The finish line is filled with chaos. Family, coaches and friends line both sides of the course, screaming encouragement. Each runner fights their way to the end. But one team is different, striding across the finish line together: The Warriors.
On Nov. 18, the boys cross country team won the MIAA Division I State Championships in Devens, Mass. Each team receives points according to the placement of their top five runners. For example, first place gets one point, meaning the fewer points a team gets, the better. The Warriors got fewer than half of the points of the second-place team, bringing home the gold for the second year in a row. The team’s camaraderie on and off the race course is just one of the major determinants of their success.
Senior and captain Ben Kasen said that teamwork was the main thing that separated the Warriors from their competition.
“We were all working together, and we were all in a pack for a lot of it. It’s really helpful to know that when you’re racing, you’re gonna be with those guys that you’re running with every day,” Kasen said. “You’re practicing and training with these guys, and it’s really helpful for your mindset because you’re in a comfortable place.”
In preparation for this race, the Warriors put in work even before the school season. Kasen said the team was dedicated to putting in a lot of effort during the summer. They held captains’ practices for the whole team and long runs with top runners.
“The morale was high because we were all rooting for each other. We all really wanted to accomplish this and more,” Kasen said. “That’s what kept us going over the summer.”
Junior Lysander Duffield said that to train for the State Championships, the team built up their confidence by practicing at the course where it would be held.
“We went to the course in September and did a race to help us see how to run it. We can see what we did right and wrong [in] that race, which helps,” Duffield said.
According to Duffield, the team knew going into this race they would be the favorites but they did not know quite how well they would do.
“Newton South had been running pretty well, but we got less than half of the points they did. Their second runner was behind me, and I was our fifth runner,” Duffield said.
Mike Glennon has been the boys varsity cross country coach for 27 years. He has coached the team to victory at All-States five times throughout his tenure. According to Glennon, the current seniors have been the backbone of this program for several years. Glennon said that they are a major factor in the team’s success.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have groups of kids over the several years that have done very well. Really, it’s the consistency of the program,” Glennon said. “When you have a coach that coaches for a very long time, there’s a tradition that goes down through everybody.”
Kasen said Glennon holds the team to the standards they can achieve. Kasen said he also promotes healthy habits, such as sleeping enough and not overworking yourself.
“He cares a lot about our mental health and our physical health, which is really nice,” Kasen said. “I’ve always experienced that he’s been there in the trenches with me when I’m having a bad race.”
The team’s community goes beyond just the current runners. Glennon said that he has Brookline cross country alumni come and talk to the team and he thinks this multi-generational culture plays into their success. Once a runner in high school himself, Glennon said he tries to foster a community within the team like the one he grew up in.
“[Cross Country is] about building relationships, both with my athletes and my athletes with each other,” Glennon said. “People try to find their place of belonging, especially in high school, and this sport has been that place for me. So, that’s what I hope we’ve been able to build.”
Kasen said he looks back on his four seasons of cross country with gratitude for the team and this experience.
“Cross country is in some of the fondest memories of my high school career, and really my life. I really enjoy the sport and enjoy the people that I am doing the sport with. They [have been] some of my best friends in high school since day one,” Kasen said. “I’m definitely going to cherish [these seasons] for the rest of my life. This has been a really, really great experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything else.”
While Glennon said that while the team knew how well the meet was going to go because of the consistency the team put in throughout the season, the meet and running itself is about more than winning.
“We knew where we stood against the rest of the competition in our state, and we knew that we were clearly the best,” Glennon said. “But really, it’s about trying to be your best. It’s not just about being better than other people.”
