On a mild September afternoon whose intermittent showers failed to dampen the enthusiasm of runners and fans, the boys of Middlesex Cross Country came to the line for a season-opening dual meet against Lawrence Academy. The conditions on the course were fair, with generally firm footing on the woodland trails and some slick and technical sections to challenge the many seasoned competitors in the field.

Junior Caleb Gartner led an imposing pack of Middlesex harriers to the finish in 17:59, followed within 21 seconds by sophomore Cooper Austen and juniors David Latham, Andrew Harris and Mac Hadden. Juniors Connor Cross and Cannon Caspar also outraced the second runner from Lawrence to secure a 20-43 win over the Spartans.

Freshman Matt Wing had a stunning debut for the Zebras, opening with a 6:08 first mile and closing with a 5:57 third mile on his way to a convincing victory in the junior varsity race within a race. Fellow freshman Peter Favero was close behind in second place overall, with juniors Zan Danoff and Gavin Cassidy and freshman Henry Horvath also scoring points for the JV. Junior debutant Caleb Krueger and sophomore Stone Shen rounded out around a second seven that earned a perfect 15-50 victory over Lawrence on the day.

Middlesex will return to action on the home course on Saturday, September 21 for another ISL dual against Brooks School.