Saturday 10/14 – Andover: 15, St. Paul’s: 57, Austin Prep: 58
Andover Girls Cross Country took the top five individual places in a tri-meet against Austin Preparatory School (Austin Prep) and St. Paul’s on Saturday, winning by a margin of 42 points.
Caitlyn Chow ʼ25 felt that the environment at St. Paul’s course was supportive, despite the meet being away.
“[The atmosphere] was really cheerful. There were a lot of people cheering at the finish line, there was a lot of excitement, and it was really beautiful there too,” said Chow.
According to Alison Schneider ’26, this week the team trained to build stamina to target the harder parts of St. Paul’s, which featured technical trails and rolling hills.
“[Practice was] a lot of work in the sanctuary because that’s our home course and also [has] a lot of good hills, good scenery… We do some speed workouts or just some regular slow runs in there especially before the meets… For this meet specifically, I think we were working on endurance because this course is a lot. It’s just very difficult with all its turns and stuff. It’s the same distance but it feels longer,” said Schneider.
Despite the challenge that the new terrain presented, Evie Wood ʼ25 noted some of teammates’ goals of achieving personal records (PRs). Overall, the team’s motivation led to seven runners finishing with lifetime bests.
“[Everyone] was really focused, I think people were really ready to run their best… [There were] a couple of other teams besides us, and we were told that it was going to be a slower course. And I think people were ready to try and get better times, even though some of the technical aspects of the running might be a little bit slower,” said Wood.
Chloe Song ʼ26 credited some of the team’s success to the more relaxed meet atmosphere. Teammates found it easier to enjoy their races, with their primary focus being to conserve energy for upcoming meets.
“The girls were really confident… Besides the home meet, this was our first meet that wasn’t an invitational, so we were more familiar with the type of environment and it was very intimate. There were fewer girls, so I think everyone felt more confident in their training. [Our coach] was like ‘today isn’t the day for PRs,’ so personal records. It was more of ‘We train through this meet.’ Our actual PR meet is Interschols, so that’s what we’re focused on,” said Song.
Schneider appreciated teammates’ efforts to stay connected with each other. Through traditions, like Secret Psyches, the team fosters a supportive and welcoming space.
“In the girls team specifically, we have these things called Secret Psychs, where our Captain gives us a teammate’s name the night before a meet and we write a little note…anonymous[ly], just to encourage them and to show that they have a teammate that’s rooting for them.” said Schneider.
In the weeks ahead, Wood noted that each member is driven by their individual goals. Although objectives may vary, everyone is channeling their energy towards improving for the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council Championships (Interschols).
“Certain parts of the team are working on shaving off seconds and working on more technical aspects, while a lot of the rest of the team is working on running stamina and aerobic base… I think it depends on where people are on the team, but everyone is working hard,” Wood said.
Andover Girls Cross Country will race Northfield Mount Hermon, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Deerfield Academy at NMH’s course on October 28.
