Athletic prowess often runs in families—witness the 36 or so sets of siblings who competed at the Rio Olympics in August. The Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships on Saturday in San Diego will also spotlight two talented sets of teen brothers who are competing at the top of the sport together.
It’s the first time in the 38 years of the prestigious race that will feature a double set of siblings in the boy’s 5K in Balboa Park. Brothers have competed in the event before, but never four at the same time. Representing the Midwest region are Jack and Matt Aho, seniors at Grayslake Central High School (Grayslake, Illinois). From the Northeast region, Noah Affolder, a senior, and his brother Sam, a sophomore, are coming from Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Playing favorites
Growing up in a military family—their father is a member of the U.S. Army—has meant the Affolders have moved a lot, but they say changing schools every year or two is no big deal. Their running prowess eased the transition from Watertown, New York, to Carlisle last summer. Noah triumphed at the Pennsylvania state meet with Sam 17 seconds behind in third. Two weeks ago the brothers were first and second at the Foot Locker northeast regional competition.
This is a return trip to San Diego for Noah. He placed 15th last year and is expected to contend for the win this weekend. Undefeated this season, he’ll run for Syracuse University in the fall—and his graduation may just be coming at the right time. Sam has gradually closed the gap on Noah this year as the season progressed. So far Noah is okay with that—at least while he’s still leading the way.
“We don’t get along every single day,” Noah said, “but we throw that out the window once we step on the cross-country course or on the track. At regionals, when Sam came up on my shoulder with 1K to go, I knew he was going to make it [to Nationals], and that made me happy. It also kind of pushed me to pull away the last 400 and come away with a pretty clear victory.”
Sam, 15, who set a national freshman record of 9:16.43 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase last spring, said the sibling rivalry is a near constant.
“It’s in everything we do,” he said. “Around the house, if mom tells us to do something, it’s who can do it better? And we really battle during workouts on the track, because I can keep up with his leg speed and that scares him a little.”
The brothers claim that their father, Jason Affolder, exhibits complete impartiality at meets. But Sam is their mother’s unabashed favorite, as both boys report hearing Brandyn Affolder yell, “Come on Sam! Come on Sam!” during races.
“And possibly, as a follow-up, you’ll hear ‘Go Noah,’” Sam said, laughing.
Noah is unfazed.
“He needs more encouragement than I do,” he said.
The last hurrah
At the Illinois state meet two of the three Aho triplets claimed the top two spots in the boys class 2A championship. It was a repeat victory for Jack Aho, who will compete at the University of Michigan in the fall, who won in 14:12 over the three-mile course at Peoria’s Detweiller Park. No surprise there. But Matt Aho’s 14:27 runner-up finish was unexpected, given it was only his second season of cross country. The boys’ triplet sister, Elizabeth, led her team to 5th-place in the meet with a 60th-place finish.
The Aho brothers began running track in middle school but always played soccer together in the fall. That is until two years ago, when Jack switched to cross country. They had been virtually inseparable to that point, so the athletic split in the fall of 2014 was a big change. But it didn’t last—Matt decided just a year ago that he would follow his brother and give cross country a try.
“Jack was a big part of my decision to switch, because I saw him having fun and doing well,” Matt said. “And then when he won state last year, that motivated me to try to reach the next level this season.”
Matt, who will run at Bradley University next year, has indeed raised his game this fall, with the runner-up state meet finish and a sixth-place showing at the Foot Locker Midwest regional meet, where Jack finished second behind Dylan Jacobs.
Unlike the Affolders, the Ahos say they don’t get highly competitive during workouts. “We like to push each other,” Jack said, “but it’s not like we’re trying to beat each other.”
In races, Matt ries to hang with Jack as long as possible. The second half of the season Matt has finished only 10 to 15 seconds behind Jack, and both have All-American (top 15) aspirations for Foot Locker.
“Before, he never took a chance by starting out with me,” Jack said, “but now he’s doing that and it’s working well for him.”
This will be the last time they race together as high school athletes and they’re grateful for the bond the sport has created.
“We’ve all really connected through running,” Jack said. “Our parents never really did any running, but they’ve started to get into it. So now it’s something we all have in common. It’s definitely a positive for the family.”
