A Remarkable Day for Haverford High’s Teddy Foster
UPPER PROVIDENCE — For Haverford High senior Teddy Foster, Saturday was a day filled with excitement and achievement. His journey began in Boston and ended at the finish line of Rose Tree Park, where he claimed the Delco boys individual cross country championship. This victory made him the fourth Ford since 2018 to win the title.
Foster started his day early, arriving in Boston for a recruiting visit to the Massachusetts Institute of MIT. He returned to Pennsylvania around 2 p.m. and immediately headed to the race. “It was a good time,” he said, reflecting on the day.
Before Foster’s triumph, Episcopal Academy’s Kendra Williamson secured her second consecutive county girls title, showcasing her dominance on the track.
Foster’s trip to Boston wasn’t just a routine visit; it was an opportunity to explore potential colleges. “I absolutely loved it,” he said. “It’s definitely one of my top choices. It’s between there and Johns Hopkins. We’ll see how it goes.”
Despite the challenge of traveling on the day of the meet, Foster remained calm and focused. He finished the race in 16:26.30, seven seconds ahead of Curtis Conner of Episcopal Academy. “It took the pressure off,” Foster explained. “It helped me relax and taught me an important lesson to stay relaxed. I was relaxed, waited for my moment and went for it.”
Foster joins an elite group of Haverford athletes who have won the county title, including Patrick Lawson (2022), Ethan Fingerhut (2021), and Mike Donnelly (2018 and 2019). “This is a blessing for me,” Foster said. “I’ve seen guys like Pat Lawson dominate this league, and it means a lot to follow in their footsteps. To me, it’s a culmination of all the hard work I’ve put in.”
The Fords also managed to secure the team title despite missing one of their top runners, junior Jonathan Awad. Junior Ryan Cleary finished third overall in 16:38.60, while senior Sean Lawson placed fourth in 16:41.0. The performance of juniors Robert Maguire and Kevin O’Neill was crucial in helping Haverford maintain their lead over Penncrest.
Maguire, making his varsity debut, ran a season-best time of 18:02.80 and placed 26th. O’Neill finished 29th in 18:20.50. Their efforts were enough to give the Fords an eight-point victory over the Lions (59-67).
“Jonathan got sick, and we wanted to win it for him,” Cleary said, highlighting the team’s unity and determination.
Conner finished second in 16:33.40, while Charles Mulholland from Penncrest placed fifth in 16:41.80. Defending champion Rowan Carr of Penncrest, the reigning Daily Times Runner of the Year, came in sixth in 16:54.70.
Kendra Williamson Dominates Girls’ Race
Kendra Williamson of Episcopal Academy followed a strategic approach to secure her second straight county girls title. She led from start to finish, helping the Churchwomen achieve their first county team title and the first by an Inter-Ac school since Notre Dame in 2010.
Williamson crossed the finish line in 18:37.50, nearly 36 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, Sloane Smith of Marple Newtown (19:13.30). “It means everything,” Williamson said. “My teammates have pushed me to be the runner I am today. And it means a lot just to be able to help my team get a low score and win the team title.”
The Churchwomen narrowly beat Inter-Ac rival Agnes Irwin to take the team championship. Junior Ava Cavanaugh finished 11th, sophomore Hannah Todd was 15th, ninth-grader Olivia Melson was 21st, and sophomore Anna Bradford placed 23rd. That gave EA 64 points to the Owls’ 73.
“It’s really cool,” Cavanaugh said. “We’ve been thinking about this all season. This has been our goal, so we’re really happy to accomplish that goal.”
A Balanced Girls’ Race
The girls’ race featured a balanced competition, with the top eight runners coming from eight different schools. Garnet Valley’s Avery Lustgarten (19:34.60), Carson Tierney of Notre Dame (19:47.80), and Cayla Gaffney from Strath Haven (19:49.20) rounded out the top five.
Emma Watson of Agnes Irwin placed sixth (19:55.60), Cassidy Jones from Penncrest was seventh (19:59.80), and Radnor’s Katelyn Anderson finished eighth (20:11.20). It was the second time in three years that the top seven girls finished in under 20 minutes.
