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Leaders of the pack: Running runs in the Kamperides family

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From left to right: Cousin Myah, brother Theo and sister Niki. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Myah and Theo Kamperides have combined to win nine races this season.

Theo Kamperides rounded the baseball field and set his sights on the finish line, where there were two people who could be heard cheering him on louder than everyone else — his sister Niki and cousin Myah.

Myah had just taken first in the girls’ race, while Niki took fifth overall to power Whitman-Hanson Regional High past Plymouth South.

Theo edged his Plymouth South opponent by one second to win his race to lift the boys’ team to victory. The trio — brimming with excitement— celebrated with a group hug at the finish line.

“I knew Myah won when we were warming up at the starting line,” Theo said. “It was awesome.”

While it’s a moment they said they won’t forget, it’s been a sequence they’ve replicated often this year. The sophomore, Myah, has won five of her six races, while Theo, a junior, has finished in the top spot four times, and Niki, a senior, remains the Panthers’ No. 3 runner.

“It’s always fun when you get kids who are almost a lock to come in first place,” said W-H cross country head coach Steve George. “But it’s far more enjoyable because they’re here every day practicing hard with smiles on their faces.”

The Kamperides began preparations for the season this summer, and they did it as a group.

“We would do workouts together on the track twice a week,” Niki said. “We’d also all go to the weight room twice a week.”

But even with a familiarity of Myah’s blazing speed, Niki said she’s taken aback by her cousin’s success. That’s because Myah didn’t even run cross country as a freshman last year.

“I’ve been really impressed, as a sophomore coming in with this as her first year at cross country, Niki said. “I think it’s amazing.”

Myah played soccer instead, until she changed her mind during the winter. She does attribute some of her success to her time on the pitch, though.

“I have a strong finish, so I felt like soccer gave me the ability to give me the strong finish that I have,” Myah said. “During winter track, I just fell in love with cross-country and the whole team convinced me to do cross-country instead of soccer.”

Myah’s first-place finishes against Marshfield (covered 2.85-mile course in 19:38), Hingham (covered 2.98-mile course in 19:47) and Duxbury (covered 5K course in 20:14) were the lone bright spots in a few tough meets for W-H.

Myah Kamperies was unbeaten in her first five races. / Photo by: Sue Moss

“Without her, we would have been shut out at Hingham, we would have been shut out at Marshfield and at Duxbury as well,” George said. “Those are some good teams and Myah’s beaten them all.”

Myah’s times have been so above the norm that George has her practice with the boys’ team a couple of days a week.

“Her training paces fall within the parameters of our lead boys’ group,” George explained. “On some easy days, because she is also capable of higher mileage, it makes sense for her to run with the boys. Other days, and almost always on workout days, she works with coach (Kim) Coletti and our top girls’ group.”

For Theo, he picked up cross country in the sixth grade, but he didn’t start running full-time until last year when he decided to do indoor track instead of wrestling.

Theo Kamperides has won four races this season. / Photo by: Sue Moss

“During wrestling season we would joke around that the only thing he likes were the stair workouts because they were running up and down the stairs,” said his sister Niki.

Said Theo: “Yeah, my favorite thing in wrestling was the running on the track.”

And when Theo honed in on just running, he rounded into form as the Panthers’ top boys’ finisher in every race last autumn, and then set personal bests in the 1-mile and 2-mile races during the spring.

“He was prepared during all three seasons from Day One and had a better base to work from,” George said. “Nobody works harder than Theo. He is the poster boy for success in distance running at W-H.”

Myah said she’s been feeding off her cousin Theo’s success for a while now.

“I remember the year before when I was going into my freshman year, we went on a run together because I always knew I was going to do track and he ran eight miles and I could only do four,” Myah said. “I was really impressed and that pushed me.

“Even last year when I played soccer, all my friends said, ‘He’s so fast.’ That pushed me too.”

While Niki’s times don’t quite rival her brother and cousin’s, she shares a part of the success.

“She has a lot of (influence on me),” Myah said. “She is one of the most positive people on the team. She just tells me and everybody to keep going during workouts.”

George echoed Myah’s sentiments.

Niki Kamperides is the Panthers’ No. 3 runner. / Photo by: Sue Moss

“Niki is a highly regarded team member,” he explained. “I find her to be incredibly funny and a teammate who is quite vocal in support of all her teammates. I’d love to have a dozen more just like her.”

And the Kamperides would love to have a dozen more seasons just like this.

“It’s great, it’s really fun,” Theo said. “I would want to not do it without them. When Niki graduates, it’s going to be really sad when she’s not here.”

Added Myah: “It’s fun because we’re all similar people and we always get along and enjoy each other’s company.”

Said Niki: “It makes me glad at the end of the school day to be able to have this with them because we’re not in classes together. To be able to do this together is really fun.”

‘Thank God I didn’t quit’: Adversity drives Newman’s cross country career to Bentley

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Abbie Newman. / Courtesy photo from SportsPix

Hanson resident Abbie Newman is a junior co-captain on Bentley University’s cross country team.

Abbie Newman remembers her freshman year at Whitman-Hanson Regional High well. But the first few weeks, predominantly, come to mind.

“I got into cross country because my mom ran,” said Newman, who hails from Hanson. “I was just like, ‘Whatever, I’ll try it.’ But I got through the first couple of weeks of practices and was like, ‘This is horrible.’”

After that, she was ready to quit.

“It was so much work and I didn’t think I could do it,” Newman said. “It was a lot.”

But those feelings were altered over time because of her supporting cast.

“Coach Keith Erwin (former Whitman-Hanson cross country coach) and my teammates kept me going,” Newman said. “They just kept pushing me.”

And Newman said she’s thankful they did keep her running. If they didn’t, she wouldn’t have been elected as a junior captain this fall for Bentley University women’s cross country team.

“Being voted as a captain is probably my greatest accomplishment,” Newman said. “It gives me a lot of confidence.”

Newman admits her results weren’t what she wanted them to be last season, as she battled through some dietary issues, but her work ethic and upbeat attitude at practice never wavered, according to her coach.

“She leads by example,” said Bentley women’s cross country head coach Kevin Curtin. “Just week in and week out she does the work, and takes care of things academically. She shows up to practice and does what she’s supposed to do and she just consistently goes out and does it.”

Being a captain has many different responsibilities.

“We lead the practices, all the stretches and running with them and making them feel comfortable with our training,” Newman said. “They also come to us with a lot of questions based on academics.”

Curtin said Newman raises the bar for the newcomers.

“The freshmen look to her and see her and know what they should be striving for,” said the coach.

Newman is still a key contributor on the course. In the Bentley’s latest race, the Capital Cross Challenge out in Sacramento, California, held on Sept. 28, Newman was the third Falcon to cross the finish line with a time of 24:28.3.

“I’m really looking to stay healthy and be a contributing member of the team and be at least top four or top five,” she said.

Now, six years later, when Newman reflects on those first few weeks of her freshman year of high school, she does it with a chuckle.

“I just think it’s funny now and looking back realizing that thank God I didn’t quit,” Newman said.

Season Preview: A lot of competition for girls’ cross country

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Photo by: Sue Moss

The girls’ cross country team has a lot of competition within.

It’s quality over quantity for sixth-year head coach Steve George and his Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ cross country team.

The Panthers enter a new year with a competitive heap of runners as they look to rebound from a 3-5 campaign last fall.

“I’ve made efforts to increase the number of participants in the hope that more kids might translate into improved team results,” George explained. “We saw an increase early on, but have remained steady, with about 25 girls over the past three years. And actually, I’m happy with that. The quality of our top group has improved dramatically. This year, for example, we have 10 girls realistically vying for those important top-seven positions. And I would not be surprised at all if others joined them in the next few weeks.”

Senior Tori Boss was the Panthers’ top runner last season and she returns, looking to improve on an average time of 21:26.

“Tori Boss has tremendous ability and is one of our leaders and a captain this year,” George said. “She will be getting a push from two newcomers.”

Those newcomers are sophomore Myah Kamperides and junior Bryn Miller, both of whom come over from the soccer pitch. Myah Kamperides was a standout in the 2-mile during outdoor track.

Senior Niki Kamperides was the Panthers’ No. 3 runner and she’s also back, trying to lower her 21:44 average time.

“Niki Kamperides sat out track last year and is building back up at this point, but she has an incredible work ethic and desire to improve,” George said. “She will be a top-five runner early on.”

Senior captain Tori Carleton, sophomores Anna Flynn, Sarah Boulger and junior Allie Solari will likely round out the top seven early on.

“Many of the kids have improved, which is not necessarily surprising,” George said. “I’m excited about seeing where the girls end up after a couple of months of training and competition.”

Freshman Ella Bailey, sophomore Katelyn Sweeney and juniors Hailey Minicucci and Alaina Mustascio should also contribute significantly.

The Panthers open their schedule at home on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 4 p.m. against Patriot League foe Plymouth South.

“A successful season would be to have more wins than losses,” said the coach. “Our competitions with highly ranked teams from Hingham and Duxbury will be especially difficult. Silver Lake has added a couple of tremendous runners and will also be a tough team to beat. The truth is the Patriot League is very competitive from year to year and to be above .500 is not an easy task.”

Catching up with … W-H alum Samantha Coletti

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Samantha Coletti leads the pack. / Courtesy photo

Coletti outlines what a normal day for her is like and more.

Time’s flying for Samantha Coletti at Army West Point.

The Express chatted with Coletti, a three-season runner for the Black Knights, about her experiences thus far and to find out where she hopes to end up.

Q: How would you describe your college experience in general thus far?

A: “It was challenging from the start and it continues to challenge me daily. I am just now learning how to deal with it better.” 

 

Q: For those who don’t know, what makes West Point unique?

A: “Traditions. There are so many traditions that are so unique and special to anyone who graduates the Academy. The comradery of the Corps is also a very unique thing. Everyone here is so willing to help each other out through the struggles.”

 

Q: Why West Point? What made this the right fit for you?

A: “I chose West Point because I wanted to be challenged mentally and physically. More importantly I wanted to serve and become a better leader that people want to follow.”

Q: What’s a normal day like for you?

A: “Normally, I wake up at 5 a.m. and go to a morning track practice (lifting), then we have formation at 6:50, followed by classes beginning at 7:30 and ending at 3:15 (lunch formation at 11:50). From there, I go straight to practice and train. After practice I would usually go straight to dinner and back to my room to do my homework. Of course some days include other activities and plans, but this is an outline of a typical day at West Point.”

 

Q: How do you balance being an athlete and student?

A: “I have to stay focused and get on a daily schedule. Usually I plan out my entire day by the hour to make sure I can get everything done.”

 

Q: What’s been the best advice you’ve received about being a student-athlete and who did it come from?

A: “My coach always tells us to focus on what you’re doing at the moment. When you’re at track practice, you’re not thinking about school and when you’re at school do your best to focus on what needs to get done.”

Q: What’s been your greatest accomplishment as an athlete so far? When did it come?

A: “My greatest accomplishment so far as an athlete was breaking the star meet (Army vs Navy) record last outdoor season at Navy in the 1000.”

 

Q: What’s been your greatest accomplishment off the field so far? When did it come?

A: “My greatest accomplishment off the track so far has been affirming in August of last year. I have committed myself to five years active duty after graduation and three more in the reserves.”

 

Q: What are your goals the rest of the way?

A: “My goals are to ultimately meet the world class athlete standards before graduation so I could be a part of the world class athlete program and run for the Army after graduation. My other main goals are to stay focused, continue running without injury, and to graduate and lead soldiers.”

Season Review: Girls’ cross country coach aims to restore program dominance

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The girls’ cross country team. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Head coach Steve George is hoping the girls’ cross country team’s record starts to improve.

Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ cross country head coach Steve George is hopeful the program can be restored to what it once was. A force.

“When I speak with middle school kids and some of the high school kids who have chosen other sports, I’m disappointed only for the fact that I know there are incredibly gifted runners who won’t be joining us and are missing out on opportunities they can’t comprehend as children,” George said.

Over George’s five years at the helm, runners have gone on to compete at the likes of Bentley, John Hopkins, Lehigh, Tufts and West Point, among others.

While winning consecutive Div. 3 EMass titles again (2011 and 2012) is a long shot, being competitive in league play and finishing above .500 isn’t. It was just three years ago the Panthers went 6-2.

“Until we start attracting young women to this sport it will be difficult to compete with rivals Hingham and Duxbury,” George said.

Two years ago the Panthers concluded the fall at 2-6. Last year they were 3-4. This season they went 3-5.

“[It isn’t] for lack of trying on the part of the coaches or the kids that choose to be part of what I believe to be a truly wonderful experience,” George said.

The Panthers’ three wins came over Plymouth North (26-31 on Sept. 26), Silver Lake (20-43 on Oct. 10) and Scituate (18-44 on Oct. 16).

Junior Tori Boss was a standout for the Panthers and their top runner with a top average time of 21:26. Against Scituate she won, and versus Silver Lake she covered the course in 22:08 for a second-place finish.

“This year she trained hard, followed the plan and, not surprisingly, had great results,” George said. “Her athleticism and work ethic have made her our top runner. Tori runs consistently at the front of the pack in every practice and that has carried over into competition.”

Senior captain Maeve McDonough also put fourth her best season yet with an average time of 21:40 to be W-H’s No. 2 runner.

“Maeve showed enormous dedication,” George said. “Maeve loves distance running and consistently runs double-digit long runs which have helped her become a major contributor to the success of the team.”

Junior Niki Kamperides posted a 21:44 average time, a personal best and good for the Panthers’ No. 3 runner.

“Niki made a big jump this year following a freshman year with a knee injury that also slowed her down in her sophomore year but couldn’t keep her out,” George said. “That experience paid off and she has lowered her 5K time by more than five minutes. A strong and athletic runner.”

George said there were no surprises in terms of his top performers.

“On Day 1 we created training groups with what we thought would be our top 10 in group one,” George said. “That group has remained intact the entire season and in the weekly results as well.”

George said the season offered its fair share of excitement.

“We went into the season knowing Hingham, Duxbury, Plymouth North and Plymouth South had some phenomenal runners, so our expectations were not high,” George said. “But our kids’ effort and commitment were rewarded with a good record and some incredible times and finishes.”

Season Preview: Panther cross country teams are warming up

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Both teams at a beginning of the year practice. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Head coach Steve Goerge is expecting the boys’ team to be competitive while he doesn’t know what to expect from the girls’ team just yet.

Personal bests are always key in the sport of cross country. Without shooting for them, you’re doing your team a disservice.

Cross country is also one of the rare sports that celebrates the lowest score, not the highest with a first-place finish yielding one point, a secondplace yielding two and so on.

At Whitman-Hanson Regional High, fifth-year head coach of the boys’ and girls’ teams Steve George is hoping to see his runners flourish thus producing some positive results.

GIRLS’ TEAM

On the girls’ side, senior captain Maeve McDonough will lead the way.

“She’s a surprise,” George said. “When she first came here, one of my better runners said, ‘You won’t find a sweeter kid. She’s not a great runner but you won’t find a sweeter kid.’ Well, she was a sweet kid and right now she’s our top girl runner.”

Runners two through four will be juniors Niki Kamperides, Tori Boss, Tori Carleton and at No. 5 will be senior captain Maeve Rooney.

“She works hard despite the fact that she’s a dancer,” George said of Rooney. “She does Irish step dancing, which to me is as difficult as running is.”

Said Rooney: “I think if I’m doing good, I can motivate others to do good which would result in more wins for the team.”

George said freshmen Anna Flynn and Sarah Boulger have impressed him early on while seniors Dorothy DiMascio-Donohue and Gabbie Trongone figure to factor into some meets.

“I think everyone has a lot of potential and they don’t realize it until they actually start getting serious about it,” McDonough said.

The girls return to the course Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. on the road against league opponent Hanover.

“It’s just a matter of improvement for them,” George said. “I haven’t even thought about wins and losses and that’s never been my criteria for a successful season. I’d like to see a steady improvement over the season.”

BOYS’ TEAM

The boys’ team has “the makings of a very good team”, according to George.

Sophomore Theo Kamperides is the Panthers’ top returning runner and junior Brandon Hager is their second best.

Adam Solari, W-H’s third best returning runner, will captain boys alongside senior Shane Schraut.

“Adam comes from hockey and he’s a tremendous hockey player, strong hockey player,” George said. “He’s well-liked by his teammates. I think the fact that he’s well-liked is going to help him with leadership.

“Shane is on the quiet side and he’s a quiet leader. He’s shown some leadership in and outside of cross country.”

Schraut said the Panthers like to encourage each other regardless of where they stand on the totem pole, which will work to their advantage this season.

“Say one guy is straggling, one guy from behind will tell him to keep going and just keep pushing him to do harder and better,” Schraut said.

Solari echoed Schraut’s views.

“I think if we push each other, we’ll be a really good team,” Solari said.

Juniors Matt Avery, Dylan Burns and Nick Hanley along with , sophomores Matt Butler, Liam Cafferty and Chris MacDonald and freshman Evan Jewett will also make impact for the Panthers, who return to action at Hanover on Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 4 p.m.

“We have the makings of a very good team,” George said. “Perhaps not this year, but next year. One of our captains is a junior and then the next top seven is made up of juniors, sophomores and freshmen.”

Season Review: X-Country stand-outs set bar for future

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Seniors Andrew Newman and Nicole Norve were standouts this cross country season at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

Another cross country season has crossed the finish line at Whitman-Hanson Regional High. 

Andrew Newman led the way for the boys’ team, which wound up with a 4-3 record. The senior was unbeatable in his first five meets, as he raced to first-place finishes in every single one. He also set four personal records throughout the fall. Steve George, who serves as the head coach for both the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams, said Newman is self-motivated, extremely hard working and just loves to run. 

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Andrew Newman / Photo by: Sue Moss

“Andrew’s consistent improvement is a result of his effort over and above what we ask for,” George said. With high school runners, we’d ordinarily see a drop off in performance given the number of miles a runner like Andrew logs each week. We have not seen that in Andrew. He thrives on high mileage.”

Not only did Newman have a season to remember, many of his teammates did as well. Fellow senior captain Jack Ryan finished the fall boasting seven top-five finishes and sophomore Adam Solari improved on his numbers significantly from a year ago, as did classmate Brandon Hager. Freshman newcomers Liam Cafferty, Theo Kamperides, Chris MacDonald and Aiden O’Brien were all welcome sights as well.

Cafferty and Kamperdies ended the season as two of the Panthers’ top-five runners.

“The only rest they’ve had, if you can call it rest, is when they run a shorter distance in the invitational meets,” George said. “Otherwise, they do every workout, every day and it’s paid off for them.”

George said his club’s biggest strength over the past few months was the leadership it received from its captains Alex Uva and Ryan.

“They provide examples of achieving results through determination and effort,”George said. “Coaches provide instruction and structure, but high school athletes are motivated best by their peers and in cross country we have some very good ones in those seniors.”

GIRLS RACE TO 3-4 MARK

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Nicole Norve / Photo by: Sue Moss

The girls’ team, which finished at 3-4, was in a lot of close meets, as three of its losses came by 15 or fewer points. One runner who stood out from the rest was Nicole Norve. The senior captain hustled to a first-place finish in the Panthers’ first five races. Her second-place outings came against Plymouth North on Oct. 17 when she crossed the finish line one second out of the top spot, and on Oct. 24 against Plymouth South when she lost to eventual league MVP Jillian Callaghan by 17 ticks. George said Norve is as fierce as a competitor as there gets.

“She wants to improve every time out and loves a challenge,” George said. “Nicole’s success may stem from the fact that she is strong enough to run hard virtually every day, recover, and do it again the next.”

But it takes more than one runner to be competitive, and W-H had no problem with that. Seniors Julia Cosgrave and Camryn Boyce were about were steady presences all season.

“Julia and Camryn were consistent 2/3 for the team this year,” George said. “I’ll miss both of them next year certainly.”

Coming into the season, one of George’s goals was to have his runners achieve their own milestones, and that came to fruition. Sixteen of the 20 girls established personal records with two of the remaining four out much of the season with injury.

As the Panthers look toward next autumn – when this wave of juniors will be looked upon to carry the load – there is a lot to be excited about.

“Maeve Rooney has steadily improved in each of her three years, while Maeve McDonough has moved into our top 5 with an improvement of three minutes over last year,” George explained. “Dorothy DiMascio-Donohue, an indoor and outdoor sprinter/hurdler who joined cross country this year, scored in nearly every meet this fall.”