Cardinals Cross Country Athletes Celebrate a Season of Commitment and Growth
By: Evia Cobo and Anna Lena Leutiger
The team poses for a picture before the Championship at the Cambridge School of Weston in Weston, MA. The boys’ team finished fifth in the Massachusetts Bay Independent League. (Photo courtesy of Mr. Collin Richardson)
The cross country team spent the season running under the fall foliage of Boston. The group would meet up after school and after a quick warm up, would start their way along the esplanade for practice. Groups divided and cheered each other on while running in the crisp air. Whether it was an energetic day, a tired one, a sunny one, or a rainy one everyone always met up and showed their determination to themselves and the team.
The connection between all team members was special, and mostly showed itself at the races every Wednesday, which were always accompanied by ACDC, Taylor Swift, and other great artists. The team made jokes, pumped each other up, and created hilarious commentaries on the courses about to be run.
Co-captain Declan Scott ‘23 takes a group selfie in the school van before heading to a meet. (Photos courtesy of Scott)
Once on the starting line of the bumpy grass, the anxiousness began to come in, but it was always quickly followed with excitement as the Newman team passionately cheered for those running. Those watching would find spots to cheer and show their unwavering encouragement. At races, everybody consistently pushed themselves to improve their time and pace. Captain Declan Scott ‘23 recalls “being able to see his fellow teammates improve as runners” was one of his favorite moments from the season. “It was a great representation of our determination as a team, which I find really special and motivating.” Coach Rothmann also shares how “It was really fun to get to know people outside the classroom and everybody got along really well, which made my job pretty easy.”
Runners of the team all share the same sentiment of how unique of a sport cross-country is, considering it’s both an individual and team sport. Captain Xavier Choe ‘23 tells of “the support you get from your coaches and captains whenever you need them and [you] form really close relationships with all of your teammates.” This creates a supportive environment which is one of the most important aspects of running, as it pushes team members to improve and root for one another. On weekends, runs could be tracked and shared with pictures on Strava, creating a team building community even outside of school. Captain Chloe Randazzo ‘23 shares how seeing people progress all the way through, and “honoring the commitment to show up.”
Eric Lechpammer ‘23 and Leonidas Wagner ‘25 take off at the start of the meet at Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School in Waltham, MA. (Photography courtesy of Coaches Rothmann and Esposito)
One of the most memorable moments of the season was when practice was held in the pouring rain. Harper Cardin ‘25 recalls the moment, “we were all soaking wet and miserable and the way home was miserable, but we still were laughing about it and a bunch of us messed around in the rain.” The hills of Boston Common were too slippery to run on, but that didn’t stop runners from splashing in the puddles and taking selfies to track the momentous occasion. Groups also split up and sprinted in the rain, feeling completely soaked in the torrential downpour. Races such as Gann and Larz Anderson were also pivotal moments of the season as everyone pushed themselves on difficult courses and did their personal best!
Isabella Siciliano ‘24 especially remembers “the championship meet where we concluded our last race, celebrating with cookies and gummy bears.” Seniors Declan and Xavier both shared what made this season different considering it was their last at Newman. “The extra responsibility I felt as one of the seniors on the team to support the rest of the members, but over the course of the season I knew I was leaving the team in good hands.” shares Declan. Xavier, who has been doing cross country since 7th grade, shared the deep impact his mentors had on him and when the role was finally passed to him, he “was determined to pass it forward and be exactly the model that they were to me five years ago.”
Isabella Siciliano ‘23 sprints toward the finish line during the meet at Gann Academy in Waltham, MA. (Photos courtesy of Mr. Richardson)
One of the biggest takeaways of the season was learning to not quit, even when the courses were difficult or it was a tiring day. It implemented a life lesson of perseverance in an activity that the team shared a love for. Whether that meant not stopping on your run, consistently showing up to practice, or improving your time, it taught the team the crucial lesson of pushing through pain for something you love and want to improve upon.
As fellow cross country members, we would like to say that this season will always have a special place in our heart. Whenever out on a run the team will always think of the jokes, music tastes, post-race chocolate chip cliff bars, and the sound of Newman cheers. A big thank you to our Senior Captains, Ms. Esposito, and to Coach Rothmann for a wonderful season. As Xavier ‘23 says, “life itself is just one long run, and along the way there will be many finish lines that will be rewarding if you can just challenge yourself and push through the pain.”
Harper Cardin ‘25 takes a group selfie with the Girls’ cross country squad at the starting line before the Championship race. (Photo courtesy of Cardin)
