Yujia "Cynthia" Zhang '17 loved going to Wilbraham & Monson Academy Cross Country practice every day. She loved seeing her teammates and she loved the challenge of running.
Cynthia's great attitude toward the sport, along with her steady running, helped her earn this season's MVP Award Nov. 17 at the WMA Athletic Awards Ceremony.
"I think my season went pretty well," said Cynthia, a second-year member of the team. "Compared to last season, I pushed myself a lot and it reflected in my time. Also, I made some good friends. I feel warm and happy."
"Throughout the season, Cynthia was our most consistent runner," Coach Marissa Axtell added. "Every single meet she finished in our team's top five finishers and consistently improved her times throughout the whole season. By the end of the season, her 5k time improved by just over four minutes. She is also consistently putting her all into practice, setting an example for the rest of the team. I am looking forward to another Cross Country season with Cynthia next year."
Cynthia went out for the team last season even though she had no running experience. She looked forward to the challenge.
"I signed up for Cross Country last year because I thought it would be fun, but tough," Cynthia explained. "Last year went pretty well for me, too. It was my first time playing such a tough sport. Cross country is different than other sports because you sometimes work individually and sometimes you work together, and that's a good experience."