On a frigid November afternoon, parents and spectators gathered next to the finish line at Brooks School for the Division II New England Preparatory School Track Association (NEPSTA) Cross Country (XC) Championships, cheering for their respective teams. Fans waved colorful posters with the faces of their captains and shouted as the first runners from the Girls’ Varsity race entered the homestretch on November 9.
Leading the first pack of runners, Scarlett Hawkins ’27 completed the course’s final turn and glided down the final stretch of the race. Because of her victory in a time of 20:33 in the 5K race, Scarlett was one of three members of the Girls’ Varsity Cross Country (GVXC) team invited to compete in an All-Star meet on November 16. The other runners selected to compete were Zaria Wellesley and Griffin MacDonald (both ’28).
For US XC and Track and Field Head Coach Charlie O’Rourke, this past season was one to remember, he said. Despite several injuries on the Girls’ team, in particular, both teams excelled against their competition, he said.
Led by Co-Captains Josh Curhan, Keenan Billings, and Andreu Beltran (all ’25), the Boys’ Varsity XC (BVXC) team finished the regular season with a record of 11-4. It was their best season in over 10 years, Coach Charlie said. At their Homecoming race, Keenan broke a 17-year-old school record for the team’s home course at Fresh Pond, running the 5K in 16:45. The team’s strong work ethic contributed to its success, Coach Charlie said.
The two Co-Captains Naomi Hammerschlag and Kate Martin (both ’25) headed a GVXC team that went 12-0, undefeated for its first time since at least 1987, when Coach Charlie began coaching at the school.
“The team worked hard, and the coaches and assistant coaches were amazing,” Coach Charlie said. “They love running, and they shared that enthusiasm with the team, which really liked that. The coaches are like role models for the students.”
During the XC season, BVXC and GVXC team members trained five times a week and pushed themselves to get into top shape, Coach Charlie said. Despite this being the last year for all five BVXC and GVXC co- captains, Coach Charlie believes the team can continue its success next year.
“While we’re losing a lot of seniors, I’m going to be very positive about next year,” he said. “Making sure that they train and stay healthy over the summer, and I’ll send out weekly reminders.”
Both teams started off the season with a 6-0 record after the first two meets, and through training and traveling together, they created close bonds, Coach Charlie said. When both teams kept winning, they didn’t want to stop, and the team members encouraged and motivated each other to succeed throughout the season, he said.
Naomi said that the XC team was tightly knit and supportive throughout the season.
“Cross Country fosters relationships that are meaningful, and some of my closest friends are juniors or even sophomores. I love being able to make these connections that aren’t just surface level, having all these people you can truly reach out to.”
Naomi thrives on her teammates’ encouragement, she said.
“There are times where you’re alone in the woods, which is a little bit isolating, so what’s nice is when you have these different people from your team out there calling your name, and it’s nice being on a team with so much support everywhere.”
Having the ability to practice with the BVXC team built a stronger community of runners, Naomi said.
“We are truly a co-ed team. Although some other sports attend the same games and meets, they don’t practice together … There’s mixing in cross country, as we interact with the Boys’ team every day.”
Andreu agreed, describing BVXC and GVXC as “close- knit” with over 50 runners participating on both teams.
“Even outside of our practices, we did a lot of running together over the summer, increasing our team camaraderie,” he said.
“We’re a huge team, and there are smaller friend groups within the team, but overall, I’d say everyone within the team gets along well. I think that contributes to it being an environment that people are excited to go to after school.”
Andreu was one of the top five runners on BVXC, helping his team place sixth overall at the Independent School League (ISL) Championships on November 1. He said being on the team taught him discipline.
“It’s taught me how to be smart, like sometimes I watch my diet before working out or a race, and it all takes discipline, which can be applied to all sorts of areas of your life.”
Zaria agreed that the XC community is extremely close, describing her first experience with the team as welcoming.
“My first impression was that it was a super supportive community … The captains did a great job of bringing everyone together, regardless of skill level and experience.”
Like several other teammates, Zaria battled an injury during the season, but she still placed sixth at the NEPSTA Championships and, along with Scarlett and Griffin, was selected to compete at the NEPSTA All-Star meet on Nov. 16.
“When people got injured, other members of the team always stepped up to fill in,” Zaria said.
David Xiong ’26 described the XC team as a family.
“When you join a community like this, you really feel like a family. You get to know each runner, not just through running, but also their passions in the classroom, on stage, and in their communities.”
The team has come far even in just a couple of years, finishing in the double digits for wins for the first time in his high school career and running well at ISLs and NEPSTAs, David said.
Next year, David, Diego Abadie, and Gabe Cooper (all ’26) will serve as co-captains for BVXC, and Scarlett, Lexi Nicholas ’26, and Cailan MacDonald ’27 will lead GVXC.
