What is your name?
Cole Bowden
How long have you been running and what got you into it?
I have been running since freshman year. I run all 3 seasons, and I am on track to become a 12-season runner. Although I didn’t run middle school XC, I ran every day throughout my 8th grade COVID year and decided to sign up for WHS XC. When I got a text from the captain, Bobby Millette, and came out to summer practice, I knew distance running was for me.
What is your favorite part of being on the team?
My favorite part of the team is the team: it’s an honor to captain such a great group of guys. I definitely enjoy running fast times and helping the pack win, but I also enjoy the stuff we do outside of practice: the milk mile, midnight run, team dinners, and more. For that reason, summer running might be my favorite: it’s a 3-month offseason to improve and have fun.
How did you get to where you are now as an athlete?
For distance running, consistency is key. In middle school, my mile was only 8:30! Running 6 days a week and avoiding injury helped me progress. During my freshman winter season, I ran especially hard to train with Sean Kerin, one of the best Walpole distance runners of all time. My times fell drastically in spring when I broke the “sub-5 mile” and “sub-11 2 mile” barriers. Since then, a strong base of summer training, weightlifting, and recovery has allowed me to progress further. According to Strava, I’ve put up 4000 miles since I started. And now, my mile and 2 mile are 4:42/9:59!
How have the coaches of the team helped to make you a better runner?
Coach Giblin is a genius, one of the best XC coaches in MA. He always has tips on training, running form, recovery, and race strategy. Coach Tringali keeps us company on runs and brings knowledge from collegiate running. Coach Ganshirt and Coach Ryan were super helpful when I first joined the team and continue to provide great advice.
What are your personal as well as the team’s goals for the season?
Personal goal: As our current #2 runner, I hope to medal at divisionals to score low and help the team succeed.
Team goal: build a strong pack to win our conference, as well as D2A in November.
Do you intend to continue running after high school and in what capacity?
I will definitely continue running after high school. Although D1 is likely out of reach, I’d be happy to run on a D3 team or a local run club.
What has been your proudest achievement as a member of the cross country team?
My proudest achievement on the cross country team was winning our dual meet against Weymouth my Jr. year (fall 2023). Our 1-7 runners glued to Weymouth’s #1 throughout the entire race to win. We earned a decisive Conference victory, the first in over a decade, and held onto the momentum to win our D2A championship as well.
What is your name?
Roger Mann
How long have you been running and what got you into it?
I’ve been running competitively since freshman year but before that I did middle school cross country which got me interested in joining the team when I got to high school.
What is your favorite part of being on the team?
Running through the woods and having conversations with my teammates while hearing and seeing the nature and wildlife of the different places at the same time.
How did you get to where you are now as an athlete?
By running and training over the summer, being proactive with injury prevention through stretching and strengthening, running with people who are faster than me, and listening to the advice of my coaches and older teammates.
How have the coaches of the team helped to make you a better runner?
Coach Giblin, Ganshirt, Tringali, and Ryan have all helped me through injuries, given me detailed preseason/summer training, and taught new strategies like pack running and mental toughness—all of which have helped to make me a better runner.
What are your personal as well as the team’s goals for the season?
My personal goal for this season is to not get injured and our team goals for the season are to develop a strong pack to win the Herget and then later defend our title as Division 2A Champions.
Do you intend to continue running after high school and in what capacity?
I will definitely continue to run after high school and will most likely run on the club level.
What has been your proudest achievement as a member of the cross country team?
Being able to co-captain a great group of hardworking runners and stepping up, this season especially, to be a more direct help to the team reaching its goals.
