Aoife Shovlin ’25 might only be a sophomore, but she has already made her mark on CRLS cross country history. Shovlin capped her dominant fall season with a first-place finish at the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division 1 Cross Country State Championships at Fort Devens on November 19th. Shovlin, whose main events are the mile and two-mile, finished all-states with a final time of 18:12:97. The Register Forum spoke to Shovlin about running, winning, and her goals for next season.

Interview has been edited for clarity and concision.

Register Forum (RF): How long have you been participating in cross country?

Aoife Shovlin (AS): I did middle school cross country in 7th grade, but I only started running seriously in freshman year.

RF: What is your best memory from this season?

AS: My best memory from this season was going to the state championships. It was really fun to go with all my teammates to a big race. 

RF: How did it feel personally to win the state championships?

AS: It was super exciting, and also a surprise. I wasn’t sure before the race if I could win, and it was so exciting to realize that I could do it.

RF: What’s next now that the fall cross country season is over? Any future goals?

AS: I’m doing Indoor and Outdoor Track, and I hope to improve my times in the mile and the two-mile.

RF: How do you prepare physically and mentally before races?

AS: I try to just stay positive before races, and not stress myself out. I usually do better the happier I am before the race.

RF: What is your mindset during a race?

AS: During a race, I try to stay confident, and not give up. If I can believe that I can win and stay near the front, it gives me confidence and I can run faster.

RF: What do you love about cross country?

AS: The thing that I love about cross country is the team part of it. It’s very different from track, which is very individual. In cross country, everyone warms up together and races the same races, and there’s a lot more of a team atmosphere.

RF: What does being a CRLS athlete mean to you?

AS: To me, being a CRLS athlete means being a part of a team. I think that doing sports has been one of my favorite parts of high school so far.

The CRLS girls cross country team had its best finish this year, and Shovlin certainly played a key role. Shovlin, along with the rest of the team, was officially congratulated with a motion by Mayor Siddiqui during the December 6th school committee meeting. As the indoor winter track season gets underway, Shovlin will undoubtedly continue to improve and impress with her focus, determination, and speed.