Tabor Academy enjoyed a series of athletic successes this past weekend, securing both a New England Championship for Boys’ Cross Country and a victory in their 21st and final “Holderness Day” rivalry.
The 2016 Division II New England Championship was hosted by Tabor in Marion’s Washburn Park on Saturday. Hundreds of athletes from 20 prep schools across New England came to Marion to compete in the championship.
The Boy’s Cross Country team brought a dominant performance on their home turf, placing five of the seven varsity runners among the top 20 finishers. Sophomore Aly Hussein placed first with a record time of 15:40, followed by senior Archie Velasquez in second place with a time of 16:04. Sam Gordon, a sophomore from Marion, took home the 16th spot as the fourth Tabor runner to cross the line.
For all the team members, but Hussein especially, the afternoon was electrifying.
“I’m just so happy to win such a major title; it is such a blessing. I am over the moon definitely and I still can’t believe I did it,” said Hussein.
This performance led the Seawolves to win the championship in commanding fashion, putting a margin of 55 points between them and the second place team. The depth throughout the team was clear, with the Junior Varsity securing a second place finish in their respective race, led by freshman Jack Hutchinson who finished third.
For Head Coach Chris Adams, this championship was his third in his 32 years of coaching, but his first in his 18 years at Tabor Academy. This was also the first time Tabor ever won the New England Championships, as well as the first time that Tabor hosted the championships. Adams argues that this was not a coincidence.
“I feel that racing at home was a big psychological boost for us – it’s our home course that we know better than anyone, and we didn’t have to travel hours on a bus,” said Adams. “But we could have won on any course based on how we ran all fall.”
The team graduates four seniors this year, and only two of them raced on varsity. The rest of the varsity was comprised of four sophomores and one freshman, meaning that this success is only expected to continue for years to come. Even within the JV, the times are consistently faster than usual.
“Every returning member of our team for next year has the potential of running sub 19:00 for 5K, which is hard for me to believe,” said Adams.
Hussein is also looking to the future.
“Of course I want to win this title again, but what I really want is for the team to win this title again the next two years and always in the future too,” Hussein said.
As the Cross Country teams competed close to home, the rest of the Tabor athletic community traveled to Holderness, New Hampshire to face off against rival Holderness School for a final time.
The rivalry, which began in 1996, is finally coming to a close after Tabor joined the Independent School League earlier this fall. Several schools have been suggested as possible replacements as rivals; however, a decision has not been reached as to whom this will be.
During the rivalry games, which alternate between Tabor and Holderness as hosts each year, each varsity and junior varsity team of each fall sport competes against its counterpart from Holderness School. The winner of the final Holderness Day came down to the wire, but the Varsity Football team held on to break the tie in favor of the Seawolves and secure a vital 28-20 win. By winning the final Holderness Day, Tabor finished with a 13-3-5 record.
With the win in Holderness, Varsity Football improved to 7-1 this season, earning them a spot in the Hugh Caldera Bowl as part of the New England Championship.
The Seawolves will face off against St. George’s School’s Dragons at 6:30 pm on Friday, November 18 on the G. Richard Duffy ’56 Turf Field at Tabor.
Since students leave for Thanksgiving break that evening, it was necessary to hold this game in the evening, an unusual occurrence at Tabor. Since lighting installations have not yet been installed on the turf fields, the school contracted a lighting company to install temporary lighting for the event.
This game is free and open to the public, and the school welcomes all members of the community to come and enjoy the game and cheer on the Seawolves.
By Jack Gordon