South Kent School Cross Country opened the 2026–2027 season with a competitive first meet against Kent School and Marvelwood School. South Kent defeated Marvelwood, 17–45, while falling to Kent, 20–43, in the low-score-wins competition.
Senior Prefect Ryan Pignataro ’26 led the way for the Cardinals, finishing first overall. His performance reflected the work he put in over the summer and set a strong tone for the season ahead.
“Ryan clearly did a lot of training over the summer. He looked great and very relaxed in cruising to the win,” shared Head Coach Rev. Steve Klots. “I am very grateful that Kent School decided that it was time to have a ‘derby’ race for the three schools in the town of Kent.”
With only one week of practice before the meet, the Cardinals showed promise in their opening competition. For some runners, it was their first cross country race ever, and the team competed against a larger Kent School squad.
Looking ahead, South Kent will welcome Kent School to the Hillside in late October for the next chapter of the local cross country rivalry. The Cardinals are eager to see how the visiting teams handle the challenging course leading to the top of Spooner Hill.
South Kent looks forward to building on this strong start as the season continues! View the full season schedule here: https://sksathletics.org/cross-country/
