Whitman-Hanson Regional High senior cross country captain Myah Kamperdies will run at Bryant University.
Myah Kamperides was bullied so bad her freshman year that her mother was ready to send her to a private school.
Then she discovered running.
“I didn’t think Whitman-Hanson was for me and wasn’t going to come back,” Kamperides said. “But then I joined the track team that winter and later that spring I decided to join cross country and knew I couldn’t leave. It wasn’t only because of the sport, but because I was so quickly making friends on the team and had such amazing coaches I just could not leave.”
She is glad she stayed.
Now a senior captain, Kamperides is a three-time cross country team MVP, indoor track MVP and five-time Patriot League All-Star. She recently committed to continue her running career at Division 1 Bryant University.
“I toured it and absolutely fell in love,” Kamperides said. “They are a small school which is what I need. I also met the team and coaches and every single person was so welcoming. I even communicate daily with the other commits and love them already.”
She will run both cross country and track for the Bulldogs.
“Running has changed my life in so many amazing ways,” Kamperides said. “I eat well and am constantly bettering myself. After a rough day at school, the only thing I look forward to is seeing my team and running.”
Rough days at school are few and far between for Kamperides, who boasts a 3.94 GPA in the classroom, while taking AP Spanish, AP psych, AP English literature, and AP statistics. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.
“I love to challenge myself and feel it makes me work harder,” she said.
Kamperides ran 30 varsity races in cross country since she joined the team her sophomore year. She was the Panthers’ top finisher in each one.
“She has set the bar rather high in cross country,” said W-H head coach Steve George. “She has dominated the sport at Whitman-Hanson during that time.”
George said it is no secret why she attained a high level of success.
“She is not only an extremely hard worker but she has supported our training plan to the letter without question,” George said. “Myah encourages her teammates to do the same without question.”
That is not the only reason she has been a two-year captain.
“In a literal sense Myah has provided leadership by training at the front of the pack every day for the past three years,” George said. “But it goes beyond that. She organizes summer strength and conditioning for the team. She is a vocal supporter for all her teammates. She approaches and completes each and every training session with a smile. Her enjoyment is infectious among the rest of the squad. I’ve had many incoming athletes how they can be like Myah. I suggest they follow her around — if they can.”
And that is just the leader Kamperides wants to be.
“I strive to be the person the underclassmen look up to,” she said.
Kamperides and the Panthers open the indoor track season on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 4:30 p.m. at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center.