Written By: Izzy Bernie

As the fall season kicks off, the Rye Country Day School Cross Country team is hitting the ground running—literally. After a summer of independent training, the athletes reunited for preseason, building momentum for their season ahead. The captains and runners emphasize the team is already showing the spirit and determination that defines the program. 

“I think something all the captains are looking forward to is connecting with everyone on this team and growing the team bonding dynamic as well as working with the coaches to ensure a great season ahead,” said captain Vivian Yao ‘27. That sense of connection has been a driving force during the team’s early weeks together, drawing on last year’s RCDS theme. 

Preseason prepared the team well and eased them back into the swing of daily practices, with returning athletes helping newer runners navigate their first upper school workouts. “At the beginning, we took it easy and did our best to get into the rhythm of running on a team again,” explained captain Alexandra Lynch ‘27, noting that even tough sessions like 400-meter repeats were balanced out by fun moments like a spirited game of infection tag. 

Captain Selena Zhang ‘26 highlighted the culture of encouragement: “Even though we have people of varying skill levels or experience, during our campus loop workouts, people are always giving one another little words of encouragement and high fives as we pass by one another. It’s a very wholesome, hardworking group that I know will continue to push and support one another throughout the rest of our season.” 

That camaraderie carried into the team’s first meet. “The first meet of the season is always the most nerve-racking, no matter how many races you’ve run,” said captain Jack Slovin  ‘28. “Going into the meet, we all just had to show up for each other and remember the work we’ve done in pre-season and the summer.”

Slovin, who spent much of last season with an injury, added, “My main goal for this season is just to stay healthy throughout the season and display what I’ve been building over the past year. Something our team has always had was spirit and pride in each other, and I would like to ensure we continue to show that, always cheering for each other and pushing each other every day.” In conjunction with the captains, Head Coach Carlin and assistant coaches Anderson and Sells have been providing steady guidance and support towards the team’s goals, helping the team move towards a strong and successful rest of the season. 

Looking ahead, the notoriously hilly Brunswick course looms on the schedule, but the captains say they feel ready thanks to their weekly Friday hill workouts at Crawford Park. For captain Lucius Liu ‘26, the best part of training has been the sense of belonging and community. “Nothing helps bond people together better than the joy (and pain) of running, and everyone is super supportive of each other.”

If the early weeks are any indication, this year’s Cross Country season will be an exciting one, led by an amazing team of captains and coaches, and supported by the wonderful team and community. Look out for the team’s upcoming meets and events, and don’t forget to cheer on your fellow Wildcats on the cross country team!