The Guilford girls’ cross country team may not have had a season on paper that it envisioned for this fall, but the Grizzlies can walk away from the campaign knowing they showed a ton of growth and made them well-set up for the future.

Sporting a roster of young athletes, combined with a variety of other obstacles, the Grizzlies stayed true to themselves and worked as a complete unit to give their best effort each and every race. Assistant Coach Cassie Nemec, who completer her debut season with the club, saw lots of positive takeaways from the campaign.

“This season was a developmental one, with underclassmen making up the majority of the team,” said Nemec. “We battled a few injuries and didn’t finish exactly where we would have liked to in championship meets this season, but the girls developed some great chemistry on and off the course, which is important for any team.”

On Oct. 16, the Grizzlies competed at the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) Championships. Ciara Davenport (junior, captain) finished 12th overall with a season record of 20:16.60. Olivia Jackson (sophomore) finished 30th with a final time of 21:46.70, and Kaylin Diglio (freshman) finished 31st overall with a personal record of 21:50.10. Davenport was named to the All-SCC First Team for her performance.

At the Class MM State Championship meet on Oct. 26, the team finished sixth out of 16 teams with 145 points. Top finishers for Guilford were Davenport (11th overall, 21:00, All-State honors), Diglio (35th overall, 22:37), Abbigail White (freshman, 38th overall, 22:50), and Agnes Batters (senior, 46th overall, 23:28).

The Grizzlies then competed at the State Open Championship on Oct. 31, with Jackson finishing 50th overall with a time of 20:50, and Davenport finishing 138th overall with a time of 22:31.

This season, there were only nine girls total on the team, so the Grizzlies had to maximize their performances to the best of their abilities. Leading that charge were two captains in Davenport and Sienna Brackney (sophomore). As leaders, both girls displayed a lot of maturity and commitment to their team on a daily basis.

“Ciara Davenport and Sienna Brackney were the captains of the team this year. They both did a wonderful job leading by example on and off the track,” said Nemec. “They showed up on time, came to practice ready to run, and always gave it their all during races.”

Not only did she lead by example in her captain’s role, but Davenport was also a consistent top performer for the Grizzlies alongside Jackson.

“Olivia Jackson and Ciara Davenport were both top contributors this season. Both of them were consistently top finishers who worked hard during practice and pushed one another to do better,” said Nemec. “Olivia had a phenomenal race at State Opens, and Ciara was named First Team All-SCC for finishing in the top 12 at the SCC Championships, and All-State 2024 for finishing in the top 12 in the Class MM State Championship.”

Sticking to the theme of growth among the roster, one runner in particular stood out to Nemec, as she significantly improved from her first race to her last during her rookie campaign and solidified herself as a very solid weapon for the future.

“Freshman Abbigail White significantly improved from the beginning to the end of the season this year,” said Nemec. “With each race she ran, she finished closer to the front of the race, and she quickly earned a spot as a vital member of the varsity squad.”

In her first race on Sept. 11 at the Mercy-Xavier Duals, White finished 27th out of 38 runners with a final time of 24:29.90. In the SCC Divisional Championship (three miles), White ran a personal record time of 21:51.4, finishing ninth overall. For the SCC Championships, she ran another personal record (5000 meters), finishing 41st overall with a final time of 22:32.6.

With the Grizzlies having a smaller team and having to compete against larger schools in both the SCC and Class MM, it’s often easy to fold and lose confidence. Nemec explained that the girls were able to persevere and stay focused, not letting the little obstacles hold them back that they couldn’t control.

“We did not face many challenges this season. Although there were a few injuries during the season, we were still able to finish with a 7-2-win loss record,” said Nemec. “Throughout the season, we had several runners who scored well and gave it their all.”

The Grizzlies will graduate two seniors this spring in Batters and Rachel Vale. As valuable as experience is to the success of a team, Nemec noted that the sky is the limit for a squad full of more wisdom and knowledge, and she knows the athletes are well-set up for continued growth and development.

“We are looking forward to having our top five girls return next season,” Nemec said. “They are a talented group of athletes who love the sport. We’re excited to help them develop even more as runners.”

The girls’ cross country team is coached by Jim Ford.

The Grizzlies cross country team roster is comprised of Batters, Vale, Davenport, Brackney, Elise Caporale, Jackson, Diglio, and White.