On September 3rd the Rams cross country team opened their season, as always, at the Viking Invitational at Tanamend Park. The boy’s team came away with a respectable ninth place finish, but runners Peter Downs and Max Norris stole the spotlight in what amounted to a record-setting day for Harriton cross country. Downs, a junior, shaved nearly a minute off his best time en route to eighth place in a field of well over a hundred athletes and a 16:28 5k, a modern-era Rams record. The sophomore Norris wasn’t far behind as he seized eleventh place with a time of 16:38. Downs would later receive national honors for his performance, but the rest of the Rams seemed to follow suit in impressive fashion— seniors Isaac Jennings and Connor Wortley also notched personal bests, and Allison McLaughlin led the way for the girls’ team with a time of 21:38. The Rams will have one week before they jump into Central League competition, hoping the improved times will contribute to a bigger splash in league play this season.