2004 - 2005 Boys' Cross Country

Season Summary

Under the leadership of captain Marc Bucks, and assistant captains Mac Weaver and Josh Lee, the Boys Cross Country team battled through a challenging schedule this fall, with many noteworthy performances. Graduating only four seniors this year, the 2004 season proved to be an important building year, setting the tone for the future of many runners with great promise. A strong group of young talent, including John Goodwin, Eric Todorski, Scott Moffat, Jack Pollock, Jin Hak Kim, George Reynolds, and Henry Mittnacht, among others, contributed significantly to the program, working well together in both practice and competition. However, it was the contributions of Bucks, Weaver, and new addition Sean Kiernan, which lead the way through the season. While the talents of our younger crew hold great promise, the contributions of these older athletes kept the program afloat. Bucks finished in first place in six of Kent’s competitions this season, setting a home course personal best of 18:01 for 5 kilometers. Weaver also set his own home course PR of 18:13 in the same race, and rose to the occasion continually for his teammates. Kiernan, a junior from Ridgewood, New Jersey, joined the program with a strong background as a runner, and it did not take long to realize he would be an important contributing member of the team, setting a PR of 18:29 on our course. Younger runners Goodwin, Reynolds, Mittnacht, and Pollock rounded out the Varsity team, each making significant contributions over the course of the season, with Moffat and others also contributing their skills.

Competitions with Choate, Deerfield, Hotchkiss, Taft, Trinity Pawling, and Avon were fierce, with our top three runners commanding good positions in the races. The significant gap between that top group and our 4th and 5th runners, owing to their youth (and no reflection on their efforts), lead to difficulty pulling off victories against these deeper teams with year round running programs. We look forward to the advancement of several of our younger runners as they continue next year. Victories against Canterbury, Millbrook, Gunnery, Salisbury and Newark Academy boosted the boys’ spirits among the other traditionally difficult competitions.

Marc Bucks received the Most Valuable Player award for his commendable efforts all season. Mac Weaver received the Coach’s award for always being there for the team. Gavin Sweitzer, after another commendable season of personal improvement, received the Most Improved Runner Award. Sean Kiernan and Gavin Sweitzer will be co-Captains next fall, and the team looks forward to their adventures with them at the lead.

The goals of Kent Cross Country are many. We seek to instill in our athletes the deep sense of self-reliance that comes from continually challenging oneself. We strive to develop a strong work ethic, one that comes from never giving up. We look to inspire the greatness that already exists in every one of us. These positive forces transcend our sport, encompassing all aspects of life. Running teaches us things about life that are a critical complement to the education that you will receive here at Kent.

Kent Cross Country competes in the Founder's League, one of the top conferences in New England, and our teams participate in both the Founder's League Championship, as well as the New England Championship. Our home course is a challenging 3.1 miles through the scenic woods of Kent, crossing over the Appalachian Trail. Our season begins with early week training, and continues into a competitive dual and tri-meet schedule, highlighted by an early varsity-only invitational. We have distinct Varsity and Junior Varsity squads. Both groups work together throughout the season, and compete against the same teams each Wednesday and Saturday, either in a unified race format, or in two separate races.