“On your mark…” Fifty runners from a multitude of different teams step to the start line while the McIntosh runners find sophomore Zander Wilson and give him the open team trophy as he joins them on the start line. The official starts the race with a gunshot. By the time the runners reach the mile marker, it’s clear who is there to win and who is there just to have fun. McIntosh is leading the race with Zander, who is running with the leading pack of McIntosh runners. This scenario may sound like an isolated event where the athletes go crazy, but most open races are like this one. Many races, in fact, end  with all of MHS cross country open team finishing before the other teams.

In an open team race, anyone who shows up can run. The pace of this race is normally slower than that at the varsity and junior varsity levels, but the McIntosh open team has won all the open team races that they have entered. When the open team races first began, there were no trophies for winners, but now the winners receive a trophy.

Senior Braxton Wimbish made the open team’s coveted trophy. He said, “When I made the trophy, I wanted to make a trophy that we could win because varsity kept winning the other trophies.”  Originally, the trophy was a 1986 Ms. Black Walton County trophy, but Braxton took the golden cup off the top and replaced it with a red Solo cup. From then on the team has kept that trophy and has taken it to every meet.

When students try out to join a team, they normally try to qualify for the varsity team, but Braxton purposely shoots for open team. He said, “Open team is a coveted honor to be on.” Some first year runners, like freshman Kevin Liow, said, “Originally, I thought that the open team, was the worst team but when we got to the first meet, I realized how fun open was.”

Many athletes, including sophomore Jeff Balco and freshman Jackson Routon, say that they see Braxton as the captain of the open team. Before the open race, Braxton always gives the open team a pep talk. He talks about showing the other teams their warrior faces and wanting to win more than anyone on the starting line. Braxton said that he gives the same pep talk that Coach Buckle always gave to get the team excited before each race.

When asked what he thinks of the open team, senior Michael Daprano said, “Open team is a glorious team that I live my life by.” Open team is revered and loved by all its participants. Braxton described the team as “turnt,” “based” and “enthusiastic.” When the open team trains, they all train together.

Michael described the team’s current record as “glorious.” The cross country open team has a perfect record, winning all of the races they have run. Students on the open team run the rest of their races with the junior varsity team.