Sophomore Joe Lamburn has been the top finisher for the ARHS boys’ cross country team every race this season.

How has it felt to be the top performer on the boys’ cross country team?

“It has felt good. I wasn’t really expecting it, but I worked hard, so it feels good to be in this position.”

What, specifically, have been your main accomplishments this season? How do you feel about these accomplishments?

“I’ve won one race so far against Leominster, and I also came second against Westborough. [These accomplishments are] good, but I know I can do more. By the end of the season, I think I’ll be a little more content with what I’ve had. Overall, it’s been pretty great.” 

How did you train for this season?

“I put in a lot of miles over the summer. It was a lot of consistency, running mostly every day. The most important part is the summer training. So, even if I didn’t want to do it, I still had to go out and get it done. I had my friends pushing me too; that was a big help. My coach training us over the season has been good. I’ve been getting progressively faster since the beginning of the summer.”

What motivated you to dedicate time and effort to improve your individual ability?

“The graduating class last year—my brother and the kids with him—they were really fast. I always look up to them and strive to get up to their time because I’m not quite there yet. In the overall state, our class [sophomores] is doing really well right now, so I’m looking to stay with them. Once you start running, you can’t stop, and I always want to get better.”

What are your individual goals for this season and beyond?

“I’m hoping to go under 17 [minutes] for the 5K, and if I hit that, I’m hoping to make it to states and do well there. This is really an unknown period for me because we didn’t really have much of a season last year, so I never went to any big meets. This is my first time experiencing all that, so it’s all just getting experience in and hoping to come back and be a contender next year.”