Running is an extremely important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In some sports, you can get so focused on another goal that you don’t realize how much running you do. Cross country is one of the sports where you solely focus on running your fastest. Your training consists of practicing on the trail and running with your teammates to push each other to continue getting faster each time around.

Cross country seems very much like an individual sport without a lot of team effort. However, it relies heavily on support and motivation from your teammates, since they run alongside you during practice and during meets. Kaitlyn Boles, a Sophomore from Bedford, NH, raced in the Northeast-10 Conference championship meet on Sunday October 4. She commented that their coach, Brian Stankiewicz, and her teammates are very motivated by the championship season. They all “love pulling out all the stops at big meets and showing everyone what [the team] is capable of.”

 This year’s cross country team is a very tightly knit group. “This year we have really bonded and grown close as a team. Due to COVID, we were unable to all run together last season, but this season we have been able to bond on our runs together and work with each other on our workouts. With such a large team this year, it has given us the opportunity to have many people to run with and create a strong pack,” said Senior captain of the women’s team, Catie Callinan, from Litchfield, NH.

“I’ve noticed the team has grown a lot. Both the guys and girls have formed a strong connection and love being around each other. Everyone has been putting in the work from freshmen to seniors and it’s cool to see. I also think the team and school are focusing a lot more on mental health which is awesome to see. We had almost our whole team show up to the NAMI walk and get involved which is amazing,” said Junior Tom Nelson, from Gorham, Maine.   

The cross country NE-10 Conference Championship took place on October 24 and was a 8k race (which is roughly 5 miles). The conference meet was held here at Saint Anselm for the first time since 2013. The women’s cross country team finished in 6th place overall in the entire conference. Senior Dominique Engle, from Rutland, Massachusetts, finished the event in 23 , minutes and 54 seconds, putting her in 19th place. Engle was named to the NE-10 All-Conference Third Team during the post-race award ceremony. Freshman Nora Conway, from Stoneham, Massachusetts, was 24 seconds behind Engle, slotting her in 25th. Junior Christine Toy, from Standish, Maine, finished out the top three Hawks runners with a time of 24:34, placing her in 29th place overall.

The men’s cross country team finished 11th overall in the conference. Sophomore Trevor Scopelites, from Litchfield, NH, completed the race in 28 minutes and 9 seconds, which placed him 43rd overall. His twin brother Tyler Scopelites finished in 70th place with a time of 29 minutes. Alex Horan, a Junior from Clifton, Virginia, placed 72nd with a time of 29:05. Steven Cormier, a Freshman from Reading, Massachusetts, placed 73rd with a time of 29:08, and Chris Hogan, a Sophomore from Plymouth, Massachusetts, placed 74th with a time of 29:11 to round out the Hawks’ top five finishers. Both the women’s and men’s teams performed incredibly well, and both earned a spot in the Regionals Conference. 

Everyone on the cross country team is extremely excited about regionals next week, on Saturday November 6, hosted by Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, New York. 

“As a senior and captain of the women’s team, this season has meant everything to me. Being unable to compete last year has only caused us to work even harder this year and enjoy every moment of it. I am so thankful to have a ‘normal’ season and to have many girls to run with. We are all looking forward to our regional meet this weekend, as it’s something we’ve worked hard for all season, and we’re excited to give it all we got. Head. Legs. Heart,” said Callinan.

Nelson added that, “We are all very excited. It’s going to be a fun weekend, and I can’t wait to see what happens. The boys and girls have been working super hard, and I’m excited to see how it’s paid off.” 

Cross country is such an amazing sport to watch. Every runner is giving everything they have, and hundreds of excited fans cheer alongside the course. In addition, what is most interesting about the sport is the determination and mental strength it takes to continuously run over time without stopping. This is why it is crucial that runners have the support of their fellow teammates and their friends on the sideline cheering them on.