Boise Athletes Break The Internet With Hilarious Viral Team Photos

Remember last week when we said that long-distance runners are a special breed? The Santa Clara University Cross Country just proved that. You may recognize some familiar faces in their now famous team photos! 

Speaking from experience, picture day is typically the one day a year where members of a Cross Country team are nearly unrecognizable. The women put on make-up and let their hair down. The men trade their short shorts and tanks for polo shirts. It's the most formal you'll ever see these athletes look. After all, the natural state of cross-country runners is drenched in sweat and occasionally covered in mud.

Typically. But the team photos from the Santa Clara University Men's Cross Country team are anything but typical! Last week, CITIUS MAG, a Track & Field website, took a break from its coverage of Eliud Kiphchoge's World Record setting performance at the Berlin Marathon to share perhaps the most bizarre team headshots on the internet via their Twitter account.

The bizarre haircuts and strangely groomed facial hair instantly went viral and had people on social media claiming "this is the most incredible thing I've ever seen." It truly looks like the entire team had no idea that it was picture day! This might be the best thing to happen to social media since Mark Johnson. 

According to Oakland-based Fox affiliate KTVU, growing a mustache for the team photo is a tradition for incoming freshmen but upperclassmen have a history of joining in on the fun as a team-building activity. These Broncos might be based in California, but two of the team members hail from Boise.

Senior Nicholas Russell spent his high school running days at Bishop Kelly High School. Russell holds the Santa Clara school records in both the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs.

His teammate, senior Josh Simboli, is a Timberline High School grad. He has Top 10 program performances in the mile and steeplechase at Santa Clara.

It's clear that the team is enjoying their newfound fame. They updated their Twitter bio to read "Official Twitter account of Santa Clara University Cross Country/Track & Field. Our head shots went viral one time" and shared some behind-the-scenes photos of how one of the now infamous haircuts came to be.

The way the internet has reacted to the funny photos is a breath of fresh air and a nice break from negative attitudes on social media! Here are some of our favorite tweets about Russell, Simboli and their Bronco teammates!