Fantasy Matchups: Flanagan, Rocha had skill, competitive fire in common
Legendary American distance runner Steve Prefontaine once said, “A lot of people run a race to see who’s the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts.”
Prefontaine passed away long before Marblehead’s Shalane Flanagan and Peabody’s Catarina Rocha were even born. But if he had the chance to see either run, it’s unlikely that he would have paid much attention to their times.
Flanagan was a rare talent for the Marblehead Magicians, dominating in cross country and on the track before graduating in 2000. She was a three-time All-State champion in cross country and still holds the outdoor All-State meet record in the 2-mile (10:24.21), among many other records and accomplishments.