Wakefield High School’s cross country team has had their eyes set on competing in the regional competition since the beginning of the year, and they plan on going even further than that. This is a great opportunity for our Wolverines due to the amount of challenges that have come with this season. Despite the adversity, the team is working diligently to accomplish what they have set out to do this year.
Senior Christopher Johnson sheds light on the mentality of the team and how they can boost each other up to elevate their spirits.
“We have really high morale since it’s such a small team, everybody celebrates each other’s [personal records],” Johnson said. “When someone succeeds, everyone succeeds.”
Even though cross country can be perceived as an individual sport, it has an essence of teamwork and that helps propel the Wolverines to greatness.
With regionals in mind, the runners want to make sure that they are at their absolute best so that they can compete at the highest level. Joseph Turchetti, head coach of the team, finds this aspect essential to the team’s success.
“We think we are hitting our peak right at the exact time we need,” Turchetti said.
We think we are hitting our peak right at the exact time we need.
— Turchetti
Even with these high hopes in mind, the team is still met with adversity, such as devastating injuries to their top runners.
“The guys’ team lost their top two runners, [so] the others will have to step up,” Turchetti said.
This adversity and misfortune have stacked the odds against the Wolverines. Senior Isaac Fischer, one of the top runners on the team, was injured early on in the season. This prohibited him from competing for the remainder of the season, crippling the team’s morale and overall performance.
“Due to the injuries early in the season we haven’t been able to reach the goals that we have set for ourselves,” Fischer said.
However, younger runners like sophomore Sara Wenger are confident in the team’s development.
“If I try my best and go with the training my coach gives me I will succeed,” Wenger said.
Through the team’s overall resilience, their spirits remain high and their determination remains unshaken. The Wakefield cross country team exemplifies teamwork and resilience in the pursuit of a common goal. Only time will tell if the Wolverines can pull through all of these struggles and finish the season strong.
“I can totally see us doing well in regionals,” Johnson said.
