Freedom’s boys’ cross country team hosted Northampton last Tuesday but lost its season opener 25-30.

“We didn’t know what to expect because their top kid was injured last season, so we didn’t have any insight on him, but he was a strong runner. I mean, it was a good race,” said Freedom junior Alex Heidemann.

Northampton’s top runner, also a junior, is Zeke Colyer, who won the boys’ race with a time of 17:09. Heidemann placed second in 17:18.

“We started to separate through the second mile, but I closed in in the third, and I out kicked [Northampton’s Owen Nahf] for second place. He was pretty far ahead of me, but I just went for it,” Heidemann said. “I was thinking if I get lucky, maybe break 18, but I was a lot faster than I thought I was going to be.”

Nahf came in third in 17:21. Alex Hume placed fourth in 17:42, and Joe Bauer paced fifth in 18:15, both for the Patriots.

“There’s some work that needs to be done,” said Freedom coach Bob Thear. “We had some good performances. We had some not-so-good performances. Individually, I thought Joe Bauer ran great. That was a big P.R. for him.”

Spectators kept a distance and watched from various places on the course.

“It felt different with fewer race participants and fewer fans,” Thear said. “There are still some fans floating around, and I guess that’s one benefit you have with cross country. There are no grandstands, so people can just be literally on the street, watching you go by, so it was nice, and it’s kind of what we needed.”

Runners felt the difference with fewer people too,

“It definitely played a factor,” said Heidemann. “I like when there’s higher intensity and cheering and stuff. It helps motivate me. I would have rather more people.”

Also last Tuesday, Liberty senior Cole Frank placed first in the Hurricanes’ 21-38 loss to Nazareth. Frank’s time was 15:52.

Emerick Leshko came in sixth in 17:18, and Cole Ruhf placed eighth in 17:53, both for Liberty.