WM Girls Cross Country Captains Interview

Braeden Slutsky, Sports Editor

Serena Carpino: What are three words to describe the season?

Pippa Wander: exciting, nostalgic, memorable

Abby Dimaculangan: memorable, challenging, fun

 

SC: What’s the best part of the sport you play?

PW: The best part of my sport is the team. Running alone is so difficult but on the team everything seems easier. We have our teammates to push us and make every run easier. Without the team, we would get nowhere and never improve, our team is essential.

AD: The best part of cross country is being part of a tight-knit group and working together. We strive to not only improve ourselves but also each other and that helps us reach our common goal.

 

SC: Is there anything you want the school to know about your sport?

PW: I think a lot of the school thinks it’s mainly a physical sport but mentally it’s very challenging. A lot of the time during a race you are alone or secluded so you just have to keep pushing even when there’s no motivation. It’s very hard to explain since a lot of sports have times when they switch out and get a break. We just run for 3 miles with all out energy and then it’s over.

AD: It’s much more than just running. It’s mentally challenging at times but reaching your goals makes it worth it. Many people also think it’s an individualized sport like track but that’s not the case. You learn to have your teammates’ backs and trust they have yours.

 

SC: What is your goal for this season?

PW: My goal for this season is to just stay consistent. It’s hard to keep improving constantly, so I just want to be maintaining myself. And of course I want the team to do well, but I’m confident that we will.

AD: Our goal is to just be the best that we can be. We’re looking to do well at divisions and countries but it’s really about being a little better than we were yesterday.

 

SC: How will this season be different from last season?

PW: Mainly, it’s different being captain this year. It’s a whole new look into the team since I have to be responsible for so much within the sport. Being the role model for my younger teammates that I had when I was younger is really important to me. It’s all new but I have years of exposure to great captains already.

AD: This season is different because we have a smaller group of girls who are all so determined. We all got closer than we were able to last year and that alone makes our team stronger.