As the SHS community reflects on the fall sports season, the girls cross country team stands out, as they took home the Fisher League title for the 2022 season. 

One secret to their success may be the experienced leadership of their coaching staff: SHS physical education teacher Kathleen McCarthy has been coaching since 1993. SHS science teacher Charlie O’Driscoll has been coaching since 2016.

Throughout the fall season, the team’s closest matchup was North Quincy, and both coaches agreed “it was as close as it could get.”  The meet came down to their seventh runner’s time—the last runner’s time.

According to Coach O’Driscoll, the most prominent issue throughout the season was attendance due to sicknesses and injuries, which affected both meets and practices. Although sport injuries are predictable, the cross country team particularly suffered this year. According to O’Driscoll, “One member was out for one of the each league meets,” which are the most important meets of the season. 

Looking ahead, O’Driscoll feels confident about next year’s XC season. Noting this was the smallest Scituate team she’s ever coached, she said the team is “young, with strong juniors and sophomores.” She also praised the team’s “dedication and effort.” 

Elaborating on this point, SHS freshman Narissa Lipchitz said her favorite memory was “having fun pasta nights with the team.” She emphasized that XC was a good way to become involved in an after school sport that was “simple enough” because of her previous experience at Gates and training over the summer.  Junior captain Natalie D’Alotto stated the team members were supportive of one another, noting “everyone talks to one another.” Her favorite part of cross country was the new friendships she made throughout the season.  

With the winter indoor track and field season approaching, Coach McCarthy is optimistic about “strong cross country athletes filtering into different events,” stating, “having a young team is key to success” for all seasons of track.  Reflecting on the XC team’s superb season, Coach McCarthy felt their biggest attribute was the “depth of the roster.” “We had a new top runner almost every meet, which makes us hard to be beat,” she explained.