The boys and girls cross country team, led by senior Captains Dorian Ciscel, Alex Gumkowski, Leo Ladewig, and Ava Bonsignore, is looking to end the season on a high note as New Englands approach.
The squad has been solid this season, defeating Cheshire Academy on Sept. 27, Pomfret on Oct. 11, and defending its home course against Wilbraham & Monson on Oct. 17.
Gumkowski has been a member of the cross country team since his freshman year, along with a handful of other seniors. “The summer for me is an opportunity to train hard for three months, detached from the view of the coaches,” Gumkowski said. “For three months, we don’t have coaching, so we train together and hold each other accountable for progression during that period.”
This group of seniors is implementing the same close-knit family atmosphere that they inherited from previous seniors. “Our captains, Leo, Dorian, and I have the benefit of being in this sport for a long time, so we’re always eager to share our experiences with some of the younger athletes on the team,” Alex explained.
This group of seniors is trying to continue the “next man up mentality,” as Alex put it, that they saw upon arrival four years ago. “The team of the future is the ones that need to step up for years to come,” Alex said. “That’s always been the outline of our team.”
Leadership on the team originates from various sources, as Head Coach Mr. Goodman explained. “Arthur Tittman is not a captain this year, but the team has drawn on him for senior leadership just as much as the captains this year,” Coach Goodman said.
Coach Goodman has been coaching the cross country team at KO for 37 seasons now, and nothing has changed about this sport at KO – it’s always been a favorite.
Coach Goodman admires the collective effort of the seniors for their general progression. “They come to practice on time, they train all summer, and their effort has been reflected in their race times,” Coach Goodman said. This fuels the underclassmen on the team, mindful of the standard set by seniors, and they realize they should exemplify the same qualities when it comes time for them to lead the team.
Alex said that he admires the family bond this team has established. “One of our strengths is really how well the group knows each other,” he explained. “Many of us have known each other for a really long time; we know when something is off, how to address it, and individual goals to get back on the path to success on the course.”
The girls’ cross country team is led by senior captain Ava Bonsignore, who is a four-year varsity runner. Bonsignore has been a fantastic leader this season and has been a major contributor to the Wyverns’ success.
The girls have done well so far this season. Led by Head Coach Tricia Watson, they finished third in the Canterbury invitational on Sept. 20 and defeated Pomfret on Oct. 11. On Nov. 1, the team competed in the Founder’s League Cross Country Championship with an overall finish of seventh place. Eighth-grader London Veseskis placed fifth overall for the girls varsity race with a time of 20 minutes, 24 seconds, and KO’s number two runner, sophmore Anya Dausey, placed 32nd overall with a time of 22:55.
As the season comes to a close, the team will rely on Bonsignore as its leader and key runners such as Dausey. Similar to the boys’ philosophy of the “next man up mentality,” Bonsignore has not only been a pivotal scorer for the girls’ team but also a supportive mentor and leader to the rest of the team, composed of all underclassmen. “Ava’s leadership has had a significant impact on my running this season,” Dausey shared. “She knows just what to say to push me toward a new time goal, and also has words of wisdom and encouragement when the team needs it.”
We want to wish the boys and girls cross country teams luck as they compete in New England on Nov. 8, hoping to end the season on a high note.
