Who To Watch In Massachusetts

 

Wes Gallagher

Pembroke HS

2012

 

Best times in a 5K and 3 Mile race?

15:18 for a 5K, and I haven't run a 3 mile race

 

Tell us how your training is going?

This summer has been going really well, we've had a good number of kids each day at practice. I can tell we're going to have a strong team.

 

What are your goals for the upcoming season?

My goals would be to win All-States again as a team, and make it back to Nike Cross Nationals.

How long have you been running and how did you get started?

The first year i ever ran was my sophomore year. I did cross country so I would get faster for lacrosse and I quickly learned how much I liked running.

After that I made a deal with teammate Joe Vercollone that I would do spring track if he did winter track because he was a wrestler.

 

Will you be competing out of state this season?

This year the team will be going to Bowdoin Park in New York at the begging of the season and we will be returning again at the end of the season for regionals.

 

Favorite course to run in Massachusetts?

Franklin Park.

 

Toughest course in Massachusetts?

Northfield Mountain.

 

Favorite Cross Country race so far in your high school career?

All-States my sophomore year.

 

Favorite Cross Country memory?

When we came in second at Regionals my junior year. The top two teams make it to nationals and we had a chance to make it.  After the race they didn't tell you the results till about an hour later. Once they announced the results it was a big wave of relief and happiness.

All i could think was "we made it, all the hard work payed off". I will never forget the moment when the top 7 was standing up together and the announcer said we were going to nationals.

 

When you are not running what is your favorite thing to do?

I enjoy playing the guitar.

 

Favorite quote?

"All it takes is all you got."-Marc Davis

 

 

Catarina Rocha

Peabody HS

2013

(Photo by Margot Kelly)

 

 

How did you get started in the sport?

Last year was my first season of cross country.  My first race was the Clipper Relays. It was a really fun meet.  It was one of my favorites because it was my first race and I didn't know what to expect. but as soon as the race started my nerves went away and I just ran the best I could.

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Marika Crowe

Lincoln-Sudbury HS

2012

 

 

Chris Allen

King Philip

2012

 

Best times in a 5K and 3 Mile race?

My best 5K is 16:17 in a road race during the fall of my junior year.

 

Tell us how your training is going? 

My training has been great. My coach has had us be conservative with mileage over the summer so we can stay healthy while still getting stronger. We have a very young team--almost all of last year's varsity is returning. There is a lot of potential and kids have made big strides during spring track and over the summer. We have worked really hard and I think we can exceed expectations and surprise some people later in the season.

 

What are your goals for the upcoming season? 

This is my first season of XC, so I don't really know what to expect. I want our team to do well and improve over the course of the season. Individually I want to perform well in the championship meets, and if everything goes well I would like to qualify for Footlocker Nationals, but that's a long time from now and will take a lot of work.

 

How long have you been running and how did you get started? 

The summer before freshman year I ran every day to get in shape for soccer tryouts. When the soccer coaches held a 2 mile race at tryouts, I beat all of the older kids except for the team captain. He was also the captain of the track team, and convinced me to come out for indoor track that winter. I ran 4:35 in the Freshman Mile at Nationals a few months later and realized how good I could be at running. Then I decided to go out for spring track and dedicated myself to succeed at running.

 

Will you be competing out of state this season? 

Our team will stay in MA this fall, but I will probably go to New York for Footlocker Northeast at the end of the season if everything goes well.

 

Favorite course to run in Massachusetts? 

I can't really answer this question, as this is my first season of XC.

 

Favorite Cross Country race so far in your high school career? 

I have only run two XC races in my life, but my favorite one of the two would have to be the Footlocker Northeast Regional my junior year. I had played soccer that fall so I hadn't been completely dedicated to training for it but still had a blast. I came in 30th which was much higher than I had thought of placing. I probably ran one of my best races ever that day.

 

Favorite Cross Country memory? 

I've only had two races on XC courses, so I can't really answer this question either. If it was my favorite track memory, I'd say winning the New England Championship in the 3200 meters last June. There were a lot of great runners in that race and I wasn't really expected to win, and it was a great feeling to set a personal best in such a big race. A lot of hard work paid off in that race.

 

When you are not running what is your favorite thing to do? 

When I am not running I enjoy hanging out with my family. I also love playing soccer and basketball.

 

Favorite quote? 

"You can't propel yourself forward by patting yourself on the back."

 

 

 

Josh Lampron

Mansfield HS

2012

 

Best times in a 5K and 3 Mile race?

My best 5k time is 16:06 but I've never raced a 3 mile course.

 

Tell us how your training is going?

Training is going great. I am coming off a very successful spring track season and I've gotten some

good base mileage in this summer so I feel ready to bump up to the 5k.

 

What are your goals for the upcoming season?

 I'm aiming for the individual state title and am also trying to qualify for Nike Nationals, but more

importantly my team is hoping to get the team championships as well. We've all worked very hard

over the summer so I think we have a good shot at it.

 

How long have you been running and how did you get started?

My sister got me interested in doing track because she was on the track team when she was in High School.

But I signed up for track but not cross country because I thought distance running was stupid. So after doing sprinting

for all of freshman year I realized that I was not a sprinter so I switched to distance sophomore year.

 

Will you be competing out of state this season?

Before the All State meet we will be going to the Ocean State Invitational. Then we will be going to Nike Cross Regionals.

 

Favorite course to run in Massachusetts?

 Franklin Park without a doubt.

 

Toughest course in Massachusetts?

Northfield Mountain. I only raced there once but it was awful and I'm glad I never have to go back.

 

Favorite Cross Country race so far in your high school career?

Last year at the EMASS D2 race at Franklin Park. My teammate Shayne Collins and I finished 1-2 and we got 1st as a team as well.

 

Favorite Cross Country memory?

Winning the State Championship as a team my sophomore year. Although I wasn’t in our top 7 at the time so I didn’t

race I remember how no one knew what the results where after the race until two of my teammates came running from

where the results were screaming that we won by 4 points. Everyone started jumping on each other and yelling and I don’t

think we stopped celebrating until we got off the bus at the our school.

 

When you are not running what is your favorite thing to do?

I like to hang out with friends and teammates. Going to the movies or after a meet making a team trip to Red Robin to reward ourselves.

 

Favorite quote?

"Almost every part of the mile is tactically important: you can never let down, never stop thinking,

and you can be beaten at almost any point. I suppose you could say it is like life." -John Landy