, led by seniors Lucy and Victoria! It has been an exceptional season full of an incredible amount of hard work and just as much fun. I have loved the opportunity to coach and run with this extraordinary crew that has worked so hard and achieved so much!  Coaches Casey, Jason, Ned and I are so proud of you for all that you have accomplished - what a season it has been!