Spector Sees a Flawless Four-Year Run with H-K Cross Country
Jonah Spector has had quite a decorated career with the Haddam-Killingworth cross country program. It was a four-year run that saw Jonah help the Cougars string together four straight perfect seasons, while earning some big-time individual accolades along the way.
Jonah first picked up his running shoes when a few of his middle school friends encouraged him to pursue cross country. In his stint with H-K, Jonah was a multiple-time All-Shoreline Conference and All-State honoree for the Cougars, who went undefeated with a record of 62-0 during that span, in addition to capturing conference and state championships in all four seasons.
“When I got here, we had a great group of seniors that were talented and had team spirit. After we graduated six or seven runners from that team...some people counted us out. But we had real talent and depth, so my sophomore year, it was about proving everyone wrong, and we were able to take Shorelines and states. From there, the success became status quo,” says Jonah, a senior who also runs track at H-K. “There was pressure, because we couldn’t outperform the expectations for us, but it was a great feeling to be a part of that.”
There is certainly a big difference between cross country and track when it comes to the various race setups and time breakdowns throughout the respective courses. However, no matter what venue he’s running in, Jonah attacks it by flying past his competition early and then sticking near his teammates and the other pace setters at front of the pack.
“In cross country, you don’t have [quarter-mile] splits, so it’s about reacting to people’s moves around me. I usually know who I want to stick with, and I try to make the right moves at the right time,” Jonah says. “With track, I like to react to those quarter-split times. I’m not a tactical racer, so I like to burn with a fast first half of the race and then sit on a lead.”
Jonah played a big role when H-K’s boys’ indoor track team finished as the runner-up at the recent Shoreline Conference Championship. Jonah took first in the 3,200 with a time of 9:53.21, along with finishing second in the 1,000 and third in the 1,600 at the meet. Teammates Andrew Meredith and Conor McCabe also finished in the top three of all three events for Haddam-Killingworth.
“We knew if we wanted a shot at winning Shorelines, we had to go 1-2-3 in all three events,” says Jonah, who also finished second in the 3,200 at the Class S State Championship. “There wasn’t at much depth in distance running in the Shoreline Conference this year, so we were definitely capable of doing it. We each made sure one person didn’t get too burnt out in order to help the whole team. My legs were feeling it in the second half of the [1,600], but we were doing it all for the team and putting it in the position to win.”
H-K boys’ cross country Head Coach Matt Diglio says that while Jonah has certainly put together an impressive résumé as a runner, he’s also developed into an equally impressive leader for the Cougars.
“Jonah has been one of the top distance runners in our program since his sophomore year. He, along with his senior classmates, have accomplished a great deal over the past several years,” Diglio says. “This past fall, Jonah was a captain of the team and did a great job leading through example with his training and dedication. Jonah is extremely intelligent, as he excels in the classroom, as well as on the track, and is also an extremely talented artist. He is very polite, respectful, and extremely coachable, and has been a real pleasure to work with and coach over the past four years.”
One of Jonah’s proudest achievements at H-K was when the cross country team made history by clearing a major obstacle last fall. As he heads into the twilight of his run with the Cougars, Jonah feels thankful for everything he’s learned and how much he’s grown throughout the past four years.
“One moment that stands out is at the cross country State Open this year, when we found out we made New Englands as a team. We came close to it my sophomore year, but finished 10th at the Open the next year. The State Open this year was sort of a redemption race for us,” says Jonah. “H-K cross country and track have had an incredible impact on me. I don’t know who I’d be without those teams. I give credit to Coach Diglio. He has high expectations of us and himself. The cross country and track kids are the best groups of kids in the school, because they are so supportive of each other and tight knit.”