This year, the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) has decided to create spotlights to honor Abington High School’s student athletes. In light of the current pandemic, it is more important than ever to recognize their efforts and talents.

Highlighted on the third day of these spotlights are two South Shore League All Stars from the Boys Cross Country team. They are sophomore Dan Bondarenko and junior Aiden Ryan.

Dan Bondarenko

In his first season, the sophomore cross country runner was awarded his first South Shore League All Star selection. Bondarenko decided to join the team when he realized he wanted to play a sport in high school, and with his love for running, cross country was his choice. His personal record for the season was 15:18, a whole minute of improvement from the start of the season. His favorite memory came in his first race, when in the final stretch of the race, he and another runner were neck and neck sprinting to the finish. This bright start to his career leads to great optimism for the next two years with the Green Wave.

Aiden Ryan

The junior cross-country runner broke out this year to lead the Green Wave and be awarded with the honor of becoming a South Shore League All Star. He has been running cross country for five years. He got into it after being told he was a good runner, and throughout his career he has proved this to be true. On top of being an All Star, Ryan was the lone runner to run a sub-15-minute course in Abington. His favorite memory from the season was when the boys team made soup for their seniors on senior night. His amazing success this season will lead up to a very exciting senior season next year.