"Coaches of distance runners hope that they will come in as freshman with some talent, improve each year, and ultimately run their best during the spring of their senior years. For a large number of reasons (physiology, injuries, motivation) that doesn't always happen. But when it does, you stop and think about why, and you usually realize it's because an athlete does exactly everything she's expected to do during that period. Julie Tevenan is that athlete for Weymouth HS. Julie came in as a freshman and made an immediate impact, running 5:35 that spring and showing quite a bit of promise. She got better literally every season she ran, stayed away from injuries, and pushed herself to the limits each day. Her work on the trails, on the track, and in the weight room is trumped only by her work in the classroom. When it was all said and done, Julie left WHS behind a 5-time All Star, a 2-time All Scholastic, a 3-time captain, and the most improved runner in the program over her four years. She will be missed."-- Coach Miller
What do you enjoy doing outside of your running?
Outside of running I love to spend time with friends and go shopping or go to the beach.
What are you going to miss most about your high school running career?
The thing I’ll miss most is my team. Every year it seemed like our team got even closer and I consider them my second family. Between practices and meets I probably spent more time with them than my actual family. The team is one of the reasons why I kept coming back every season. I loved that I got to go for runs with my best friends everyday and I’ve made friendships that’ll last forever.
What was your most memorable race?
My most memorable race was in a dual meet against Newton North my sophomore year during indoor track. In our league, the Weymouth/Newton North meet is like a Red Sox/Yankees game. It is one of the most intense meets and also the team’s favorite meet. This particular year, members of each team had huge PRs in every event and were stepping up to out-do their opponents. I remember running the 1000m and running a PR to get third place. During every race both teams would be screaming for their teammates and I’ve never heard the Reggie Lewis Center as loud as it was that night.
Out of all your high school running accomplishments, what stands out the most?
The accomplishment that stands out the most is when our team won All-States in cross country my junior year. On paper, we were not the favorites to win, but we knew that if we did what we were capable of, we had a good shot. We brought our team of fifty girls out to Gardner that day and we couldn’t have done it without them there cheering us on every step of the way. It was a great feeling at the end of the race knowing that you gave it everything you had and all the hard work that you put in throughout the season finally paid off.
What was the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
The most difficult obstacles I’ve had to overcome would be figuring out what to do when myself or the team didn’t reach a goal that we set. My sophomore year in cross country, our team missed qualifying for the All-State meet by three points. Instead of dwelling on this, we decided to use this as motivation to work harder over the summer to make sure that we make it to the All-State meet the next year. All our work paid off because we not only made it to the All-State meet but we won it.
Do you have any advice for younger runners?
My advice for younger runners is to do what you’re asked to do and then some. If your coach asks you to run strides, run your strides and make sure your form is perfect. When you’re in the weight room, do an extra ab workout out to build up your core. All your hard work and dedication will pay off; maybe not all at once, but trust me it will. And most importantly have fun!
If you were to change anything about your high school running career.....what would you change?
I couldn’t be happier with how my running career has gone thus far, so I wouldn’t change a thing.
What are your college plans?
In the fall I will be attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute where I plan on majoring in biomedical engineering. I will also be running cross country and track.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
I would like to say thank you to my coach Mike Miller for all the time and dedication he’s put into our school’s cross country and track programs. We wouldn’t have had as much success as we’ve had without him. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without him so I can’t thank him enough. I would also like to thank all of my teammates for making my four years on the team unforgettable. Finally, I’d like to thank my family for supporting me and coming to all of my meets.