With just two seniors on a team of 48 girls, New Canaan girls cross country head coach Art Brown felt uncertain of what exactly to expect from his 2015 squad.
His positive attitude had him optimistic the girls would have a good season, but a year ago, with so little experience under their belts, it was impossible to predict.
New Canaan girls cross country is ready and raring to go in 2016. Credit: Terry Dinan
After navigating the regular season with a record of 9-7, the Rams pulled off an impressive sixth-place finish at the 2015 FCIAC Championships. And now, with so many girls coming back to run again for the team in 2016 with that accomplishment to its name, the head coach knows there’s the potential to achieve even more.
“We have some pretty experienced kids now coming back for this year and I’m pretty optimistic because of that,” Brown told NewCanaanite.com. “I can’t say for certain if our record’s necessarily gonna be better. But I think if we stay healthy we should have a better team.”
Approximately 52 girls have been running with the program this preseason, and tasked with the responsibility of being the captains of that group are three seniors—Lauren Carlson, Kameron Ong, and 2015 All-FCIAC Second Team member Drew Davis.
Senior tri-captain and 2015 All-FCIAC Second Team member, Drew Davis is poised to help lead this year’s girls cross country team through another grind that is an FCIAC season. Credit: Terry Dinan
Davis’ time of 16:06 placed her 24th overall at last year’s conference championships, and was the best time on the 4-kilometer course among her fellow Rams—and she wasn’t even one-hundred percent as she ran the race nursing an injury. Carlson ran that race at less than a hundred percent as well and yet still helped contribute to the Rams’ impressive team finish, placing 46th overall with a time of 16:57. And Ong is poised to contribute and challenge for a spot in the team’s top-seven runners this year, and do all she can for her comrades in order for them to continue making strides towards their goals.
It’s a trio that Brown is quite thrilled to have.
“They’ve done a great job,” Brown said. “They’ve really bonded with all the girls and have done a great job keeping them together and focused on what’s ahead. They all have great attitudes, are very cooperative and are working very hard. They’re really good role models.”
But in order for the team to have a shot at attaining its goals, they are going to need significant contributions from more than just their captains. Others who are expected to help the team out starts with junior Cali Brannan, who joined Davis as a 2015 All-FCIAC Second Team member by placing 29th overall at last year’s meet. Then in addition to Brannan, seniors Catherine Ellsworth, Annalee Greenspon, Anne Greer, and Rebecca Serven will all look to make their last year with the program count. Juniors Leigh Charlton, Chole McAuliffe and Megan Waldron, who all ran in the FCIAC meet last year with Charlton and McAuliffe placing 43rd and 58th, respectively, look to build upon their strong sophomore campaigns. And joining them in the effort to provide solid depth for the program this year are fellow juniors Paulina Cortina, Kyle Hagan and Danyel Meahan.
7th year New Canaan girls cross country head coach Art Brown. Credit: Terry Dinan
Brown’s team also boasts a trio of sophomores and a quartet of freshmen runners, all of whom are eager to make a name for themselves right from the get-go. The sophomores are Emily Dowdle, Elizabeth Tedford and Elaina Tiller, with the freshmen being Quincy Connell, Isabella Orlando, Sadie Slattery, and Megan’s little sister, Meredith Waldron.
All of the aforementioned talent will be needed in order to succeed against the gauntlet that is the FCIAC competition.
“Ridgefield is in a class by themselves,” Brown commented when asked to rate the conference’s teams. “Greenwich is also a strong team. Darien, Wilton, Fairfield Ludlowe, Fairfield Warde, Staples. Our league is very strong in cross country—it’s a phenomenal league.”
But even with all the top talent this Rams squad has, Brown knows the one thing that needs to hold true for a team filled with such promise and potential to be able to fulfill it—good health.
“The key to our team, really, is staying healthy,” Brown said. “It’s common for girls to suffer shin splints or knee problems. The main key in this sport is health. You got to be healthy, especially when the big meets roll around.”
And the head coach and his team need to look no further than their male counterparts when it comes to how health misfortune can derail a cross country team’s hopes and season, as detailed in the 2016 boys cross country preview.
But, if the Rams do make it through the season and improve as their coach expects them to, it’s a team Brown says should be “really competitive.”
NCHS Girls Cross Country Schedule:
- Tue., 9/13 vs. Trinity Catholic, St. Joseph, Fairfield Ludlowe – Waveny Park, 4 p.m.
- Tue., 9/20 vs. Staples, Wilton, Stamford, Trinity Catholic – Waveny Park, 4 p.m.
- Tue., 9/27 vs. Trinity Catholic, Trumbull, Ridgefield, Danbury – Waveny Park, 4pm
- Tue., 10/4 @ Greenwich, Fairfield Warde, Darien, Trinity Catholic – Greenwich Point, 4 p.m.
- Mon., 10/10 vs. Brien McMahon, Westhill, Norwalk, Trinity Catholic — Waveny Park, 4 p.m.
- Wed., 10/19 FCIAC Championship – Waveny Park, 2:15 p.m.
- Sat., 10/29 CIAC Class L Championship – Wickham Park, Manchester, TBA
- Fri., 11/4 CIAC Open Championship – Wickham Park, Manchester, TBA