As the fall season closes out, the KO varsity boys cross country team looks to focus on improving for next year’s season, while the KO varsity girls cross country team celebrates their recent successes.
With a relatively young roster and a few injuries along the way, the boys team saw a largely improvement-based season with lots of emphasis on personal development in getting runners’ individual times down.
While they were not as strong as previous years and did not earn as many accolades, their hard work and dedication during practice was certainly not absent. “The team definitely worked hard in practice this season as running times decreased throughout the season,” junior Co-captain Sam Bromberg said. “A big takeaway that the team learned this season was that putting in the effort is the most important part of cross country.”
Having a young core of freshman and sophomore runners had a significant impact on the team’s training methods. Developing those younger runners was key to not only competing in this year’s meets, but also in ensuring success in the years to come.
The team’s most notable win of the season was their home victory against Wilbraham and Monson on Hewett Day.
“Every single guy on the team knew that in order to win, they had to hold themselves accountable to place well,” Bromberg said with regards to their Hewett Day meet. “I was proud of the team that day because we proved that if we wanted something, we could achieve it through work and determination even if it seems unattainable.”
Head Coach Alex Hoerman was proud of the boys victory on Hewett Day as they saw many season-best times in that meet. Although the season as a whole consisted of many losses, Coach Hoerman was impressed with the runner’s individual work ethics this fall.
“The boys cross country season would be considered a season of improvement,” Coach Hoerman said. “A lot of the boys saw impressive drops in their times from the beginning of the season. I’m proud of each of them for their commitment to the sport for the season.”
While the boys cross country team saw their successes in terms of personal growth, the girls cross country team showed extreme talent this season, placing first or near the top in almost all of their meets. Most notably, the girls placed first out of 11 teams at the Canterbury Invitational and first out of seven teams at the Richard Miller Invitational. To close the season out, the girls accomplished a huge feat in placing third at the New England Championships.
“The entire team was overwhelmed with excitement when our place was announced [at New Englands],” senior Co-captain Olivia Reynolds said. “I couldn’t be prouder of the team. Each girl ran their hardest in order to secure our place, and everybody improved significantly from the beginning of the season.”
While there were many factors that contributed to the success of the girls cross country squad, one of the most important factors was the team’s chemistry and bond.
“Beyond having talented athletes, the biggest factor to our success was our team’s camaraderie,” senior Co-captain Stella Risinger said. “By the end of the season, we were tightly bonded and good friends. The team supported one another, and the atmosphere we created was uplifting, positive, and allowed us to thrive.”
Head Coach Tricia Watson sees the season as a huge success for the girl cross country program. She is especially proud of all the runners’ hard work and dedication in practice and their performances in tough invitational meets.
“A big takeaway from this season is that you should always be willing to work hard, as the rewards are grand,” Coach Watson said. “I am looking forward to maintaining a strong team next year and to a competitive track and field season in the spring.”
