Cross-country is an enigmatic sport, misunderstood by many, but loved by a select few. Comprehension of the sport begins with its name: the untold masses of people who unwittingly call it “track” are immediately earmarked into the non-runner set. At Hackley, the sport is chronically underrated, although the school currently contains a “golden generation” of runners who have combined to shatter almost every long-distance record in the last four years. This year’s girls’ team is ranked fifth in New York State Class C. They have won five Ivy League Championships in seven years. They are the overwhelming favorites to win Ivies again this year, pulling off a four-peat that will ensure that the “golden generation” leaves Hackley unbeaten in the Ivy League. They are also the favorites to capture their second consecutive NYSAIS title and race in the New York Federations meet, in which the best teams and individuals in the state compete.

Cross-country is not suited for spectators. The 5000m, 3.1 mile courses are laid out through woods and fields with no shortage of hills. Cheers erupt as the lead pack of runners charges by. The first Hackley runner spotted is junior Julia Stevenson, coming through at a brisk, but controlled pace. Julia really broke onto the scene as a dominant force during last year’s 2013 season. Most recently, she ran an 18:42 5k at the Brown Invitational, a significant personal best and an unofficial school record. When asked about her unprecedented successes, Julia replied:

“Looking up to more experienced runners and learning how to race strategically and with greater confidence helped me improve over the past two years.”

Claire Gomba, the current number two Hackley runner, is next to zoom by with eyes deadset on her closest competition. This is only Gomba’s second season on the team, as she joined Hackley as an incoming junior from John Jay High School in East Fishkill, NY.

“I didn’t know much about the program prior to applying, except that I would still be able to compete against top Section 1 teams, including Jay at some invitationals, and I didn’t want to give up that high level competition. After getting to run the campus trails with Callye and Greer and meet with Karps on my visit day, I was sold.”

Last year, Claire was immediately a top runner in the school and the Ivy League, providing a crucial addition to a team that had already won back-to-back Ivy League titles, but wanted to achieve something greater. Claire led last year’s squad to their first-ever NYSAIS championship at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, placing second overall. This year, now a captain, Claire has solidified Hackley’s position, recently running a 15:41 4k at the Manhattan Invitational at Van Cortlandt; she placed within the top 10% of the 1500 runners from all over the Northeast that competed that day. At the Brown Invitational, she also submitted a 2014 top 50 New York State 5K time, making Hackley one of the few schools that has two runners with Milesplit Elite distinction on its team.

It’s easy to notice individual successes such as Stevenson’s and Gomba’s, but cross-country is most definitely a team sport. One common misconception about long-distance running is that it is an individual sport, rather than having the team atmosphere of soccer or basketball. Sure, cross-country doesn’t have any set plays or goal-scoring, but anyone who does not think it is a team sport is sorely mistaken. Every race has a team scoring component, with the five best runners on the squad scoring points based on their results.

“The fact that running is an effort-based sport really unifies the team. It guarantees that all members exert themselves equally, and therefore experience the same physical and emotional highs and lows of racing. The slowest runner works just as hard as the fastest, and because of that we all recognize and respect each other’s efforts in a way that is hard to find amongst other sports teams,” said senior Greer Levin.

At the halfway point of the race, the spectators have disappeared as the runners round the farthest extents of the course before looping back towards the finish. Here, the packs that typify the early stages of the race have spread out into smaller groups of tired runners. All the pre-race jitters and early adrenaline kicks are gone, replaced by a steady, rhythm that the body follows on the contours of the hills.

It’s rare for an eighth-grader to get onto any high school varsity team. It’s even rarer for an eighth-grader to perform at an elite level right. Olivia Curran is only two months into her Hackley cross-country career, but she’s already a top runner in NYSAIS, just trailing behind Stevenson and Gomba. Curran has long been a competitive triathlete along with her brother Tyler Curran, a senior well-known on campus as a star Hackley swimmer. But now, in her first time facing high school competition, she’s responded with incredible results. Curran’s presence on the team will hopefully ensure that Hackley will remain a cross-country powerhouse for years to come.

As the bands of runners stream by, junior Lindsay Schechter, the fourth Hackley girl, appears on the horizon. On the course, she’s a fierce competitor, and it shows as she effortlessly passes her rivals on the inclines. Lindsay’s been on the team since freshman year, and she’s also made unbelievable progress. Last year, Lindsay was the seventh runner on the team, but after making the customary two-minute improvement, she’s now an established member of the top five.

Greer Levin, the varsity team’s longest tenured member and a senior captain, rounds out the fab five. Greer is the poster child of the “golden generation”, having been a varsity runner on every team since 2011. As an intrinsic part of the team, her growth parallels the team’s rise from private school power to state-ranked competitor over the last four years. As with everyone else on the team, Greer has seen her times progress dramatically over the years, but as the veteran of the team, her value as a leader is indispensable. Greer will be sorely missed after her final race with the team this November.

At some point, one has to wonder how every single runner on this team has improved by leaps and bounds over the years. While natural talent is certainly a component, a share of the credit has to be given to the team’s coaches. Head Coach Seth Karpinski, best known as a physics teacher, is also an accomplished cross-country coach. While the Hackley girls’ had won championships before Karpinski, it’s no coincidence that the start of their championship run began in 2007, the year that Karpinski became head coach.

And it’s not just the girls either. Karpinski has also coached the the boys’ team during this time period, and this year’s squad is poised to become the best team in the school history. Yet, the recent successes of the last three years that have led to the obliteration of all the school records on the boys’ and girls’ side cannot be fully explained with mention of Coach Brigid Moriarty as well. When “Coach M” joined the staff in 2012, she immediately began to modify Karps’ training regimen, providing a spark that has kept the girls’ team at the top of a rapidly improving conference. Assistant Coaches Dawn Crainer and Rebecca Garfield have been with the team since 2010, providing the team with wisdom and support throughout the last four seasons. As a distinguished high school and college runner herself, Coach Crainer has been invaluable in supporting the team for the last four years.

Spectators flock to the final stretch of the race as the runners charge in off the final turn. All runners test their limits of endurance in the final eight hundred meters of the race, sprinting forward with whatever energy they have left, cheered on by teammates, coaches, and parents along the way. The runners, aching and exhausted, incredibly summon their last reserves in a mad dash to the line.

This year’s girls’ team is predicated on depth, as the sixth, seventh and eighth fastest runners on the team would easily be the fastest girls on any other team in NYSAIS. Sophomore Camille Butterfield, junior Laura Seebacher, and senior captain Callye Bolster round out the deepest varsity team in school history. Although she’s only a sophomore, Camille has been on the team since eighth grade, and despite an injury-hampered freshman season, she’s returned in even better form for this season. Laura Seebacher has solidly represented the girls for the last two seasons, and she’s in the midst of her best season to date. Both runners have been inspirational forces for the eleven members of the junior varsity team, the largest squad in quite some time.

Finally, we arrive at the heart and soul of the team, senior captain Callye Bolster. Callye has been on the team since her sophomore year and has been, along with Greer, the rock of the team ever since. Callye was an integral part of the 2012 Ivy Champion squad, but she’s been battling injuries the last two autumns. Throughout it all, she’s remained a superb team leader, holding the team together with her sense of humor and her resolute team spirit, sharing in every great success the team has had in the last year.

And that’s the beauty of cross-country; no matter how painful, underappreciated, and impossible the sport may seem, great things can be accomplished through teamwork, friendship, good coaching, and persistent effort. The best part of all is that these great accomplishments can be shared with your teammates and coaches, who, by the end of the season, are completely invested in your success.

Why do they run? They run because the pain is outweighed by the pleasure received from proving that you’ve improved from the day before. They run because the pain is dwarfed by the immense joy and camaraderie of the HXC family. They run, in the end, for each other.

“I feel legitimate familial love for every member of the team,” said Callye. “Best of luck to everyone in their butt-kicking endeavors at Ivies, NYSAIS, Federations, and Nike Cross Regionals!”

Gallery • 16 Photos

Brown Invitational: Camille B., Lindsay S.