Throughout her four years at Choate, Sarah McAndrew ’20 has contributed immensely to Girls’ Varsity Cross Country, Swimming, and Lacrosse. Her teammates have recognized her dedication to each of these teams by voting her as captain for every single one of them. Recently, reporter Nina Hashmi ’22 sat down with McAndrew to talk about being a tri-varsity captain and the differences among the teams.
Nina Hashmi: When did you first start running?
Sarah McAndrew: I started running when I was four. I ran at the New Haven Kids [Fun Run] at that age, and that’s my first memory of running.
NH: Why did you decide to run cross country at Choate?
SA: I did cross country in middle school and really liked it. My older sister, Emily [McAndrew ’14] did cross country, so I went to some of her meets, and I just wanted to continue running.
NH: How do you feel about the dynamic of the cross country team?
SA: The girls’ cross-country team is definitely really different than any other team — in a good way. Everyone is so supportive of each other, and, especially in a sport like cross country where it’s more individual, you are trying to go as fast as you can, even though you are trying to get points for the team. However, most of the time people do not care if you beat them or if they beat you. Everyone is always supporting each other, and the people on the team are really nice individuals.
NH: How does it feel to be a tri-varsity captain this year?
SA: It feels very cool. I really was not expecting it because there are a lot of other seniors thatwould be great captains, as well, but I definitely am super honored. It feels really good that my teammates trust me with the responsibility to be their captain.
NH: Do you have any role models?
SA: I would say JD [Mr. Jim Davidson], our coach, is definitely a big mentor because he is very understanding, and he truly knows each individual runner and knows what is best for you on a given day. I would also say my captains last year, Claire Gussler [’19] and Lilly Bar [’19], were role models, too. They were just really great runners and they were running with me since my freshman year.
NH: How do you feel about this year’s team?
SA: Really good, actually! We lost some good runners last year, so coming into the season Betsy [Overstrum ’20] and I were not sure if we could win Founders, but so far everyone’s been improving and really working hard. It’s really making it seem like we have the potential to win Founders again.
NH: Do you have any goals as an athlete?
SA: I don’t have any super specific goals this year. In cross country, my goal is simply to get a best time. Swimming is a little more [of my] main focus just because I am going to be doing that in college. For lacrosse, I just hope that our team can come together and have a good season. I am just really excited about all the seasons.
NH: What do you think is different about each team?
SA: Cross country runners usually do track in the spring, so there is only one swimmer on cross country. I have completely different groups of people each season. Lacrosse athletes will do field hockey and hockey. Swimmers will usually just do swimming and water polo. So, the cool thing about it is that [they] are different groups entirely, but everyone still has the same attitude of supporting each other [and] helping each other improve. And whenever you are feeling down, they are always there to help you get back up.
NH: Is there a message you want to relay to your teams as a captain?
SA: Yes, I try to pump them up whenever they need it.Honestly, in every single sport, just do your best, rely on your team for the support you need, always have a positive attitude, and make sure that you are having fun for the most part. When you are having fun and when you have a strong bond with your team, you guys collectively just do better and have a better experience.
