For the first time in the program’s history, the Dartmouth boys cross country team is headed to All States.

The season started a little slow with some losses at dual meets, but as it progressed, the team started to perform better at invitationals, said Head Coach Hilary Sousa.

“I’m super psyched that we finally made it to All States, like I wasn’t expecting it at all,” said junior Finn Sperry. “I don’t think many people were.”

On Nov. 2, the team competed at the Frank Mooney Invitational where, not only did a lot of the athletes run personal bests, but the team finished fourth.

“We started looking like, ‘Hey, we actually have a possibility of qualifying next week [for All States],’” Sousa said.

Finishing fourth at the invitational meet gave the athletes a new mindset.

“We started having that mindset that we have the opportunity,” Sousa said. “We had a lot of them improve quite a bit over their 5K time and we had a shot, and that’s what happened.”

On Nov. 9, at the MIAA Cross Country Championship meet, Dartmouth placed seventh, automatically qualifying for the All State meet on Saturday, Nov. 16.

“We’re a bit of a wild card this season, I guess you could say,” Sperry said

Individual runners have qualified for All States in the past, but the team had yet to qualify together, Sousa said, adding that it’s a “special moment” for the program.

“A lot of guys stepped up this year, and it’s been helpful,” said team captain and senior Jared Mendonca. “The guys were hard working.”

“It’s a great accomplishment for this team and what they’ve worked at,” Sousa said. “We’re just very excited for them to be competing tomorrow.”

In the week leading up to All States, the team has been taking it easy at practices, Sousa said.

“This week, it’s kind of just been maintaining, because all the work has been done,” she said.

The majority of teams at All States will be unfamiliar to the athletes, but there will be some familiar faces as the Bishop Stang team qualified for the meet as well.

“That would kind of be the motivation tomorrow, to be up there with them and beat them,” Sousa said.

In previous meets this season, Bishop Stang has beaten Dartmouth, Sousa added.

“We’ll try and run around Stang,” Sperry said. “That’s our favorite team to compete against because we’re neighbors.”

Twenty-three teams are competing at All States this season, Sousa said.

“If we could come in in the top 15, I think that would be a good goal for us,” she said.

As for race strategy, Mendonca said that the meet is about having fun but also making sure you “leave it all out there.”

 “I’m just going to probably give it all I have, because there’s no point in not anymore,” Sperry said.