Boys Cross Country Strides to Top Five Finishes

Augustine Jarrell, Rafael Portillo, and Ziming Li rush for the finish line near the end of a 5K. *Photo: Zongle Yang*

By ERIC LAU and ZONGLE YANG

The Boys Cross Country team has made it over every hill in their path this year, setting up a promising future for both rookies and veterans alike. The new season brought many enthusiastic newcomers eager to test their limits and inspired older members to hone their paces.

The Hornets fared well in their competitions at Prospect Park this year, such as Grand Prix #3 on October 2, where Adam Barbato ‘27 snatched fourth place with a time of 19:54, just seconds off from third, and Rafael Portillo ‘25 claimed seventh with a time of 20:32.

Then on October 16, the Hornets participated in the fourth Grand Prix, seeing freshmen David Esquivel-Rivero and Levon Mo take fourth and fifth in the mile and a half with respective times of 10:42 and 10:43.

For the 5K event at the same meet, the team earned four spots in the top ten. Seniors Denny Ting and Emmanuel Roseman earned third and fourth place, while captain Finn Berger ‘25 and Stephen Limtom ‘25 followed close behind.

“I would say there’s a good amount of flat ground, which is different from our usual races,” Berger said of the terrain at the Prospect Park course. “There’s a better chance to just let your strength do the work because there are fewer ups and downs.”

Portillo said the race was fun, noting that it was his best 5K time so far. For this race, he trained with longer runs and worked hard in practice, he said.

Unfortunately, the team couldn’t make the Borough Championships on October 26 and the Frosh/Soph City Championship on November 2, but they were able to make strong showings at Grand Prix #6, with Teng, Roseman, Limtom, Mo, and freshman Liam David all finishing in the top five in their events.

Over the course of the year, the team found its footing with the bonds they shared and improvements they’ve made in their sport.

Marc Cohen, the team’s coach, is especially proud of the team. “This group is working hard,” he said. “And we have seen probably more improvement in the individual times than last year.”

Berger said, “We’ve been doing consistent practice every week, making sure you don’t miss anything. And if you do miss something, you make up for it on your own time. But pretty much, just consistency is the goal.”

Practices are often done at Marine Park. With the park’s grassy terrain and convenient track, the runners get a good sense of where they currently stand and are able to improve their fitness overall.

Cross country offers a way to connect with other runners in establishing clear goals for improvement. Ivan Ng ‘25 said the rhythm of running was a “very good way to get your mind off of stress.”

Newcomer Darron Wong ‘26 added that the challenges aren’t completely physical, but mental as well. “You have to have the determination to continue to go to practices,” he explained.

Ng shared this sentiment, saying, “Once you set goals, it gets challenging.”

“It’s hard with the new year,” said Berger. “Every start of the year, there’s always seniors that leave, so it’s tough in the beginning. But now I feel good with where we are, and I’m just looking forward to the year progressing.”

“We’ve got a nice freshman group,” said Mr. Cohen. “We’ve got over ten new freshmen. They’re competitive. They’re working hard. They’re doing their training the right way.”

With more races to come and more training to put in, the average student might be in awe of the daily exhaustion that faces these runners. But through the ups and downs and slippery slopes, the team has become more resilient, pushing each other toward the finish line and a brighter future.