When thinking of Albany High cross country, one name instantly comes to mind: Philo Germano. In years past, Philo has gone the distance, winning several key meets and going to States in 2011. On November 2nd, however, Philo etched his name into the history books by becoming the first Albany High student to clench victory at the Section 2 Championships at Saratoga Spa State Park.

“I mainly focused on two meets this season,” Philo told The Nest. “The first was the Manhattan Invitational.” This October 13th invitational featured several 2.5 mile races; with a time of 12:48, Philo came in third in his race, and came in 29th out of 1,569 overall. Though not the victory he seemed to have hoped for, Philo’s performance was nevertheless impressive.

“The second meet was the Section 2 Championships,” said Philo. “My goal was to win Sectionals.”

And that he did—-in spectacular fashion, no less. With a time of 15:18 in the 5K race, Philo beat his closest competitor by nearly three seconds and secured the victory, a spot at States at Elma Meadows on November 10th, and his place in Albany High history. Perhaps more importantly, however, Philo reached his own goal, and no accolade could ever triumph over that feeling of self-fulfillment.

Of course, Philo didn’t go it alone; each step of the way, he was supported by Coach John Deer and ran alongside what he referred to as an “improving, promising young team.”

Was Philo always destined for success with running? Perhaps not; the road to this point was not as certain as one might suppose. “I started running in seventh grade on the modified cross country team,” Philo told us. “I ran to get in shape for baseball in the spring. It wasn’t until I went to States in eleventh grade that I began running seriously.”

With the Section 2 Championships behind him, Philo is setting his sights on the remainder of the season and beyond. “I want to come in the top five at States,” said Philo. “From there, I’m reaching for the Federation Championships at Bowdoin State Park. I’ve also registered for Nike Regionals, also at Bowdoin; I’m shooting for top five and hoping to qualify for Nike Nationals in Portland, Oregon.”

Philo plans to continue running into his college years; he intends on applying to Division I cross country schools. Academically, he plans on pursuing kinesiology and exercise science. The future looks bright for Philo as he continues to defy all odds and accumulate victories. We at The Nest extend our congratulations to the newest addition to the Albany High history books.

Update: At the State Meet on Saturday, November 10th, Philo came in 13th out of 107 in the 5K race with a time of 16:03.