CROSS COUNTRY »

GIRLS CONFERENCE AND STATE CHAMPIONS

FRONT ROW (L-R) Maggie Klingman, Molly Martin, Fielding White, Nelan Lala, Nikhil Ashri, Bridget Yu, Nathan Obeng, Will Edwards, Tai Huang, Ben Spiegler

SECOND ROW (L-R) Webb Kiser, Peter DiSciullo, Ethan Khouri, Maeve Upton, Jack Donnelly, Ryan Urquhart, Sophia Smith, Tucker Ruzicka, Ryan Purdom, Max Thompson

THIRD ROW (L-R) Mary Cate Kiser, Amelia DiRoma, Cassi Ratterree, Helen Hurden, Riley Hill, Lily Lund, Eloise Eirich, Lucy Ratterree, Marisol Wickham, Lydia Berens, Jesse Kim

FOURTH ROW (L-R) Assistant Coach Stacy Mercer, Assistant Coach Sintayehu Taye, Hampton House, Jackson DiRoma, Keith Brunnemer, Will Vaughn, Spencer Frost, Esrom Ghirmay, Keller Hitzemann, William Brawley, Assistant Coach Luke Ivey, Head Coach Mike Weiss

BACK ROW (L-R) Zach Bershad, Connor Little, Liv Eubank, Claire Mayberry, Will Larsh, Collin Degenhardt, William Austin, Anish Thota, Avery Swartz, Olivia Adamczyk, Jay McCracken, HT Stinson

NOT PICTURED Austin Degenhardt, Nishanth Gaddam, Charley Meyer

FRONT ROW (L-R) Tai Huang, Zach Bershad, Connor Little, Helen Hurden, Nelan Lala, Mary Cate Kiser

BACK ROW (L-R) Avery Swartz, Hampton House, Will Vaughn, Esrom Ghirmay, Olivia Adamczyk, Liv Eubank

Congratulations! Congratulations!

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK

Olivia is a natural runner, with a graceful, fluid stride and toughness in any racing situation. She has impressed her coaches since she joined the team as a sophomore, and has been a vital contributor to our success ever since. Olivia holds a place on Latin’s All-Time Top 25 list, a spot earned through her self-discipline and passion. An excellent example for her teammates, we believe Olivia is a lifetime runner with many more impressive achievements to come. Congratulations Olivia! Zach’s positive attitude and earnest desire to contribute to the team have marked his work in cross country throughout his middle school and varsity seasons. He always puts forth maximum effort and he takes the time to get the little things right – like using proper technique during drills and strength and mobility work. Zach is a strong athlete and a wonderful teammate, and we appreciate his contributions to the cross country program. Thank you, Zach!

ZACH BERSHAD

LIV EUBANK-CAPTAIN

Liv is an exemplary team captain. She is like the “big sister” that everyone would like to have. Liv’s boundless energy and lighthearted personality make every day fun, no matter how hard the workout is or how challenging the competition. It is impossible to envision our team without her smile and her passion. From her freshman year when she led the girls team in Zumba classes at team camp, we knew we had struck gold with Liv on board. Thank you, Liv! Esrom joined the cross country team as a freshman, left for a while, and now he has come back to us as a senior. He is a special young man with an aptitude for hard work and an appreciation for the many gifts of the sport. His first love is the long sprints in track and field, and he is using cross country to work on speed, strength, and endurance. Any time Esrom walks into a classroom, a practice session, or a team competition, he will have the effect of making the group better, and we are grateful for his contributions to the cross country program.

ESROM GHIRMAY

HAMPTON HOUSE-CAPTAIN

Any successful team needs a leader like Hampton, who can rally the troops and get everyone moving toward a common purpose. He is a strong athlete who has competed in cross country and track and field since middle school. Hampton has great empathy for others, and is always looking out for the well-being of the team. He takes the initiative to not only train hard himself, but to bring others along as well. He has been an ideal team captain in his senior season. Congratulations Hampton! Tai is a thoughtful, enthusiastic, funny, and diligent young man, who shows up every day with his signature flowing hair and fanny pack, ready to go to work. His coaches and teammates love him, and he pours himself into the challenges of cross country with zeal and positivity. Tai’s coaches are grateful for his ability to be a positive example and do whatever it takes to make the team better. He is the ultimate teammate and friend. Congratulations, Tai!

TAI HUANG

HELEN HURDEN

Helen has been a vital contributor to the team’s success since her freshman year, but this year she stormed out of the gate to rise to the highest levels of the program’s All-Time Top 25 list, earning medals against the toughest competition in 3 big invitationals in the early part of the season. Helen has achieved this through steady self-discipline over the course of each of her cross country and track seasons. She remains humble, kind-hearted, and the epitome of the student-athlete as she excels in the classroom as well. Congratulations, Helen!

MARY CATE KISER

Mary Cate defines excellence in all phases of her life as a student, athlete, and citizen. Running is not just something that Mary Cate does; it is part of her lifestyle and part of her soul. Her training ethic is exemplary, and she fosters close relationships which are the hallmark of any successful team. All-Conference since her freshman year, a team captain, and a member of the All-Time Top 25 list, Mary Cate has made her mark as a program legend. Thank you, Mary Cate!

NELAN LALA

Nelan’s quiet dedication throughout his years in our program has grown into an important leadership role in his senior year. Not only does Nelan give his best effort in every practice and race, now he has assumed the role of helping to mentor, pace, and encourage his younger teammates. We appreciate Nelan’s full embrace of - and commitment to - our program’s values. We are grateful for all of his hard work and enthusiasm. Thank you, Nelan!

CONNOR LITTLE

Connor takes the initiative to not only set a great example in training and competition for his teammates, but he also reaches out to them with words of encouragement and help if they are struggling with the challenges of distance running. In an early season race, he took it upon himself to help pace a freshman while offering words of encouragement throughout the course. Connor never asks for much, nor does he draw attention to himself. He just shows up, works hard, and makes everything around him better. Congratulations, Connor!

AVERY SWARTZ-CAPTAIN

Avery has given every ounce of effort, spirit, enthusiasm, and leadership to her four seasons of cross country and track. She exemplifies our program’s core values of having fun, being the best person one can be, contributing to a cause larger than oneself, and working to achieve personal best. She is an ideal teammate, team captain, and friend. Avery is beloved because she cares so much for everyone else, and her kindness and generosity of spirit will always be remembered. Thank you, Avery! Will has emerged as one of the most versatile athletes in the history of the cross country and track and field programs. In cross country, he became an immediate competitive contributor as a freshman, and he has climbed the performance ladder ever since, earning All-Conference honors last season and joining the Latin All-Time Top 25 list. Will earned team captain honors as a junior, and his work ethic and leadership skills are helping a young, talented boys team to reach its promise. Congratulations, Will!

WILL VAUGHN-CAPTAIN

FRONT ROW (L-R) Flinn Teichman, Will Marsh, Sophie Wenninger, Georgia Howard, Naomi Chandler, Samuel Yin, Eva Mosiashvili

SECOND ROW (L-R) Lily Ingram, Ryan Griggs, Grier Girard, Oliver Heinzerling, Ethan Sung, Yaz Hathiram, Jackson Kerr, Ella Ingram, Caroline Staffieri

THIRD ROW (L-R) Sia Gullapalli, Eliana Tewolde, Henry Reichs, Davis Query, Jack Benonis, Brooks Brawley, Vincent VanHoose, Ivana Tewolde, Sejal Dhiman

BACK ROW (L-R) Assistant Coach Camille Seeley, Assistant Coach Wendy Staffieri, Vikram OBrien, Conard Hull, Finn Heinzerling, Brady Ellis, Sam Wagner, Head Coach Thea Moore, Head Coach Michael Johnson

NOT PICTURED Will Patti, Max Thune

VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY

The Hawks concluded a hugely successful 2022 cross country season at the NCISAA Championships in Greensboro on October 28. Latin’s girls won their second NCISAA state championship within the past three years, putting the finishing touches on a dominant season in which they won three large invitationals as well as the CISAA Conference Championship where Senior Helen Hurden was a first place finisher. The boys’ team steadily improved throughout the season and finished sixth at the state championships, moving up from their pre-meet seeding and achieving six out of seven personal best times. With only one senior among the boys’ top five runners, their upward projection is expected to continue. Both teams are filled with athletes who have a genuine passion for the sport of running. Team camaraderie is high, and the Latin cross country program is poised to thrive for many years to come. All-State honors go to Mary Cate Kiser (10th) and Helen Hurden (4th).

MIDDLE SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY

Middle school cross country had a great 2022 season! As a team we were 32 strong, which is one of the largest groups Latin has ever had in MS! Although we train for races and we train to win, our primary goal as a team is to develop a love for the sport, to build relationships of mutual trust and respect among team members, and to develop a sense of belonging to a larger community of athletes. Throughout the season, our athletes’ times steadily improved as they learned strategies to excel as a team and encouraged each other to meet the physical and mental challenges of the race. The coaching staff is proud of all of our athletes’ accomplishments and their growth as a team. The boys’ were led by seventh grader Jackson Kerr, who finished 20th in the highly competitive Hare and Hounds Invitational, and finished 9th in the GCMSAA Championship with a PR of 11:20.7. The girls’ team was led by seventh grader Naomi Chandler at the Hare and Hounds race and by eighth grader Caroline Staffieri at the GCMSAA Championship, where she finished 21st with a PR of 13:44.2. Nearly everyone achieved a personal record at the GCMSAA Championship, a truly outstanding and exceptional accomplishment for our team. The most successful race of the season for our MS athletes was the Murdock Relays. A CLS MS girls and boys team finished 3rd overall in the relay and our success at this race is attributed to amazing team dynamics and the way our athletes encourage and support one another. Go Hawks!

The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race, it’s to test the SENIOR NIGHT: CROSS COUNTRY limits of the human heart.

-Bill Bowerman