On Monday, November 4, Spence’s Cross Country Team ROARED their way as a Saber Pack to their first ever NYSAIS CHAMPIONSHIP title! Alongside 24 NYSAIS teams, and more than 215 runners toeing the line, the Sabers stayed true to their race plan, on the hunt for a singular TEAM FIRST, Championship goal in sight! Spence was paced by NYSAIS medalists Ada K. ’27, Naomi E. ’27, and Eliana L. '26, joined by Orly R. ’27, Alex L. '26, Emma B. ’27, and Lily N. ’26 to fill out the score sheet for Spence. Not to be overlooked was the important effort from "displacers" Lyla L. ’29, Iris F. ’27, and Khloii C. ’27 whose finish held valuable place points from opponents to help secure the team victory. Lifting up their teammates with ROARING support were Jane S. ’27, Kirsten H. ’28, Hannah S. ’29, and Abby B. '28! Spence edged out second place Poly Prep by five place points, and AAIS runner-up Nightingale by 10 place points to earn the School's first NYSAIS Cross Country Team Championship! The team's memorable season is not yet finished, as the NYSAIS Champions will run in New York State's final race of the season, the NYSPHSAA Federation Cross Country Championship, on November 23, at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, NY–this is the first time that the Sabers will compete in the contest as a team.

 

The Spence Cross Country Team went through their regular season with a carefully constructed plan, orchestrated by longtime Head Coach, Mr. Galasso. That plan? To run as a PACK! Cross Country is a TEAM sport and accomplishing great things requires a great team to work together, challenging, cheering, and supporting one another in both workouts and races. To win a team Championship in Cross Country, it is not about having the fastest runner, but rather having the tightest group finish-it is about teammates working together to lead, push, support, score, and displace. In short, everyone on the team had a job to do, and the Sabers worked together from mid-August through November to PAWFECT their teamwork and learn to work the plan to PAWFECTION.  

 

The first post-season challenge was the AAIS Cross Country Championship, where the Sabers would be tested to defend their 2023 crown. The Sabers raced together, executing the plan as designed, with all five of their scoring runners finishing in the top 13 of the entire AAIS Championship field! The placements were: Ada K. ’27 2nd, Naomi E. ’27 4th, Eliana L. '26 5th, Alex L. '26 10th, and Orly R. ’27 13th! It was a PAWfect team effort that earned Spence Cross Country their second consecutive AAIS Cross Country Team Championship Title! In a remarkable TEAM PAWsuit of excellence, all 10 of the team’s AAIS Championship PAWformers finished the challenging 5K AAIS Championship course in under 25 minutes. 

 

Then on Monday, November 4, the Sabers took to the course at Van Cortlandt Park, earning their first ever NYSAIS Cross Country Team Championship, now heading to the November 23, NYSPHSAA Federation Cross Country Championship. In that race, the very best runners from New York’s public, private, PSAL, Catholic, and independent schools will come together to run in the "Champions Championship." It will be a very fitting way to close a season that has proven to all that Cross Country is truly a TEAM sport!

 

Spence Cross Country became the third Spence program to win a NYSAIS Championship, joining Volleyball (three times) and Squash (three times), marking the seventh NYSAIS Championship for Spence in the past 17 years.

 

Congratulations to the Spence Sabers-2024 AAIS and NYSAIS Cross Country Champions!