How long were you on the team for?
I jumped on the bandwagon a little later than most people on the team and joined the cross country team my junior year. Before making the transition into running all three seasons, I was a member of the indoor and outdoor track team since my freshman year.
What made you want to join Cross Country?
I’ve been a member of the indoor and outdoor track team since my freshman year, running the longer-distance races. I never considered running cross country until a few of my teammates persuaded me to join, telling me my endurance would improve and that the training would benefit me in the track seasons. Their persuasion worked; junior year I made the decision to give cross country a shot and became a three season runner — which quickly becoming one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
How is the season going so far?
The season has been great! The girls team won all of their meets, carrying out their undefeated record, becoming GBL champions for the sixth year in a row. Everyone on the girls team really stepped up and did their part to make those wins possible. Also, for the first time in ten years there was an individual GBL champion on the girls side, which done by Jasmine Gray. To finish the season off we have a few girls who will be competing at the state meet on November 12th where we hope to see those individuals perform well.
What are your goals for the season?
My goals for this season is to improve my time and help the team maintain their undefeated record. It being my last cross country season, I’ve been feeling very nostalgic — really wanting to make the most out of the season and leave with no regrets. That being said I’ll also be running at the state meet where I hope to run hard and end the season with a big personal best.
What are you most excited for this season?
I’m most excited for all the individual accomplishment the team will have throughout the season; the girls have the possibility of having an individual GBL champion for the first time in ten years, which would be a great milestone for the team. The team has been training hard and it will be great to see their hard work be rewarded. Also this is the last cross country season where Malden will be in the Greater Boston League so i’m really excited to finish it off as the last cross country GBL champions ever.
What are you most nervous about?
In the recent years competition in the GBL has improved and with that the cross country team has had to improve with them. We lost a few key seniors from last year’s team so we needed to members this year to step and take on their role and place in meets. However despite the tough competition and the lose of the seniors I am confident that the girl team will come out on top.
What are your goals academic wise?
It’s my senior year, which means I’m going through the college process now. The main focus this year is to keep up my grade, get into the schools I’m applying to and finish the school year on a good note.
What do you want to improve on?
My time –always; that’s what’s so great about cross country there’s always room for improvement. You’re constantly pushing yourself, racing against not only other people but the clock as well. We’ve had really productive practices and great workouts throughout the season so I only expect to see my time get better.
Do you want to continue running after high school?
I don’t plan on running at on a collegiate team after high school; that being said, I do plan to continue to run on my own. After spending four year dedicating so much of my time to running it would feel wrong to just to stop. Being a member of both the cross country and track team I fell in love with running; I don’t run simply because i’m on a team, I run because I genuinely enjoy doing it.
What do you love about cross country?
I would need an entire week to answer this question properly. Cross country isn’t just “running for a long time” as I once believed. It’s running in the trails with the leaves crunching beneath your feet feeling nothing but content with life, it’s a sport that teaches you to push yourself to accomplish something you didn’t think you were capable of –and do even better, it’s a place which creates a memorable bonds between people who enjoy the sport just as much as you do. Joining the cross country team made me truly understand what it’s like to be on a team and fall in love with a sport.
What are your accomplishments so far in Cross Country?
Comparing this season to those in the past i’m amazed by how much my running has improved; I have better endurance, my times are faster and I physically feel stronger — all which has lead to a very rewarding season. I was able to contribute in the team scoring and medal fifth overall at the GBL close meet; now all that is left to finish the season is the state meet on November 12th.
