(A weekly series chronicling the journey of the Newton South girls’ cross-country team, culminating with the All-State meet on Nov. 21 at Northfield Mountain ).
After kicking off the season with a win over Dual County League foe Acton-Boxborough Regional High, Newton South cruised through the regular schedule, with its lone loss to rival Lincoln-Sudbury Regional.
Behind its top three runners - Madeleine Reed, Melanie Fineman, and Kathy O’Keefe - Newton South completed the toughest September in program history, facing two nationally ranked teams, four teams in the Northeast’s top 15, and six teams in the state’s top 10.
The Lions entered last month ranked second in the state and the Northeast region, and 19th in the nation. After running the Franklin Park course in Boston two weeks ago for the Catholic Memorial Invitational, Newton South ran in the Dual County League championship meet on the same course Friday.
“We came into the season with a mixture of experience and a lot of new faces on varsity,’’ said coach Steve McChesney before Friday’s meet. “But now our fourth through seventh runners are a crew with some of the best depth in the state. With three girls up front running under 19 minutes in the 5K, it’s a dangerous lineup at every position.’’
Sophomore Anna Laurence emerged as the club’s most improved runner. Having followed the most aggressive training plan on the team, Laurence ran a personal-best time at the Catholic Memorial event. Junior Jenny Epstein and sophomores Abby Pressberg and Hannah Friedman give the Lions depth, while freshmen Zuzana Skarkov, Kitty Crowley, Hailey Hart, and Maggie Whalen are the future.
“They faced a schedule that could have buried them,’’ the coach said. “but they have so much grit, character, and resolve that I’m as proud of this team as any I’ve ever coached.’’
“Year in and year out, the DCL is in the running for the strongest league in the state,’’ said McChesney. “Any girl that places in the top eight in the DCL has a chance to place that high at All-States, it’s just that competitive.’’
“As a cross-country coach, it’s my hope that we have several front-runners who work together and help each other at, or near, the lead of the bigger meets as well as in practice,’’ said McChesney.
“This is exactly what these three do. . . They give each other the motivation to push to the next level.’’
Compiled by Sapna Pathak 
