The South Kent School Cross Country team capped off an exceptional season with its annual team dinner, where athletes were recognized for their hard work, improvement, and sportsmanship throughout the fall.
Head Coach Father Steve Klots and Coach Bill Whittaker praised the team for their commitment and growth over the course of the season, noting the balance of grit, camaraderie, and steady progress that defined the Cardinals’ success on the trails.
Team Awards
The Anne Funnell Cup for Most Valuable Runner was awarded to Aidan Sherlock ’26 and Ryan Pignatero’27, 
both of whom delivered consistently strong performances and leadership throughout the season.
The Arthur W. Brown Award for Most Improved Runner went to Seizo Hana ‘28, recognizing his remarkable progress and perseverance. The Coaches Award was presented to Odin Bonis ’27 for his positive attitude, dedication, and team spirit.
Ryan Pignatero ’27 and Aidan Sherlock ’26, received additional honors from an accrediting athletics council, with a formal announcement coming later this month.This marks their achievements as top runners in the New England independent school competition.
Varsity Letters we presented to:
Ryan Pignatero, Aidan Sherlock, Ben Siegert, Zijie Zhou, Odin Bonis, Yurii Nechyporenko, Peter Bongiorno, Seizo Hanai, and Pavlo Samoilov.
JV certificates were presented to:
Nekhel Mckella, Vas Gray, and Gerd Pflucker.
Reflecting on the season, Father Klots shared, “We have four principles that we emphasized time and again as the basis for a good season: effort, mutual support, sportsmanship, and safety. Every member of this team bought 
into those principles, and the results speak for themselves. This was our best season in about fifteen years.”
Congratulations to all our runners. This year’s team is a true testament to South Kent spirit on and off the course.