The Swampscott High School cross country teams exemplify what any coach would want in a team. They run well, improve consistently, and conduct themselves in a manner worthy of respect and recognition.At the MIAA Eastern Cross Country Championship at Franklin Park on Saturday, the Big Blue exuded these qualities.The boys finished with a score of 107 to claim second place out of 36 teams. The girls ran equally well, placing fourth out of 34 squads with a score of 183. Both qualified for the All-State Tournament in Gardner next Saturday.The squads’ notable finishes are proof that coach Dominic Finelli has transformed the Swampscott program into a force to be reckoned with.”This is one of the best groups I’ve ever had,” Finelli said. “It’s been a magic ride.”A trip to the All-State Tournament wasn’t the only honor the teams received on Saturday. Before the race, the Big Blue were presented with the MIAA-MSTCA Ted Dutkiewicz Sportsmanship Award. The award is given to a boys and girls team in each division, and both Swampscott teams epitomized the characteristics the award recognizes.”In today’s day and age, you see a lot of fighting and selfishness,” Finelli said. “These kids shake hands each week and display great sportsmanship, which is wonderful.”The boys squad won the All-State tournament in 2006 and hoped this season would equal the joy and success it experienced. Despite two early losses to perennial powerhouses Gloucester and Peabody, the boys turned the season around early to finish with a 6-2 (5-2) record and second place in the Northeastern Conference standings.On Saturday, the boys were led by Sam Rakoc’s time of 16:49, good for fourth fastest out of 261 runners. The Big Blue also received strong performances from senior Chris Heller (16:54), who finished in eighth place, and Sam’s older brother, Dan, who ran a time of 17:26 and placed 13th.Along with victorious Hamilton-Wenham, Swampscott was the only team to have two runners finish in the top ten, and the Big Blue stood alone with four runners in the top 26. Only Hamilton-Wenham had even three.The girls proved their perfect 8-0 (7-0) season wasn’t a fluke. Lindsay Walsh finished with the third-best time overall (19:20), Kelly Walton with the sixth at 20:11; and Amelia Antrim 18th with a time of 21:03.Finelli feels good about his teams’ chances going into Saturday. He described Gardner’s 2.9-mile course as “fast” and similar to what the team is used to running on at Swampscott High.”If we can just improve by another few seconds, then who knows what we can do,” he said. “They know what it takes to win. They take it a race at a time, don’t get nervous, and go out and do what needs to be done.”