The 2019 George Stevens Academy cross-country team. Courtesy of GSA
The 2019 George Stevens Academy cross-country team includes, in front from left, Keishin Sadava, Beatriz Mariscal, Tylya Senel, Josephine Czuj, Grace Broughton and Thea Crowley. At middle are Caden Mattson, Sol Lorio, Gabriel Hall, Sebastian Petrak, Ian Howell, Oliver Wilson, Ian Renwick, Nyamh Wolf and Morgan Davis. In back are Ira Buchholz, William MacArthur, Coach Todd Eckenfelder, Caleb Rhine, Azaiah Nanson, Trevor Cochrane, Oliver Tenney, Thomas Norgang, Clark Morrison, Andrew Hipsky, Russell LaMarre and Micah Bryan. Courtesy of GSA
Blue Hill—What makes a great cross country competitor? Competitively running a three-mile race—the average length of a high school cross country course—takes more than speed and endurance, especially at the final push to the finish line. What separates a great distance runner from the pack is more intangible; it’s traits such as resiliency and the ability to manage pain, according to George Stevens Academy cross country coach Todd Eckenfelder.
“Some people call it mental toughness, or being competitive, but I like to call it emotional resiliency, because running is hard, and can be humiliating,” he said, as team members streamed past him on their way to after-school practice.
With only one senior graduating from the boys team in June, Eckenfelder has his top runners in hand while also welcoming “an amazing group of [freshmen] who are amazingly fast.”
At their season opener September 14 at Bucksport, freshmen Thea Crowley and Sol Lorio were the Eagles’ top finishers, with the girls and boys teams placing second behind Orono, each by 23 points.
With strong runners joining this year, Eckenfelder believes the boys team can do better than its fourth-place finish at the 2018 Class C state championships. After all, his top runners are already running faster than their fastest times from last season. “We’ve already seen some great things,” Eckenfelder said, pointing to senior and top 2018 GSA finisher Caden Mattson, seniors Ian Howell and Nyahm Wolf, junior Ian Renwick and sophomore Clark Morrison, three of whom placed in the top 10 at Bucksport.
In a sport where student-athletes work for individual results as much as or more than team results, the Eagles have struck a fine balance. “The biggest things I’ve noticed with the boys is they’re competitive but have each other’s backs,” Eckenfelder said. “They have more camaraderie than you’d expect for a cross country team.”
For the girls cross country runners, the numbers may be small but they should be able to score as a team at the 2019 state meet—unlike last year— as well as individuals. Top returning runners juniors Grace Broughton and Josie Czuj are “probably the fastest in the north except for [2018 Class C state winner] Orono,” Eckenfelder said. “And they’re friends. That really helps. They pick each other up.”
“We will be just as competitive as the boys [team] though smaller,” Eckenfelder said. “I’ve told them all we should be the fastest Class C team in the state, boys and girls.”
The Eagles next compete at home on Friday, September 20, at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds.