Photo courtesy of ea1785_girlsxc
The EA girls cross country team placed 5th in the Gold Race and 5th overall at the Paul Short Invitational, beating 106 teams at the annual meet at Lehigh University. The finishes marked the highest placement at these meets in Episcopal’s history. Hannah Todd ’28, who ran a 19:52 5K, led the team, with Ava Cavanaugh ’27 and Olivia Melson ’29 following close behind. The top five was rounded out by Faith Varga ’27 and Anna Bradford ’28.
“The team was able to place so well because they ran as a pack,” Head Coach Eric Mundy says. “I’ve been trying to get them to run like that for a year now, and they finally figured it out after a couple seasons together.” There was only a one-minute spread between Todd and Bradford, proving that it is much easier to run with a group beside you rather than to run by yourself.
The teamwork doesn’t end there. Todd says, “Once we get in on the line for a race we do a strider and then all huddle up as a team. We then say a prayer and some motivational words. I always remind the team to run for each other because cross country is a team sport.”
It wasn’t an easy path to fifth place, though. The team overcame adversity at the finish line to earn their high placement. Faith Varga ’27, who collapsed at the end of the race, says, “It was a very intense moment. The end of the race was a hard stretch and the weather was very hot. I gave it my all.” Despite the challenging finish to her race, she reflects on the team and their support: “The team is meshing very well. Everyone is so supportive.”
They have a lot of running ahead of them as they compete to win Delco Champs for the second time in a row on Saturday, October 10. Other upcoming meets include Inter-Acs and Agnes Irwin Day, as well as NXR Nike Regionals in New York, all of which will be challenging but not impossible for this resilient team.
“You aren’t always going to perform how you want,” says Todd. “But you have to trust in your training and use it as motivation.”