Bo Howland-Vlahakis delivered another standout performance on Saturday afternoon, leading Exeter cross country at the Nike Cross Northeast Regionals at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, New York. Racing against an elite field of 274 runners from across New England, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, Howland-Vlahakis surged to a remarkable second-place finish.

The Exeter boys placed 11th overall in the Championship race, while the girls secured 16th behind a series of strong individual efforts.

Howland-Vlahakis, who was the only 10th grader to place inside the top 30, crossed the line in 15:22.7, just 1.5 seconds off the winning mark. He ran confidently with the lead group from the gun, sitting ninth at the halfway point before attacking over the final 2.5k to climb into the runner-up spot. With his exceptional finish, Howland-Vlahakis has qualified for Nike Cross Nationals, which will take place at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, December 6.
 
Owen Welch was Exeter's next finisher in 16:39.7, followed by Truman Tee at 17:17.4. William Miller (17:18.2), Artur Novaes Ferreira (18:12.2), Neal Veeranna (18:53.6), and Owen Cosgrove (18:54.5) rounded out a strong team showing on a demanding course.

On the girls' side, Ava Bullock paced Big Red with a 27th-place finish in 19:01.8. Harper Peters (19:32.3) and Norah Pratt (20:49.4) followed, with Annika Nystedt (20:57.9), Mari Ciaschini (21:21.1), and Buddho Voelker (21:23.6) contributing key times to secure 16th overall.

Exeter also impressed in the Girls Open 5k, placing eighth as a team. Jocelyn Wen led the effort in 21:25, with strong support from Sophia Butler (21:54.2), Lia Blitz (22:19.3), Maryn Bowman (22:19.4), Emerson Seymour (22:32.5), and Olivia Littlefield (22:50.6).