On Saturday, Girls Cross Country attended the Black Bear Invitational Meet, with the team placing second overall. Two athletes placed in the top ten: Amelia Alvazzi ’26 finished in third place, with a time of 19:38, and Anya Budzinski ’26 finished in ninth, with a time of 20:35.
Before the race, Coach Keri Lambert provided valuable advice regarding specific race strategies. Ibuki Hada ’25 noted how this created a strong mindset, helping her and the team throughout each portion of the 3-mile race.
“Before all our competitions, our coach always says: on the first mile you do your best; second mile, you lock in: this is [the] toughest area, so you have to be as present as possible; you’re going to go through a tough moment mentally and physically, so you have to keep your mindset as strong as possible. Finally, on the third mile, focus on enjoying your race; you’ve gone through the first two miles, which are the ones where you put all your energy into, but there is one still remaining mile; there, you enjoy. That was the mindset I held throughout the race,” said Hada.
With both Varsity and Junior Varsity teams present at the race, Andover’s athletes cultivated a supportive atmosphere. Hada mentioned the encouraging environment the meet embodied, specifically emphasizing the support the team showed for one another.
“There were so many people cheering for each team, for each other. In Andover, there are four teams, Varsity Girls, Varsity Boys, Junior Varsity Boys, and Junior Varsity Girls; they run separately, which means we can cheer on each other. As a team, we put a lot of effort into cheering on each other, not only into individual running but also into cheering on each other. That made this event super exciting for everyone,” said Hada.
Sharing optimism for the team’s future, Chloe Song ’26 mentioned Hannah Jung ’28, emphasizing her hard work during practices and how it translated into the race.
“Hannah did really well for the second race of the season; she was resilient, and her time was definitely a reflection of that. I think her improvement even in the last couple of weeks was great. I’ve just gotten to know her, but I would say that as a Freshman, she is doing incredibly well. There’s a bright future for the team,” said Song.
Running for the first time this season, Alvazzi expressed how learning from experienced runners has helped with pacing. She also highlighted how satisfied she was with the second-place finish, with many athletes running personal bests.
“This is my first season running cross country so I’m still learning how to pace myself across the 5K, but it has been great being able to learn from everyone else on the team. Several people on the team ran some great personal bests and the varsity girls team was able to get second place which is awesome,” said Alvanzzi.
This meet provided clarity on specific skills the team looks to improve upon, including pacing and starts. As the team continues to build endurance, Song acknowledged how the positive team culture will help each athlete improve.
“As we keep working this week we are really looking to refine our skills by working on pacing and starts. We hope to keep building endurance and get better and better with each practice. Each meet coming up will just act as a great opportunity to showcase how hard we have been working and also our determination. I also feel that the supportive nature of the team will be very helpful and I’m excited to keep racing with my girls,” said Song.
Looking ahead, Girls Cross Country will race away against Choate on Saturday.
