After last fall’s successful 2023 season, Boys Cross-Country is looking forward to improving runners’ times and chemistry in 2024. Despite the team’s many achievements last season, the Rams have reason to believe that this year could be even better, one for the record books.
Top returners for the 2024 season include seniors Thomas Amato (16:10.94) and Preston Gumann (16:37.7), juniors Kennan Byers (16:10.96) and Jacob Conti (18:22.54), and sophomore Ryan Barnett (17:10.64), who are all confident they can shave multiple seconds off their previous bests in the 5K.
“We are looking to build on our success from last season and really surprise people this year,” Gumann said. “The team has definitely grown since last year. We lost some important seniors last year but return four out of our top five.”
Last fall, the boys placed third at the Morris County Cross Country Championships, in a stacked competition behind Delbarton and Mendham. For this competition, they averaged a time of 16:49, only 14 seconds off the school record, which averaged 16:35 in the 5K during the single meet.
Although this was an achievement for the boys, their greatest achievement last season was winning the state sectional meet. This was the first time since 2009 that the team had won, and 14 years since Randolph had come out on top at state sectionals.
Unfortunately, the team did not end up qualifying for the state championship. But this year, the team is determined to make it to the top, coming off of a great spring track season and successful summer of training.
When asked about what to expect this coming season, Byers stated, “Over the summer and into the school year, the top guys have been inspiring and motivating the other runners with the potential to push their goals.”
Byers noted that training every day as a team has played a big role in bringing the team together. “Most runners have the confidence and belief to improve,” he said.
Overall, the boys team feels ready and more than capable of making history this year.
Boys Cross Country’s season opener meet, the Roxbury Invitational, is tomorrow, Sept. 7, at Horseshoe Lake.
