The women's cross country team has plenty of reasons to brag.
After compiling the type of season they have, the Jumbos have earned the right to bring a little swagger into this weekend's New England Championships. The team will take the same path to Springfield that has brought it the phenomenal success it's been enjoying all season long.
"Our main goal is just to advance," coach Kristen Morwick said. "There's nothing magical about it. We're not going to save everything for the week after, but we're just taking the pressure off this week."
Morwick has chosen to keep the stakes low in practice, refusing to put excess pressure on her runners.
"It's been a tough past two weeks with midterms, so we're just trying to stay healthy," sophomore Evelyn Sharkey said. "Kristen's really been doing all she can to make sure practices are an enjoyable activity."
Practices have been a constant for the team's top seven, although they did receive a break last week when the second seven competed at ECACs. Most teams find themselves tapering their routines as important races move closer, hoping their legs will peak in time for the impending championships, but the Jumbos are looking to keep their edge heading into the biggest two weeks of the season.
"We're not really doing so much of the typical taper, except in the fact that we're focusing more on quality than quantity," Morwick said. "Too much cutting back left [the team] flat last year, so we're keeping up our practices. Since we really did most of the hard stuff in the beginning, they feel like this is easy, because they're so fit."
The squad's successful track record, which includes several broken course records and a slew of first-place finishes, is only partially the result of high individual fitness levels. Rather, the team's unity has been the glue that has carried it through its spectacular season.
"Our strength lies in that we work together really well," sophomore Katie Rizzolo said. "The team's a lot tighter this year, so we're all focused on doing well for the greater good of the team when competing."
Competition will certainly be fierce at Regionals with some of the top schools from all around New England making their cases for Nationals. Apart from the challenging competition, the course could also provide a few potential roadblocks for Morwick's crew.
"This course has a pretty tight starting area, so we might try to get out a little quicker than we might have in the past," Morwick said. "I'm going to trust them, because I know that the team has good racing instincts. We got a preview of just what exactly they can do at NESCACs."
When it comes to individual performances, the Jumbos are keeping things in perspective.
"I know a lot of people are shooting for All New England, which means placing within the top 35," Morwick said. "I think most of our top seven could end up there and should end up there if we want to finish as well as we hope. We're still looking at ourselves as underdogs, and we'll just race as well as we always have."
Mentally, the Jumbos had an entire season to prepare for the weekend's festivities, and Saturday will bring a chance to show that preparation on the course.
"We're really excited - I mean, we've been training for this all season," senior Jenny Torpey said. "We've put in all the work; now it's just fun. We're refreshed and definitely psyched."
"It's good to go in a little bit nervous, but we're definitely going in more comfortable than we have been before," O'Brien added.
With the spots to Nationals up in the air, the women might be feeling the pressure, but they refuse to let it affect their performance.
"The title is open," Morwick said. "Is it a possibility that the team could win? Sure. Whoever's feeling good that day should just grab it. But mainly, we don't want to set anyone up for crazy expectations."
