The Cambridge Rindge and Latin School boys’ cross-country team has been consistently ranked No. 1 in the state this season. But the girls’ team has been closing the distance to a state championship as well.
The girls’ season started shakily, said Ian Woodhouse, who coaches both CRLS cross-country teams. Meets across the state were rained out early in their season, so the first 5K the CRLS girls raced — and for some girls, their first 5K ever — was the Catholic Memorial Invitational on Oct. 17. Woodhouse said this meant there was not a great benchmark for how competitive the team would be until the second half of the season. Instead of putting pressure on division or statewide wins, Woodhouse encouraged the girls to focus on their commitment. He said his ask was simple: run a 5K and give it their all.
The team went out and took third overall in the girls varsity A section at the invitational. A quarter mile into the race, the team’s three leading runners were in the top 10 overall, Woodhouse said.
After the race, a new goal came into view for the girls, proud and motivated: They could see how close they were to possibly winning a trophy.
“I feel like that was like our first time showing what we had and who we are,” Stella Van Praagh, one of the team’s senior tri-captains, said Wednesday, as six of the girls sat on the field in Danehy Park after their workout. “And I think we surprised ourselves, or I guess I surprised myself.” She looked at her teammates, who chimed in to agree.
“It’s kind of fun to be the underdog,” said Neva Hartman, a senior on the team in her first season of cross country. She said the boys’ team No. 1 ranking has been exciting and has lifted the girls team, as well.
The two teams practice together nearly every day, have joint team dinners and check in on each other. They exchange high-fives when they run in opposite directions. And they celebrate each other’s wins, Van Praagh said.
Violet Smith, another senior tri-captain, said there was a lot of pressure on the boys going into the season because they were favored to win the state championship. The girls have a lower profile.
“I feel like we’re also holding our own, though,” Smith said. “[Coach] Ian just came up to me and was like, ‘Wow, a lot of people are cheering me on for the girls’ team’s performance today.’ … Everyone has their eyes on the boys team, but we’re also making moves at the same time.”
The girls took second at the Dual County League Championship Oct. 30, though a few teammates were unable to finish the race and some were ruled unable to compete in this weekend’s divisional meet.
Van Praagh said the league meet showed that “even not on our best day, we’re still really strong and competitive.”
The Dual County League Championship came two days before another major milestone in a high schooler’s life: the Nov. 1 college early application deadline.
“We’re all kind of going through the same thing right now,” Van Praagh said of the seniors on the team, regarding obligations outside of athletics. She said running, for her, is not as stressful as the rest of her obligations, and that she sees it as dedicated time to spend time with friends and get fresh air.
“Treating things like an opportunity instead of an obligation,” Van Praagh said. “Yeah, that’s I guess my mantra when racing.”
On the whiteboard of their locker room, each team member has written three things: their name, their birthday and a goal for the season.
Hartman said she accomplished her goal, which was to stay fit, stay healthy and have fun. She said she thinks the team focuses on staying positive, and that’s what makes it so special. Hartman led the team at the Dual County League Championships, coming in sixth.
For Maeve Reynolds, the goal was to “get speedier.” As a freshman, she was not sure what to expect going into the season, because the middle school program competes at shorter distances. Reynolds ranked 18th at the Catholic Memorial Invitational and 12th at the Dual County League Championships. She said she feels she has accomplished a lot this season and “had a fun, cool experience.”
Though the season has been rough, Nia Raskar, the third senior captain, said the team continues to show up, because the runners want to be there.
“We’re still here,” Raskar said. “We’re still trying our best. We’re gonna go to divisionals, and then we’re gonna try to make it to all states. I think that shows that we have a lot of integrity and perseverance.”
This story is part of a partnership between Cambridge Day and the Boston University Department of Journalism’s Newsroom Initiative.
This story was updated to identify runners in the photo captions.
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