With a combined record of 26-2, Williston’s boys and girls cross country programs have set a championship pace this season. Members of both teams say they have achieved this success through of a combination of supportive coaching, a team-first mentality, and a competitive, but healthy, environment. Despite their impressive results this fall, the teams remain focused on running their best races at the New England Championships at Westminster this Saturday.
The boys team (14-1) has had a stellar season. Head Coach Christa Talbot-Syfu, and assistant coaches Peter Gunn and Chris Pelliccia, have pushed the boys to work harder and test their limits, their athletes say.
One of the team’s star runners, Nick Hill ’17 of Northampton—who finished in the top three in six out of the eight races this fall—attributes much of his success to his coaches.
“I started to get more into running as my times got faster, and that was largely in part to Mrs. Talbot-Syfu because she pushed me to work harder,” he said.
Rob Champigny ’18 of East Longmeadow, also speaks very highly of his coaches.
“They know me really well, and they know the strategy I need to use to run well,” he said. “They are some of the best coaches I have ever had, and they know what I need to do to be at my best.”
Although he’s in his sophomore year, Mr. Champigny has finished in the top four in every race this season. He has five wins, one second-place finish, and one third-place finish. Perhaps the most impressive statistic of his brief running career is being ranked first all-time on the Boys Cross Country Honor Roll, a competitive list of all the Williston runners. He expects to see even more success during his next two years on the team, but for now he is focused on bringing home silverware from New Englands.
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Sam Geschickter ’16 has always loved to shoot hoops. At six years old, he would play in his driveway for hours, then race into his kitchen and scream, “1,000 shots!”
