With an individually focused sport such as cross country, an encouraging group of captains can mean all the difference to having a collectively successful team. Under the leadership of senior captains Gordon Zeng, Sean Retotal, and Slade Harding, the Malden High Boys’ Cross Country team is sprinting towards a prosperous season.
All three captains discovered their passion for running during their freshman year–both through indoor track and cross country—and decided to continue pursuing the sport throughout the rest of their high school careers. Retotal recalled being influenced by Harding his freshman year into “joining indoor track, and I fell in love with it.”
“The dedication and how much you have to run every day to get better and better,” Retotal elaborated, is why he was drawn to the sport. “I feel like originally it was very hard to do because it is a very demanding sport, but in the end, you can physically see your times improving and it is really rewarding,” Harding added.
Zeng dashed straight into cross country the fall of his freshman year, where “taking it on, especially after COVID, really gave me a sense of community since I was the only freshman on the team. Having seniors and upperclassmen there to support me and tell me how high school experiences, made me feel a sense of belonging.”
The nurturing spirit of the team has been described as consistent since then. “The cross country team is a close-knit community where we all know each other and are friends,” Retotal explained.
Sophomore Keira Celicourt highlighted how the captains “are very passionate when it comes to the team and motivating us. They make people feel very welcomed; I have built personal connections with most of them.”
“We support each other in lots of ways during meets and during practice: just by telling each other that we got this or pushing each other during difficult days to help us through them,” Zeng concurred while speaking on the environment of the team.
Encouragement is a vital pillar to the team’s performance, Zeng detailed how during “our meet last Wednesday with Everett, I saw some great finishes between our own teammates. People towards the end pushing each other and really racing each other… and as the season moves on, I want to see more of what I just saw.”
The captains have concluded that cross country does not only focus on teaching physical endurance, but also teaches runners perseverance that they can apply to any aspect of their lives.
“It has taught me a lot about discipline because you always have to be on top of your training. Whether that’s being honest with yourself about the amount of rest you get during reps, or hitting a certain amount of miles every week,” Harding elaborated.
It can also be noted that while each captain’s contribution to the team is unique, they are of equal value to their teammates. “We are a pretty young team, so I do not want to say I bring a parental contribution, but I add more authority,” Retotal expressed the importance of the maturity he brings to the team. Harding further added, “I think I’m pretty supportive of everybody. People will come to me with questions and I think I do a good job answering them and guiding them in the right direction.”
Though they have a motivated team that has already had a promising start to the season, the captain’s goals for the remainder of the season vary. “My goal is for our team to get number one in the GBL this year,” Retotal optimistically stated.
Contrastingly, Zeng’s goal is improvement. “Something really important about running is to not worry about other speeds and to not compare yourself to others. Focus on yourself and the progress you are making because everyday you are getting 1% better as long as you are putting in that effort and training. Growth is going to come exponentially, just keep going to practice and push yourself,” Zeng advised.
The relentless efforts shown by this trio of captains to share their wisdom and encouragement have not gone unnoticed by their team. By always putting their best foot forward, the trio exhibits leadership skills that stand as inspiration for runners to actively support their peers.
“The captains, in my opinion, are really nice and funny. They never try to exclude anyone and they interact with the lower classmen. They always congratulate people on new personal records, they are interactive with the team, and in my opinion they are very suitable for the role,” sophomore Ian Ian Ho remarked.
Ultimately, with the guidance of the three captains, the remainder of the season is looking bright. The team must remember to, in the wise words of Retotal, “Give it all you got,” and it is sure that their captains will be supporting them every step of the way.
