Newton North Girls Are Excelling in Cross-Country, and Loving It (Published by The Boston Globe)
Elm Bank Park was practically sludge after a long rain. The hill resembled a Slip ‘N Slide, and the grass was matted underneath the sneakers of 52 girls. Mud streaked their legs as they trudged through 5,000 meters of cross-country course in Natick, Massachusetts.
Despite these difficult conditions, the runners of Newton North High School girls’ cross-country team earned two wins in a tri-meet; 19-32 to Natick and 19-40 to Walpole.
Tigers head coach Brandon Mogayzel said the team hit the ground running this year with times he didn’t expect to see until later this season.
“The season is off to a much better start than I anticipated,” he said in an interview Oct. 1.
Newton North’s double win in Natick Sept. 29 brought their record to 5-0, and Mogayzel said they are currently 9th in the state poll.
One month later, the team is expected to place outside of top ten in the next ranking after a 6th place finish at the Bay State Conference Pumpkin Meet this past weekend.
“We just can’t seem to have everyone healthy on the same day,” said Mogayzel.
After a long year of limited competition and a mask requirement in the few meets that did occur, the girls’ excitement to race normally again is obvious based on their performance.
Mogayzel said that the team is excited to race normally after a long year of limited competition and mask requirements.
“There's an appreciation for being able to compete in a normal competitive environment, and not allowing the opportunities to slip through your fingers,” Mogayzel said. “As we know, you can't count on tomorrow being the way we were expecting it to be.”
In a tri-meet against Needham and Framingham Sept. 17, Newton North stars senior Vivian Kane and freshman Ciara Evans took first and third, with times of 19:20 and 19:57 respectively. Kane placed her first in the state.
“It’s so funny, Vivian got first and was still sad that she was a second above her time at last week’s meet,” said Newton senior captain Charlotte Kouroriez, referring to the meet in Natick. “It was just a slow course because of the mud, but she truly is very impressive.”
The team’s four captains — Kouroriez, Lucy Ponce, Maddie Fabry, and Ria Mehrotra — said that the team members have bonded more this year, and the sense of community produces results
“We’ve been working extra hard to make sure that new members have a solid support system,” Ponce said. “It’s been a lot of mentoring them, comforting them when they have pre-race nerves, teaching them what cross-country is all about, and making sure they know that we’re their friends, too.”
In interviews, the girls said they are grateful to be back together as a team.
“One day, I had this terrible biology test,” Kouroriez recalled. “I was in the worst mood, but I went down to the locker room and was surrounded by all of my friends. As soon as I saw them I felt happier.”
Both the captains and Mogayzel emphasized the importance of happiness, healthiness, and well-being in creating a positive team atmosphere.
“This year the coaches are bringing a greater awareness to eating disorders, depression, and anxiety in general,” said Mehrotra. “They provide us with resources on a team website, with numbers to call. We've been making a lot of progress in healing after isolation.”