The Broadalbin-Perth cross country team got a preview of what the New York State Public High School Athletic Association state course would be like when it ran at the Bob Pratt Invitational Saturday, Sept. 22, at Sunken Meadow State Park on Long Island.

The boys team fared well, finishing 12th out of 30 teams in the Varsity B race with 374 points. The girls team took 17th place in the Varsity B division with 448 points.

“What we learned was that the course was hard,” said Broadalbin-Perth head coach Jeff Richards. “I would rank this among the top two most difficult courses. This will help with our training, though, as we now know what to expect and prepare for.”

The biggest challenge Richards said the Patriots will need to prepare for, should they qualify for the state meet in November, is a steep incline known as “Cardiac Hill.”

“In order to beat ‘Cardiac Hill,’ you have to be mentally tough,” said Richards. “We showed some of that today as our kids actually attacked this grueling hill, while others broke down and walked. This effort paid off as we ran in tight packs on both sides and fared well against the best competition in the state.”

Micah Smith was Broadalbin-Perth’s top male runner, as he placed 51st in the Boys Varsity B race with a time of 19:13.97. Samantha Murphy led the B-P girls with a 55th-place finish in a time of 23:29.