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Kristine Boegh

Senior Emma Boegh helps lead the pack at the beginning of the race at the sectional meet in Portage on Oct. 21.

Senior Emma Boegh ran at the WIAA Division 2 State meet on Oct. 28 after qualifying at the Portage sectional on Oct. 21. The girls team was just short of qualifying for the state meet, as the top two teams qualify and they got third. The boys team came in last.
“The team has made some major improvements this year. Our girls have won a few meets on the varsity and JV levels,” Head Coach Roberto Lara said. “Our boys have had some individual highlights.”
Boegh came in third place at the ECC conference meet, got sixth at the sectional meet, and took 40th at the state meet.
“It’s such a good feeling to know that I was able to put all my hard work into finally accomplishing my goal to make it to state,” Boegh said.
The coaching staff is very proud of how Boegh did at the meet.
“Emma did very well at the state meet. She outperformed several of her competitive peers. It was a tough course on a cold day, but Emma ran very strong despite the conditions. She took 40th, which is impressive considering the meet accepts only the fastest runners in the state. We are proud of how consistent and impressive she has been for our team and her leadership has paved the way for our other athletes,” Lara said.
The girls team took second place overall at the ECC conference meet and third at sectionals.
“The girls team specifically has been doing so well this season, especially since we have a lot of underclassmen,” Boegh said.
Sophomore Thomas McCarthy has also been extremely successful this season. McCarthy finished second at the ECC conference meet, but was injured during the Sectional meet.
“I had been having a good season being top three in every race I have run in,” McCarthy said. “My times have dropped a lot from last season, and I’m very satisfied with my growth from freshman to sophomore year.”
The team has been consistently running three to six miles together. Some runners also train outside of practice.
“What I feel is most important is cross training, where you take a break from running and either swim laps or go on a bike. This gives my body time to relax from the repetitive running movements whilst still gaining fitness,” McCarthy said.
Training outside of practice has many beneficial qualities that help runners improve.
“I lift outside of practice, and will run on the weekends,” Boegh said.
Though cross country may seem out of some people’s comfort zone, for others it is a perfect fit.
“I started running cross country because of my friends persuading me to do it, which honestly happens to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Boegh said.
Some may start running in high school but others have been running for many years before then.
“I wanted to start running cross country because I ran in many road 5ks when I was in elementary and I had a lot of fun and success doing them,” McCarthy said. “Once the middle school team was established in seventh grade I joined and have stayed with running ever since.”
The team has been doing great this year and Lara commends them for it.
“I am very proud of everyone on my team for the sacrifices they have made. They work very hard,” Lara said.
The cross country team is always looking to grow. While this season is coming to a close, there is always the opportunity for next year.
“If you are thinking about joining cross country, talk to counselor, coach Willet or math teacher, coach Lara, you will have fun and make memories and friends like nowhere else and with commitment we could build something special here in Berlin,” McCarthy said.