Andover: 26, Exeter: 30
Girls Cross Country took on Exeter at the annual Andover/Exeter (A/E) meet last Saturday. The team had strong individual performances, with Amelia Alvazzi ’26 winning the race and two other runners landing in the top five. Despite these performances, the team ultimately lost 26-30.
Hannah Jung ’28 reflected on her teammate Alvazzi taking home first place in the overall race.
“Amelia ran first overall in the race. I always look up to her because she’s such a strong runner, and I hope to be like her someday,” said Jung.
Chloe Song ’26 also emphasized Exeter’s strategy throughout the first mile of the 5K race.
“At Exeter, they run in packs and they always go out fast at the beginning. So, knowing that beforehand makes the first mile definitely easier to navigate,” said Song.
Jung elaborated on her experience during the meet, noting the sportsmanship of both teams and the hard work put in by both the Varsity and JV teams.
“This was our A/E meet, and JV and Varsity teams both lost to Exeter. They’re a really strong team, [and] they show a lot of sportsmanship, and we trained to stay together during the race, which really showed very well in both Varsity and JV. I stuck with Ela Budzinski ’28, and we finished the race together, which was very nice and showed lots of teamwork,” said Jung.
Jung also recalled the team’s training in preparation for the meet, which was one of its first away meets and took place on a much flatter course than its home course.
“Since Exeter is a pretty flat course, we did a lot of speed. We did some speed training and aerobic running, and we are currently preparing for the last meet, our Interscholastic meet, at Hotchkiss,” said Jung.
Girls Cross Country has focused on team-building this season, often engaging in visualizing activities. The team also has a tradition known as “Secret Psych,” where they write small notes to encourage and support each other leading up to a meet.
“We’ve done a lot of team-building activities, and, as a girls cross country team, we do lots of visual activities together, such as imagining, mentally visualizing our race beforehand. One of the activities that we did to boost each other’s morale was what we call a ‘Secret Psych.’ You are assigned a person on the team who you write a small letter or note of encouragement and support. It was really nice writing to my Secret Psych and also receiving it because it really did help me prepare and get ready for the race,” said Jung.
This team environment has translated directly to in-race strategies, which Ibuki Hada ’25 notes helped athletes keep their pace.
Hada said, “For JV girls, we were able to run in a pack, which helped each team member stay as present as possible during their run. Following teammates helped everyone do their best, keeping each other at a consistent pace.”
Girls Cross Country will have its final race at Interschols on November 9.
