This Week in Tandem Sports

In Cross Country, you're only as strong as your fifth runner.  So cheers to Peter, who ran an impressive 20:33 at FUMA... and today in the heat he passed another milestone - running under 20 minutes for the first time this season. Peter's time of 19:56 is an impressive season PR of 37 seconds, and will be key to the title defense! 

Another critical strategy is pack running. Have you ever seen a pack of Badgers blow by runners from another team?  The Tandem boys worked together to accomplish a variety of goals today, including winning the meet and placing 5 runners in the Top Ten.  Hayes showed off his leadership skills today, pushing his teammates to new heights.  Hayes won the race in a time of 17:54, and he was neck and neck with Jack Blemker and Miles at the mile mark - running 5:37 and 5:40 respectively.  This set Blemker up to finish 2nd in a time of 18:16 and Miles 18:25. Miles, who ran nearly the same time at FUMA, is the king of consistency.

 

Tandem's next pack featured Peter's sub 20:00 effort and Jack Johnson who cruised in at 20:02 - 26 seconds faster than his time at FUMA! Will earned a new PR of 21:07, working closely with Jack Nachbar (21:04) and John Ballenger (21:10) who dropped ONE MINUTE AND NINE SECONDS off of his time at FUMA!

 

Gabriel continues to impress, running the first mile in a brisk 6:41, and finishing in a solid time of 22:09. Hot on his tail, the pack of Jude (23:24), Kai (23:43) and Alexander (23:53) really worked the hills. On the back stretch of the course, this pack made a big move, passing several opposing runners.  Speaking of big moves, Ian's finishing kick was an epic scene, as he left his competition in the dust. Ian's sprint speed to close the race was incredible, and he finished in a time of 29:12.  Brendan (25:00) and Orro were consistent as well, running 25:20, while Oscar's 30:04 and Tyler's 38:07 closed out the victory for Tandem! For Tyler, it's his debut 5K (and therefore a PR!)

 

Sadie came home with a special new tee shirt after her top ten finish at FUMA, and she took her efforts to a new level today.  Her debut 5K time of 28:24 is a tribute to how hard she has been working these last few weeks! The Tandem Girls continue to impress, competing at a high level.  Lucy maintained contact with the best in our conference, finishing third in a time of 23:58 (consistent with her PR.) Particularly tough on the hills, Lucy showed her knowledge of the course, making several strong moves as she approached the final stretch home.

 

Claire showed off both her speed and consistency.  She hit the mile mark in a blazing 7:30 and finished in a time of 25:54. Throughout the race, Claire moved up past her competition, resulting in a 7th place finish! Not far behind, Hazel's patented negative split was highlighted by a massive kick! She finished in a strong time of 27:23. Fletcher, who ran the first mile with incredible speed, also finished strong in a time of 30:10. 

 

Laurel completed her first Biscuit Run this week and her first 5K today - a week of enormous accomplishments. Her new PR time of 32:16 was critical to Tandem's success, while Avery (33:09) and Dhruvi (33:10) worked beautifully together as their strides were completely in rhythm.  The finish of the day went to Nina, who outkicked several opposing runners over the course of the last 800. She's as consistent as they come, and her time of 31:58 is a tribute to her work ethic. 

 

Tandem is off to a great start in league competition.  Between the Boys and Girls, the Badgers had 7 runners in the top 10. Whether they're dashing through puddles in the rain or fighting through the heat and humidity that follows, this team was prepared for today's exciting performance - knowing that it's just the beginning. The action continues on Saturday, 9/28 at VTCA at the Panorama Farms. I can't wait to be there with you all!

 

Special thanks to Avis and Sarah who shifted the Middle School trips so we could have buses, to Todd who drove one of them, and of course to Jason who planned and set up the event.

 

Right from the beginning, the Badger den was full of energy! Sydney delivered four consecutive aces to open the match, and Kanice followed that up with several unreturnable, strong serves of her own. Tandem led 9-3 when Emory set Zuri for a big cross court hit! Playing as the middle front, Sam had a number of key sets for her teammates.  She put Madeline in a perfect position, and Madeline delivered, as Tandem increased their lead. She followed that up with a few aces of her own, and Tandem led 13-6 halfway through the opening set.

 

Aggie entered the match with big energy and Adela also delivered some smooth serves, each with a shifty top spin, to keep the momentum going.  When Covenant scored a few points, Libby provided excellent leadership, telling each player where they should be positioned and leading by example as she gave incredible effort and dove on the floor. 

 

With a score of 22-19, Sydney dug out a tough serve and earned a key point for Tandem. Emory followed that up with an ace, and the Badgers closed out the set with Libby's massive hit.  Tandem took the first set and the crowd was on their feet! The Badgers did not let up!

 

Sydney opened the second set with two more aces. Emory provided another ace and Madeline had perfect touch as she pushed the ball to a perfect spot to give the Badgers a 6-2 lead.  Adela came back in to provide a few perfectly placed serves, while Zoe showed off her prowess in the middle front, getting  low to dig out every ball and put her teammates in a position to succeed.

 

The second set was close throughout and required the Badgers to show off their mental focus - they have had lots of experience with tight games! Emory and Kanice had a number of aces down the stretch, and Libby bumped the ball over to make it 18-14. After a few Covenant points, Tandem regrouped. Madeline delivered a powerful ace to make it game point! Then, as mentioned earlier, Libby, Madeline and Sydney worked together to give Tandem an exciting win 25-20 and 2-0 against their cross-town rival.

 

With the match already in hand, Clara got low in the third set to dig out some challenging hits. Margot showed off her powerful serve, as did Sophia, who had several aces. Freya and Muriel were in perfect position to return serves and Alex had some critical hits down the stretch!

 

The Badgers have improved dramatically since the season began and they are a force to be reckoned with. Excellent sets for powerful hits and massive serves were just some of the impressive skills Tandem showed off today! Congratulations to this deep roster on a big win - defending the Badger Den in front of a huge crowd! Such depth! The energy provided by Aurelia, Freya, Dev, Fay, Zaina, Alex, Chloe, Bryn and Lucy - and of course Lana and Ray - and Coach Scott and Malva - is just some of what makes this team so special!

 

Thanks to Hadley, Emory and Ellia for their help with the finicky scoreboard!

Their next match is home vs CDS at 4:15 on Tuesday, September 24. Hope to see you there!