By: Siri Iagnemma
Site of the girls and boys cross country course at Rock Meadow
Almost every sport, no matter how different they seem, has something in common. Something athletes dread, and consequently rush to practice on time to avoid: running. For many, it seems strange that every sports punishment should be something a team devotes all its time to. But, that is exactly what cross country is. Yet, myself and many others love it.
This season was one to remember for girls cross country. The team was led by senior captains Ava Wright, Emily Caputo, Lila Donaldson, and Eva Mucigrosso. Every year, the girls team competes in the challenging Middlesex league Liberty division. The athletes took on a 3.1 mile race every meet--Belmont girls persisted against massive hills and competitive teams and ended the season with a 3-6 record.
The girls cross country team is one of quiet spirit and determination. Being a no-cut team, there is an energy of openness and non-judgement to people of all abilities. I believe this is one of the biggest strengths of cross country: those who run every day, those who have never run over a mile, and those who just wanted something to do after school all come together on one team. The captains additionally fostered this team spirit by hosting weekly team dinners and spirit days, including themes like twin day, pajama day, and blackout day.
Belmont's home course is Rock Meadow reservation, where the team raced every Tuesday through the month of October. Here, captains organized fundraisers like bake sales and donation collection to raise money for future cross country equipment and the team held their senior night.
The top seven runners of the team advanced to divisionals a few weeks ago and put out an amazing effort on the difficult course of Northfield mountain. This course featured one mile of almost straight uphill running. However, Belmont girls all put in phenomenal efforts and improved their times. Junior Kira van Kelsted and freshman Reece Bundy continued on to represent Belmont at the state championship.
Though they are reported on little, the cross country team is a quiet but amazingly meaningful community. Each year, the team develops their skills, strategy, and improves their record. Most importantly, this year fostered so much personal growth coupled with the growth of a team environment.
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