For the past four years, seniors Kate Hanney, Gabriella Specchierla and Maya Acutt have been the only Archer varsity cross country runners in their class. The unique physical and mental challenges of the sport drew them close together, as they were able to understand and support one another on the track.
As they embark on their final cross country season and prepare for their senior night, Tuesday, Nov. 5, at The Brentwood School, the Oracle sat down with the three athletes to discuss their bond as a group, challenges and triumphs, and the importance of collaboration.
When did you all meet and what were your first impressions of each other?
Gabriella Specchierla [GS]: Kate and I started [running] middle school. So, when I started Archer, the very first thing I ever did was cross country preseason. And it was a lot different back then, but Kate and I really bonded because honestly, nobody really wants to run cross country. It’s both mentally and physically really challenging. So, that’s how we grew close. In ninth grade, when Maya joined, we became a little trio — the three of us being the only people in our grade [on the team].
Maya Acutt [MA]: I was new in ninth grade, and my first introduction to Archer was the cross country team preseason. I hadn’t even been on campus yet. So that’s when I met Kate, and then I met Gabriella. We would often run at the same pace, especially in ninth grade, so that was actually really nice.
What has been the most challenging moment for you as a team? How did you persevere?
Kate Hanney [KH]: Certain meets are famously difficult, one being Mt. SAC. When we have meets like that we come together to decide, “How are we going to tackle this? How we’re going to approach this as a team?” Even though it is such an individual sport, we do rely on each other in […] different ways. We hold each other up and it makes [the sport] less isolating. We figure out how to approach challenges together, and that’s something we’ve built since ninth grade.
[GS]: We definitely hold each other accountable, in the sense that it’s a lot easier to just stop running and walk when you’re running by yourself. But if you have someone running next to you, side by side, your body feels like it can keep going because you’re not in it alone. We’re fine. We talk to each other to be supportive…and we talk in the warm-ups and cooldowns so we can start practice together, and then finish practice together.
What is something unique about the bond you three have formed?
Maya Acutt [MA]: The thing about cross country is it’s one of the most mentally and physically demanding sports in terms of endurance, and that can sometimes take away from the enjoyment. But, the three of us have an understanding of how it’s collective suffering. We suffer together, and we bond through that. We bond over not wanting to go [to practice], being tired, Et cetera. [We share] these challenging experiences and bring each other through them. The team is so small, but I’ve grown to really love the small size — especially the three of us. We’ve gotten so close, it’s our own little special thing that we do.
How do you plan to stay connected after graduation?
[MA]: We’re definitely going to have running hangouts whenever we’re all in town, or maybe we’ll do fun walks… a good 10 minute mile pace, very relaxed, but we definitely want to stay close.
