The Pioneers did not line up at the Sandy Valley Invitational in Magnolia, OH to play it safe—they lined up to win. Though the first-place trophy remained just out of reach, the team's 2nd-place finish (with 75 points, edging out 3rd by five) marked both a leap from last year's 3rd-place result and the year before's 5th, and it was built on equal parts daring at the front and grit in the middle.
The team was led by James Johnston '27 and Brendan Bennett '28, who set the tone with brave, unflinching efforts. Johnston, unafraid to test himself against the race's best, went with the leader through the first two miles, forcing the pace and declaring with every stride that WRA had come to contend. Though the surge proved unsustainable against a formidable opponent, Johnston still crossed the line in a stellar 16:43.5 for a decisive runner-up finish. Close behind, Bennett delivered the best race of his young career, running 17:25.7—a personal best good enough for a top-5 spot.
But it was "the pack" that sealed second place for WRA. Without the team's usual third runner, Ian Fleming '27 - sidelined with an ankle injury - the margin could easily have slipped. Instead, five Pioneers rose to the challenge, and their collective push through the final mile overwhelmed rivals and flipped the scoring. Victor Wang '26 led the charge with a personal best 19:07.5, followed by Daniel Randazzo '27 (19:14.2) and Grant Adams '26 (19:16.6), whose astonishing two-minute PR earned him recognition as a true varsity contender. Right on their heels, Leo Wang '27 broke the 20 minute barrier for the first time in 19:41.1. The group ensured a 2nd place finish and that team's top-5 average was its best of the season: 18:21.5.
The momentum didn't stop there. Sophomore and freshman runners piled on with personal bests, elevating the program's depth: sophomores Arav Mathur '28 (20:09.4), Ronan Flowers '28 (20:11.3), and Mekhi Hoyte '28 (21:04.5) all ran personal records. Freshman Maverick Geraghty '29 slashed two full minutes off his previous best time, finishing in 22:07.8, while Phineas Haskell '29 cut 90 seconds to cross in 22:51.2. And in a performance that should not go unnoticed, junior Wen Xiao '26—now in his third year with the program—lowered his mark to a lifetime best of 21:53.5, his strongest race yet.
It is no small thing to name a goal and to race as if it is within reach. On Saturday, WRA's boys did exactly that: they played to win—and in doing so, they proved that both its top runners and "the pack" are ready to carry this team forward.
Full Results here:
https://oh.milesplit.com/meets/703022-sandy-valley-invitational-hs-2025
Note: Generative AI helped to draft this story based on materials from milesplit.com. It was revised, reviewed and edited by the Boys' XC coaching staff.
