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11/18/2024 10:51 PMIn only two short seasons, Marina Dowson has harnessed the support of her teammates and mentors with the North Branford cross country program and utilized it for some major solo progress on the biggest postseason stages of the sport.
The sophomore grew up as a dancer in her younger years, and then she gravitated towards the mats as a gymnast. After her father inspired her curiosity with running as a sport, it led to Marina finding a new home with the North Branford girls’ cross country team. This fall, she saw consistent improvements in her times throughout the season, including hitting her personal best at the Shoreline Conference Championship meet at 22 minutes and 56 seconds. She then ran at the Class S State Championships at Wickham Park in 25:07 last month.
“I love the pretty courses you get to run in cross country. I also like how it is a sport where I can kind of just space out and run. I also love my supportive teammates and how we talk with each other about how to do better,” says Marina. “[Head Coach Megan Zander] has been so supportive. She helps us work on different mobility and stretching exercises and what we should do to get better, and I feel I did a lot better this year because of all that.”
Sometimes it helps to think that no task at hand is a marathon. Marina explains that she tries to think of each race as a brisk sprint, while being an engine that is always self-motivating and thinking she can do it.
“How I approach it is that I keep thinking how I am really not running for that long of a time,” says Marina. “I always tell myself during races that I am almost there and just stay positive while having teammates cheer me on. After I make it up a big hill, I just keep telling myself that I can do it. I also have so many people I run against who are so friendly, and so it is nice to have those people around you all the time when you are running.”
Marina details that she prides herself on remembering that this journey through cross country was an elective in her high school athletic curriculum. She also has unlocked how one’s mental health can be a big benefactor of physical exertion and exercise.
“In my head, I remember that it is a fun sport and that I chose to do this,” Marina says. “I also know that with my work each day, I will only get better. I also always listen to my teammates’ advice. Whenever I am having a rough day with school and tests, sometimes running is what helps because it gives you a whole new mindset.”
The small numbers on the roster this year for the T-Birds simply fostered more fortified personal relationships among the teammates. Marina easily saw that her fellow colleagues were there to help her excel in the best way possible.
“The team this year was very special because even though we were very small, we knew each other so well,” says Marina. “We know how to encourage one another and know we all have the best intentions for each other. On this team, you have people that truly rally around you and wish you the best.”
Compared to her prior run at the legendary Wickham Park, Marina shaved a good chunk off of her previous states mark. She also relished in the moment when not only her, but all of her friends at North Branford, saw their own summits in terms of new low marks.
“I dropped a minute off my time at states this year, and I was so proud because it was the hardest course we ran this year with so many hills,” says Marina. “At Shorelines, everyone on the team earned a personal-best time, and we all just felt so relieved and proud of each other to do that.”
Zander adds that Marina actually looks forward to the grit and grind of the rigorous training. It has led to her grinning from ear to ear with her postseason progression from her freshman to sophomore campaigns.
“I can always count on Marina to show up and do her best no matter what the workout is. During conditioning, when everyone else is begging to be finished, she's doing reps with a smile on,” says Zander. “Her consistency and dedication during practice is unmatched and has paid off this year. She improved her Shoreline Championship time from 23:47 to 22:56, and her states time from 26:21 to 25:07 over the last year--huge gains for a runner already hitting great times. She's a huge asset to the team, and I'm excited to see what's next for her.”
Marina is looking to branch out as a sophomore, and her legs have yet to produce their final strides for the 2024-2025 athletic year for North Branford. She has the belief and courage to step outside of her comfort zone while looking to be part of building a solid pedigree with the Thunderbirds for all seasons.
“Going forward, I want to improve myself in cross country, but I also want to try track this year,” Marina says. “I want to try it because I learned that just because you have not tried something does not mean you should be afraid of it. We want to get our team bigger next year, but we also want to keep those close relationships with each other and keep improving our times.”