Middle School Cross Country Teams Excel at FAA Championships
The middle school cross country teams showed up when it mattered most.
On November 4 at Greenwich Point, the Panthers powered their way to both the boys and girls team titles at the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) championship meet.
“Both teams did awesome,” Sophia Kwauka ’30 said. “The key was to not overthink what place you would get and just think of being calm and breathing right.”
Kwauka was the top eighth grade girls finisher with a time of 15:45. Teammate Dylan Goodman ’30 placed first in the eighth grade boys division, clocking in with a time of 13:48.
“It was by being able to organize my thoughts during the race and knowing that I could do it,” Goodman said of the key to his race victory.
Kwauka, meanwhile, was surprised when she crossed the finish line in first.
“I was shocked because I didn't think I was going to get first place again this year,” she said. “When I started, I didn't have a plan. And when I was in first, I kind of just flowed with it.”
Both team titles were a clear testament to the steady growth and progression the runners showed over the course of the season.
“The teams improved positively over the season — especially our own team because of all the hard work we put in,” Goodman said. “Over time, you get used to the course by learning how to pace yourself to the distance.”
And it all culminated in the biggest race of the year.
“(Our) teams improved because we practiced more throughout the season, which made the championship meet the most challenging and exciting,” Kwauka said.
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