Boys Varsity Cross Country - Bringing new meaning to the phrase "chasing the cart," Hayes was so far ahead of the rest of the field that the officials had to bring out another pace cart for everybody else - most notably for the "chase pack" (though it's hard to chase what you cannot see) and the rest of the race. Now a legendary figure in Charlottesville, and the most decorated athlete in Tandem history, Hayes clinched his third straight individual Cross Country title in a lightning quick time of 15:41 - even faster than his junior season! After he finished, it would be a FULL MINUTE AND FOURTEEN SECONDS before another athlete crossed the line! Allow that to sink in for a minute - or to really understand how big of a gap that is - take your watch out and mark off a minute and fourteen seconds. Sheesh.
Finishing 5th overall, Miles unleashed an incredible final kick to the finish, easily defeating rival Veritas' top runner. One of the toughest athletes I have ever known, Miles has been dealing with nagging injuries for much of the season, but he never gave up or complained. Instead, he transitioned some of his training over to the bicycle, while still smashing speed workouts on the field. Today, he was incredibly fluid on the course, a perfect stride with consistent pacing, leading to a time of 17:15! This incredible effort caps off a special career in a Tandem uniform - and he finished as a member of VISAA Division III's all-state team for the second year in a row!
On the same stage a year ago, Peter D was just starting to recognize his ability. He finished in a time of 20:06, indicating to his coaches that he was ready to take the next step. While I thought the next step might be breaking 19:00 this year, he already smashed those expectations - months ago. His season has included multiple races under 18:00 - an extraordinary threshold for a high school Cross Country runner - and today was no different. Challenging the elite of VISAA Division III, Peter's time of 17:43 is a 13 second PR - and is over TWO MINUTES faster than he ran just a year ago. Competing alongside Peter W, an experienced champion, the two blitzed through the mile mark in 5:22, both finishing ahead of Veritas 2nd runner. Peter W's time of 18:07 is 8 seconds faster than he ran on the same course at VTCA just a few weeks ago, and the pair finished 14th and 17th respectively. Hayes, Miles, Peter D and Peter W all finished in the top 20, earning VISAA Division III All State Honors!
In many ways, a Cross Country team is only as good as their fifth runner. A senior with lots of high level experience, Jack has been fully aware of this since the season began. It's a lot of pressure - knowing that when he crosses the line our team score is officially complete - and it was Jack who closed the door on our competition all season. While he has been consistent and strong in each race, which included a recent breakout style PR at the Virginia Showcase, Jack's time of 18:17 is his best race ever. From a strategic standpoint, he hit the mile in a blazing 5:40 and never locked back, running nearly two minutes faster than he ran at VCTA a few weeks back. Jack finished 21st, his best-ever finish at the state meet, 10 places ahead of Veritas' 5th runner. As a result, Tandem took home our fourth consecutive state championship, defeating rival Veritas by FIFTY POINTS!! Absolutely extraordinary - further establishing an unprecedented dynasty!