By: Ava Paolino ‘25
When fall rolls around at Notre Dame, the cross country season embarks. Practicing four times a week with a meet each weekend, these athletes sure do get their steps in! Read on to learn more about what it is like to be on the cross country team here at Notre Dame.
A three-mile run may seem like a drag to most people, but for runners like Sophie McElroy ‘25, it is something that she appreciates. “You learn to love running and enjoy the scenery,” she said. The race courses at Van Cortlandt Park and Ocean Breeze have the athletes running on grass, dirt, forest-like areas, and hills. While some terrain proves difficult to run through, that does not stop our runners from placing among competitors. At the first meet of the season, Maggie McCabe ‘25 came in first in the Sophomore race, with the rest of the sophomores combining to place third overall. At the All Hallows Eve Invitational, the freshmen placed third overall, while the Varsity team placed eighth overall at the Manhattan College Invitational. These are just a few of the impressive race outcomes of this season.
It is not to be pushed aside that in order to do well in a race, the ND runners have to train diligently. Maggie says, “In order to keep improving, you must have self discipline and dedication.” The athletes on the cross country team certainly show their dedication by meeting with their coach, Daryn Johnson, four times a week after school to practice. These sessions include running multiple miles along the lovely Hudson River and Central Park. Not only do you get to run in the great outdoors, but you also get to do it with your Chez Nous Sisters.
Like most sports teams at ND, the cross country team has a family-like atmosphere. Sophie McElroy ‘25 says, “When I was in my freshman year, I joined cross country not knowing anyone but a few kids from my middle school. After the first week, I made some of my best friends at Notre Dame.” Since cross country starts training together almost two weeks before school begins in the summer, the athletes on the team have an opportunity to get to know each other and meet new people prior to the first week of school. When the school year starts, the team trains multiple days a week, which gives the girls a lot of time to bond. Dolores Maxwell ‘25 says, “My favorite part about being in cross country would have to be the community you gain.” Whether it be listening to music together while they do practice laps, or even just talking about the school day during a run, these practices prove to be treasured parts in the runners’ days.
Even though their season is coming to an end, winter indoor track is right around the corner. Congratulations to the cross country team on an amazing season, and more to come!
Photos Courtesy of Notre Dame Instagram
Edited by: Schona Dhawan ‘25, Katarina Radulovic '24, Natalia Cseh '23, and Ms. Brilliant
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