Senior cross-country team members, including Clare Padula, Isaiah Marshall, and Zaire Reid, are ambitious for the 2024 season.
According to the Friends Select cross-country athletes, the sport requires a great deal of mental and physical preparation before the start of the season. “Over the summer, I would train every day to prepare my body to be in tip-top shape,” Isaiah Marshall ‘25, a multi-sport athlete, says. “During the summer, I would wake up at 6 am and work out with a trainer to make me a better player and athlete overall.”
According to Clare Padula ‘25, a 3 season athlete, as the season goes on, it becomes clearer that the team needs to put their well-being first while also performing to the highest standard. “For me, it’s important to do what’s best for me,” Clare says. “In past years I put a lot of pressure on myself to get a PR and do really well, but this year, I am focusing on enjoying my last year of Cross-Country and just being happy with myself where I am.”
Improvement is on many of the athlete’s minds this season. Zaire Reid ‘25 says, “I hope to improve my stamina, continue placing top 10 in meets, and lower my race time as the season continues.”
Similarly to Zaire, Isaiah has high hopes for himself, caring not only about his performance but his teammates as well. “My hope is to make all-league again like I did these last 2 years and to just keep striving for greatness in helping my teammates be better,” Isaiah says. “I also want to continue to help myself be better as a person and guide my teammates along with me while pushing them to improve.”
While keeping practices serious, there is a nice balance of hard work and leisure. According to the seniors, the team has a different approach to the sport than one might expect. “We have a much more casual approach to cross-country, and I feel it makes it more accessible,” Clare says.
The seniors of cross-country state that they enjoy themselves at practice, despite the intense hours they dedicate to it. Zaire adds, “I think our overall chemistry sets us apart from other teams.”
While the athletes make up the team, it is their different perspectives and energy that come together to create strong bonds amongst the team. Zaire says, “Even though practices are hard, they’re still fun because we make jokes to take our minds off the running.”
