Central League champions, District One runner-ups, fifth in the state championship. The 2023 season for LM Boys’ Cross Country was one for the history books. This season, the team hopes to accomplish even more. After being ranked sixteenth in the state going into the season, this energetic and determined team knows it will defy expectations.
Unlike Track and Field, one athlete’s performance is not the single key to success in cross country. In cross country, points are tallied by runners’ finishing placement. For example, the athlete who comes first will earn their team one point and the team with the least amount of points wins. Because of this, developing a unified team culture is critical for success. Coach Dallas Alexander is developing this culture through a plethora of activities and tactics. Rather than just running locally, the boy’s cross country team has traveled “off campus to national and state parks,” Coach Alexander explained, saying that these trips provide “a variety of opportunities to explore trails together and invest in training.” Sometimes the team’s training methods do not include running at all. He has implored cross-training exercises such as long distance bike rides and training in pools. Even in race strategies, the facet of unity has taken the reins. This year, he plans to implore strategies such as “pack running” in conference races. Pack running is where runners stick together during races and can make runners run faster by pushing each other. Through out-of-school activities and unique training experiences, Coach Alexander has laid the foundations of a positive and united team culture.
However, the success of a team does not fall on the coach alone. For example, teammates who come from diverse backgrounds can bring a team to the next level. This year, LM has first time cross country runners from a variety of different sports. These newcomers have defied expectations and have been in and around the top ten of meets, beating athletes who have dedicated three years to this sport. Not only do they add a manifold of new perspective to the team, but a unique competitive spark. Accountability is a core of any team, and that is no different for LM boys’ Cross Country. In particular, this year’s teammates have been watching out for each other’s health. “Another teammate and I have been suffering from upper leg injuries all season,” Dylan Leone ’25 explained, “We make sure that we are not going too hard out on runs and overexerting ourselves.” Overexertion is a major problem particularly in runners and preventing simple injuries like these could be the margin between victory and defeat for the Aces this season. With accountable teammates who have a variety of different experiences, these athletes are united and ready for the fall season.
Despite having both the number one and number two ranked individuals for cross country in the state, LM boys’ Cross Country team will have their hands full this fall. The Philadelphia Metropolitan Area has many large high schools with stacked cross country programs; this forces LM to battle year after year to stay competitive. The Aces compete in District One, currently the most competitive cross country district in the state, with ten District One teams being ranked in the top-twenty in Pennsylvania. After coming in second place at the 2023 District One Championships, the Aces will have a target on their back and something to prove this season, ensuring some very fierce and competitive meets. On a statewide level, the challenge grows. Pennsylvania is increasingly becoming one of the best states for high school running, ranking as the fifth best state in the nation. Yet, this year, LM won’t just be competing against PA teams. They plan to travel to two nationwide cross country invitationals: the Great American Cross Country Festival in North Carolina and Nike’s Regional Cross Country Meet in New York’s Hudson Valley. Both of these events will feature some of the best teams from across the nation and truly be a test of the boys’ strength this year.
Despite LM boys’ Cross Country’s intense competition and loaded schedule this season, they have developed a team where unity, accountability and support are at the forefront of their culture. Look out this fall, because this team will be one to watch.
