Athletics

Meet Summaries

Cross Country Season 2008

September 11—Saratoga Invitational

The Emma Willard Cross-Country team had a great afternoon at SPAC park in Saratoga Springs.  After only three weeks of training, all five members of our small but speedy team set personal records for a 5K course.  Sophia was the first in with a stunning time of 22:52 and Devon right behind her. Sarah, Julia, and Laura all had strong finishes and great times as well.  Julia’s PR was particularly notable as she has only just recovered from a seriously sprained ankle. Congratulations to all!

September 16—Greenwich/Stillwater

Emma’s cross country team had another impressive race. Running against Greenwich and Stillwater, our girls had serious competition on a tough course with little shade. Despite the challenges, once again, all our runners equaled or bettered their personal records. In addition to fast times, runners displayed teamwork and effective tactical maneuvers. Temporarily sidelined, Sarah cheered on the team as Devon and Sophia helped each other with pacing. Coach Mackenzie noted Laura’s effective strategy in the woods as she passed several runners on the steepest section of the course. Julia’s experience and leadership were also crucial to the team’s performance. Next week, Emma will host a race with Hoosic Valley, Waldorf, and Stillwater. Come watch our talented team!

September 23—Hoosic Valley/Stillwater

On Tuesday afternoon, in the perfect weather of early autumn, the Emma Cross-Country team hosted their first home meet of the season. Hoosic Valley and Stillwater fielded both girls’ and boys’ teams so that 35 runners tried out our new course. Our small but swift team was gracious and friendly to the visitors, serving as guides to the campus and the course. While all four Emma runners ran strong races, it was a girl named Emma from Hoosic Valley who won the day, beating both the boys’ and girls’ teams. The visiting runners were heard to comment on the friendly atmosphere at our school. Nice work, girls!

September 30—Stillwater/Granville

The cross-country team raced against Stillwater and Granville after a long bus ride to the pretty town of Granville. The Stillwater team was just a bit faster, but Emma came in a very close second. Sophia led the team with an impressive time of 22:46. Devon and Sarah were close behind with times of 23:06 and 23:29, respectively. Sarah’s time represented a remarkable improvement over her recent race times—nice work! Laura and Julia worked together well and also had good races with times of 25:56 and 26:07. The team looked strong and ran with spirit.

October 7—Stillwater/Tamarac

The cross-country team won their meet in a close race with Stillwater and Tamarac. Newest runner Cate came in first overall in the girls’ competition with a time of 21:06 on Tamarac’s bright and grassy course. Sophia and Devon worked well together with respective times of 22:40 and 23:26. And Laura and Julia ran strong times of 26:20 and 26:53. Sarah made a noble attempt at running, but was brought to the sidelines by an evil virus and fever. All of our runners ran their best, and the four girls who had run this course earlier in the season all improved their times substantially. Congratulations to the team!

October 14

On another lovely fall day, the Emma cross-country team hosted Schuylerville, Waldorf, and Stillwater for another challenging home meet. Waldorf brought only modified runners, but they provided talented competition for the fast Schuylerville team. The varsity Schuylerville team narrowly beat Emma’s runners, but the Emma team won out over Stillwater in another close competition. Cate came in first for Emma with a time of 21:29, with Sophia (23:03) and Devon (23:39) close behind and working together. Sarah ran a strong race, coming in with a time of 24:39, and Julia and Laura also ran improved course times of 26:26 and 26:37, respectively.  Rumor has it that the Stillwater team ran a smart race in the woods, challenging our runners every step of the way. Great job , Emma runners!

October 23

The Emma cross-country team competed in the Wasaren League meet at Saratoga Spa Park. The weather was sunny and chilly, and our girls ran fast. While our fourth place finish put us in the middle of the team scoring, we ran against some of the fastest competition in the state. Once again, the Emma cross-country team has much to be proud of. Cate and Sophia were awarded shirts and medals for their efforts, and everyone has grown considerably faster in the last few weeks. Next week, we run our final race at the sectionals competition in Saratoga.  

October 31, 2008

Cross-country sectionals were held at Saratoga Spa Park on yet another beautiful fall day. The team ran beautifully, ending the season on a positive and powerful note. Cate ran a strong 20:51, with Sophia coming in soon after with 21:50. Devon set a personal record for this course with a time of 22:58. Sarah also set a personal record with her time of 22:59—almost a minute faster than the week before. Julia reached her goal of breaking 25:00 with a strong kick at the finish, and Laura also ran a strong race with a time of 25:41. The team worked hard all season, and as a result of their hard work and mutual support, all of the runners have improved significantly. We are so proud of their unfailingly positive and cooperative efforts. Congratulations to the team on a great season!