Ever since her fifth-grade Physical Education teacher asked her to join the cross-country team, Co-Captain Zoe von Eckartsberg ’26 has loved to run. Her bright personality and dedication to Girls Cross Country make her a strong and empathetic leader, supporting the team through new experiences and challenges. In fact, according to von Eckartsberg, meeting people through Cross Country is one of her favorite parts of the sport, a testament to her outgoing personality and leadership style.
“Cross Country is a Fall sport, and we’re really lucky because, especially when you’re new, you come in the fall and on your first day of classes, you meet all these people that you’ll be seeing every day for the whole season,” said von Eckartsberg.
Regardless of whether it is a workout or practice, von Eckartsberg brings a boost to team morale through her upbeat attitude and encouraging nature.
“Zoe has such a bubbly attitude to practice. She has such a bubbly attitude at practice, and she can always get you pumped up for runs or workouts. No matter what the workout is, or what our plan for the day is, she’s always smiling and cheering people on, even the people whom she doesn’t know very well,” said teammate Tayla Stempson ’27.
Hannah Jung ’28 spoke to von Eckartsberg’s ability to motivate and uplift the people around her. She serves as a role model in practice and performance for both new and returning team members.
“She sets a great example by doing the warm-ups with purpose and motivating everyone by cheering them on and, occasionally, having fun with the team. A lot of the younger and newer runners look up to her, see her as a role model, and follow her example,” said Jung.
Von Eckartsberg explains that cross country is equally physically and mentally demanding. Throughout her career, she has focused particularly on conquering the mental aspect of the sport, especially as she has overcome struggles with performance anxiety and burnout.
“Cross country is a mental sport. It’s hard on your body, but it is also incredibly mentally difficult. Being able to finish a cross-country race is an achievement in itself. I, myself, have gotten swept into the competitiveness of the sport and had my issues with performance anxiety and burnout. I’ve worked really hard to get to a point where I enjoy running again – where I can separate my performance from the team and practice every day. I want everyone on the team to enjoy running as much as I do and have fun with it without being stressed out and burnt out,” said von Eckartsberg.
Cross country has left an indelible mark on von Eckartsberg’s life, and she has goals for the future. Von Eckartsberg has plans to continue running in college, potentially on a club team, and beyond.
“I’d love to run in college. I would enjoy joining a club running team or running club. Running has become a really important outlet for me, and I’ve met so many amazing people through it. I want to continue that in college, and one day, I’d love to run a marathon,” said von Eckartsberg.
