SHEFFIELD -- The Mount Greylock girls' cross country team experienced something they haven't experienced in three years Wednesday.
They lost a meet.
Lenox edged the Mounties 25-30.
"Lenox just has all that experience and I think it showed," Mount Greylock coach Larry Bell said. "They ran a great race and they ran smart. We beat them a couple of weeks ago and they didn't get down about it, they came right back at us and did a good job with it."
Greylock did pick up one win in the meet, beating Monument 22-37. The loss stings for the Mounties, but coming early in the season, it may help them down the trail.
"I think it's going to drive us to keep pushing for a Berkshire County title and definitely push even harder for a Western Mass. title," Jenna Phelps said. "I think it's going to make us stronger as a team on the inside. It's going to give us a little more drive."
The Mounties are still the three-time defending Berkshire County and Western Massachusetts champions. Two weeks ago, they edged Lenox 25-30 in the first meet of the season. Wednesday's meet was the first of a tough stretch for the Mounties.
"I hope we react as well as Lenox did after we beat them two weeks ago," Bell said. "I think we caught [Lenox] off guard two weeks ago, and we definitely didn't catch them today."
Lenox beat Pittsfield last week as well, putting itself in good position to capture the county regular season title.
"It's going to be interesting to see, I hope we react as well as Lenox did after we beat them," Bell said. "I hope we respond well, we go right back into the fire with Pittsfield next week."
Lenox may be getting used to knocking off the Mounties. The Lenox boys ended the Greylock boys' streak at the beginning of the season, as well. Both the Mountie boys and girls are hoping the pressure has been lifted now that the streaks have been broken.
"There is a lot of pressure that goes with [that long of a streak]," Bell said. "You have kids who don't want to miss races so they are tapping ankles and doing whatever they can to get on the course when they probably should be resting.
"Hopefully that pressure is off. We can still tie them if we can bounce back and beat Pittsfield a couple times in a row here."
The Mounties' streak was bound to come to an end at some point. The team has graduated several top runners in the past few seasons and its current runners do not have the experience of some of Lenox's.
Junior Emily Kaegi leads the way for the Mounties. Wednesday's win gives her two in a row. Senior Kat Chenail anchors the No. 2 position, while Phelps, a junior, controls the third spot. Seniors Stephanie Adamczyk and Sophia Dastoli have both stepped up to be in the top six this season, while sophomore Laura Galib leaped into the top six, as well.
Bell is confident as his team gets older and more experienced it will be harder to beat. He wants his team to be peaking in November, not September.
"Now we have something to work towards," Galib said. "I think it's really going to help us get stronger as the season goes on, and that's what is important."
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