Just as freshman Cameron Ederle was about to fall asleep, he received a notification from Olive Garden—a response to his DM suggesting that the restaurant should include buttons for ordering breadsticks on their tables. 

Every night before an important race, the team eats dinner at Olive Garden for good luck. The boys’ cross-country team woke up the next morning determined to win the South Zone meet. 

The race started at 8:30 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Austin. The Mavs breezed through the first bit of the race with senior captain Davis Thames and sophomore Emmanuel Sgouros finishing the first mile in under five minutes.

“We went out a little fast because of the downhill and the adrenaline,” Thames said. “The second mile is where the hard uphill was, but for me the third mile was the toughest.” 

The Mavs captured their second South Zone championship in two years, obliterating a strong field with eight runners in the top 20.

“It felt really good to make the top 20, especially because the competition was better this year,” senior Peter Wade said.

For seniors like Wade and Thames, the South Zone meet was one of their last races with the team. 

“The people on this team have been my go-to’s,” Wade said. “They’ve been my family these past four years.”