Galebach Faces Stiff Competition at Nationals

Medford senior and star runner Phil Galebach is pictured at left at the Foot Locker Northeast race finish. Courtesy photo.

Medford Runner 32nd in National Cross-Country Competition

– Allison Goldsberry

Medford High School senior Phil Galebach finished his high school cross-country career with a respectable finish in a national race featuring the country’s top runners.

Galebach took 32nd place and finished less than a minute behind the first runner this past Saturday at the Foot Locker National Cross-Country Championships, covering a 3.1 mile course in sunny San Diego, CA in 16:11.

“It wasn’t what I wanted it to be, but I was just happy to compete so I wasn’t that disappointed. It’s been a ton of fun. We got to meet people from every part of the country. You get to see what other people are like at a really high level,” Galebach told the Boston Globe.

Galebach is no stranger to success.  He earned a spot at the national race when he placed 7th in a regional race two weeks ago in New York.  He won the Eastern Massachusetts Division 1 race in a spectacular, come-from-behind win after taking a tumble, is a two-time Boston Globe All-Scholastic, was named a Greater Boston League All-Star this season, and was recently the subject of Channel 5’s High 5 sports profile.

Galebach, one of ten kids in his family, was home-schooled before enrolling at Medford High School. He also works hard in the classroom, earning A’s in Advanced Placement classes. He is considering Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Virginia for college next year.

Galebach is coached in cross-country by Head Coach Lou Ruggiero and Assistant Coach Tom Lynch.  He will spend the winter season competing for the Mustangs in indoor track, where he runs the 1-mile and 2-mile races.