2025 Season
Practice starts August 18, 3:45-5:15 p.m. Meet at the SAC Plaza.
Questions? Contact Coach Staffieri via email: wendy.staffieri@charlottelatin.org
2024 Season Summary
By Coach Moore
As expected, our MSXC Hawks SOARED this season! We had one of the largest MSXC team ever with several athletes joining the team mid to late season. The enthusiasm and camaraderie were genuine, and our 2024 MSXC team definitely brought the spirit and skills. Due to injuries, weather and other scheduling conflicts, we went into the GCMSSA championship with fewer qualifying athletes and a much smaller team than our competitors. Despite the challenge of running with a reduced roster, our athletes performed very well. The Latin boys team came in 3rd place out of 8 teams, with 7 Latin boys earning a personal record during the championship race and 3 Latin boys finished in the top ten. The accomplishments of our athletes for the 2024 MSXC season can be attributed in large part to the way our athletes support and encourage each other to be their very best. As coaches, we are honored to coach these athletes and we could not be more proud of their success.
2023 Season Summary
Middle School Cross Country had a great 2023 fall season. As a team we were 26 strong. The CLS MSXC trains to win races, but our primary goal as a team is to develop a love for the sport, to build relationships of mutual trust and respect among team members, and to develop a sense of belonging to a larger community of athletes. Throughout the season our athletes times steadily improved as they developed strategies to excel as a team and encouraged each other to meet the physical and mental challenges of the race. While the coaches are proud of all our athletes accomplishments this season and their growth as a team, one athlete had a particularly exceptional season: Grace Short. An avid swimmer, Grace joined cross country this year to cross train but she did far more than that. Grace broke the Latin school record for the girls 3K with a time of 10.57.4 at the Cannon meet and then proceeded to break her own incredible record at the GCMSAA Conference Championships the following week, finishing first by nearly a minute with a time of 10.46.7 and a new personal best. Nearly every athlete on the CLS Boys team achieved a personal record at the GCMSAA Championship race (which is amazing) and the boys team placed 2nd overall after steadily improving their standing in the conference over the entire season. Five of our top athletes (Jackson Kerr, Jackson Ollman, Jack Benonis, Flinn Teichman, and Brady Ellis) could not get enough of the sport this year and made a decision to enter the post season NCRunners MSXC Festival on 21 October. The competition was fierce, but our CLS boys team finished in 5th place out of 14 teams that entered. Jackson Kerr finished 11th overall in the race earning a medal for his outstanding performance. Our success for the 2023 season is attributed, in large part, to the way that our athletes encourage one another to be their best. All the coaches are in agreement that this year's team was the most successful MSXC team in our collective memory and we could not be more proud!
2022 Season Summary
Middle school cross country had a great 2022 season! As a team we were 32 strong, which is one of the largest groups Latin has ever had in MS! Although we train for races and we train to win, our primary goal as a team is to develop a love for the sport, to build relationships of mutual trust and respect among team members, and to develop a sense of belonging to a larger community of athletes. Throughout the season, our athletes' times steadily improved as they learned strategies to excel as a team and encouraged each other to meet the physical and mental challenges of the race. The coaching staff is proud of all of our athletes' accomplishments and their growth as a team. The boys' were led by seventh grader Jackson Kerr, who finished 20th in the highly competitive Hare and Hounds Invitational, and finished 9th in the GCMSAA Championship with a PR of 11:20.7. The girls' team was led by seventh grader Naomi Chandler at the Hare and Hounds race and by eighth grader Caroline Staffieri at the GCMSAA Championship, where she finished 21st with a PR of 13:44.2. Nearly everyone achieved a personal record at the GCMSAA Championship, a truly outstanding and exceptional accomplishment for our team. The most successful race of the season for our MS athletes was the Murdock Relays. A CLS MS girls and boys team finished 3rd overall in the relay and our success at this race is attributed to amazing team dynamics and the way our athletes encourage and support one another. Go Hawks!
2021 Season Summary
This year's middle school team was the largest in many years and one of the most enthusiastic. Whether during a long run in practice, in a post-race game of capture the flag, or racing around McAlpine Park, they brought seemingly boundless energy, a 'can do' attitude, and a willingness to improve. The coaching staff remarked early on that this group was especially good at bonding as a team and bringing a sense of purposeful fun to practice and races.
Probably the biggest highlight of the season was simply the steady improvement that every runner made from race to race. This progress culminated in our conference championships where well over half of our athletes ran their best time of the season.
This team was a particularly fun group to coach, and it was especially enjoyable to see how they cheered for each other at the races and practiced being good teammates. Thanks to the athletes for making the season a success and a big 'thank you' to all the parents for their support, encouragement, and supply of post-race refreshments. We hope to see the 7th graders next fall and wish the 8th graders best of luck with Upper School and the rest of their cross country careers!
2020 Season Summary
This year's middle school runners handled the unusual 2020 season with aplomb and good cheer. Frequent rain limited the first weeks of practice, and despite the strong possibility at the season's start of no races, the athletes ended up, thankfully, with frequent chances to compete and display their improving speed and endurance.
The undoubted highlight of the year was our first race, where CLS runners captured the individual titles. William Austin ran a smart and tactically excellent race to claim first place in the boys' competition, while Maggie Klingman led start to finish in dominant fashion to take the crown in the girls' race. As a team, the athletes ran well on our home course, making the most of the chance to perform in front of parents and the home crowd.
Our races at Cannon School provided other highlights, as four runners ran times that placed them in the top ten times (over the past four years) for CLS runners on that course. Marisol Wickam and Charley Meyer earn special praise for doing this in their first race ever at Cannon, and William Austin and Maggie Klingman deserve recognition for placing in the top 5 on our 'all time' list at this meet.
As a whole, the athletes were a pleasure to work with; they showed much potential and a willingness to do the hard work necessary to become stronger and faster. One can only imagine how fast they would have run in 'non-Covid' times, but certainly for all of them their fastest times are still ahead, in high school for those moving on, and next year, for our rising 8th graders, all of whom we hope to see next season! Congratulations to all and best wishes in your future running endeavors!"
