The Paly varsity boys cross country team lost to the alumni at its first annual alumni race at the Paly track on Sunday, Dec. 16.
The varsity team lost 32-24 to the alumni team, which included the coaches. Because coaches Jeff Billing and Golden Krishna came in fifth and sixth place, respectively, the decision before the race to have coaches race for the alumni was critical. Without the coaches’ help, the alumni score would have increased by more than 10 points, enough for the varsity team to win.
Despite a light but steady rain, two dozen boys ran, and the race was watched by an additional two dozen spectators, including parents and members of the cross country team. However, plans to have freshman, sophomore, and girls races failed to materialize.
Senior Scott Himmelburger came in first in the race with a time of 16:11, leading alumni Michael Nordlund (’05) and Herrel Siller Jr. (’05), last year’s fastest runner, by over half a minute. Siller was followed after 36 seconds by senior Francis Reynolds, who was followed after half a minute by coaches Billing and Krishna as well as senior Zander MacQuitty.
The race’s end was a change from the start, where Siller was in the lead, followed by Nordlund, Himmelberger, and Reynolds.
The course, which was measured as a 5K, started and finished with a lap on the Paly track.
Billing’s time suffered as a result of running a few yards in the wrong direction near the end of the race.
Many runners did not prepare much for the race.
"[I practiced] just a week, one week before this … [It is my] natural speed," coach Krishna said. Reynolds said he had only done a little bit of training since the cross country season ended.