Exeter cross country turned in an impressive showing at the Hopkinton XC Festival on Saturday, highlighted by an individual championship from Bocelli Howland-Vlahakis and strong performances across all four races. The boys and girls varsity teams earned third-place finishes, respectively, while the girls JV team earned a first-place finish and the boys JV squad also placed third.

The day began with the girls' varsity race, which featured a highly competitive field featuring some of the top runners in the nation. Big Red's Harper Peters turned in a terrific performance, finishing third overall with a personal-best time of 17:26.9. Lower Norah Pratt was equally impressive, moving past five runners in the later stages of the race to claim sixth place in a personal-best 18:44.4.

Behind the two frontrunners, Exeter showcased its depth with a strong pack of runners working together throughout the race. Lakshimi Baugert led the group with an 18th-place finish in 19:48.9, followed closely by Lia Blitz (20:04.4) and Stella Gray (20:11.7). Brady Prenata rounded out Big Red's top six with a time of 20:58.7.

On the boys' side, Howland-Vlahakis wasted little time establishing himself at the front of the field. The Exeter lead harrier set the pace from the opening moments, leading the top group of runners. Howland-Vlahakis made his move on the second lap, pulling away from the field to capture the individual title in a personal-best 14:55.40.

Marcus Kiehl placed 15th overall in 16:08.1, while Spencer Clemans finished 25th in 16:26.2. William Miller (16:46.9), Ved Reddy (16:59.8), and James Travis (17:19.0) rounded out the varsity lineup as Big Red secured third place in the team standings.

Exeter's girls' JV squad delivered one of the day's most impressive team performances, capturing first place overall behind a remarkable display of depth. Annika Nystedt led the charge with a third-place finish in 21:22.8, followed immediately by Eleanor Bullock in fourth (21:24.8) and Maryn Bowman in fifth (21:34.0). Sophia Butler crossed the line in seventh place (21:39.1), while Olivia Littlefield added an eighth-place finish (21:40.3).

The boys' JV team also enjoyed a successful afternoon, earning third place overall. Ian Koo led Exeter with a third-place individual finish in 17:34.7, while Asher Bravo placed 10th in 18:01.6 and Otis Alley finished 15th in 18:09.8. Augustus Rogers (18:16.7), Griffin McMahon (18:18.2), Sean Ricard (18:23.8), and Artur Novaes Ferreira (18:28.7) completed a strong showing for Big Red.