Pre-Season Article: Boys Cross-Country 2023

Written by Lucas Masotta

Edited by Bianca Crainiceanu

Only a month away from the start of the 2023 cross-country season, the Poly Boys Cross-Country team is getting ready to make it a great one. With the change in the region from 3A North to 3A South, the young runners will be faced with new challenges. Additionally, the competition this year will include new schools such as Howard and River Hill. Qualifying for regionals and states is expected to be more difficult. There is no doubt that these changes will push the team to perform at a higher level, but the team is ready to rise to the challenge. 

The team has set impressive times and personal records in the past season. Among the athletes expected to perform well are juniors Callaway Lipkin and Nicholas Bader and sophomores Elijah Isbell, Lucas Masotta, and Wesley Leith. Others to look out for are seniors Will Donohue and Brandon Isbell. Callaway Lipkin and Nicholas Bader each held their own in the previous outdoor season, dropping a 4:40 and 4:43 in the 1600m, respectively. In the 2022 cross-country season, Callaway ran 17:48, and Nicholas achieved an 18:23 time, which placed them first and second on the team. The rising sophomores, Elijah, Lucas, and Wesley, have been working hard in the outdoor season, with Elijah on the road to a sub 2:00 800m, Lucas closing in on a 4:40 mile, and Wesley running close to 45 miles a week in the off-season. Our rising seniors, Will and Brandon, who will be the new captains for the season, are expected to run under 18:00 and lead the team for the meets. 

The team had a great outdoor season, with multiple people setting personal records in their events, such as William Malone, Damario Bunch, Caleb Andoh, and others. Some runners even qualified for nationals in their events. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to seniors Zion Eames and Maxwell Dixion. Although they won’t be running in meets, we hope to see them drop by practices. The upcoming season is expected to be an amazing test for these young athletes to see what they are truly capable of. There is a lot of excitement around this season to see how the returning athletes perform and how new talent will grow.