This week’s athlete of the week is cross country team member Katie Ferrall ’16. The junior led her team on Sept. 28 at the Williams College Invitational, in which they placed 13 out of 24 teams. Ferrall finished the race in 23:41.1, earning her the 31st place overall. Out of the 30 runners who finished ahead of Ferrall, 22 of them belonged to nationally ranked programs, including MIT, Williams College, Middlebury, Amherst College, Tufts and Vassar College.
We sat down to ask Ferrall a few questions.
What is your favorite pre-game snack?
I usually eat a donut.
Do you have any pre-game rituals?
Other than drills, stretching, and a 20-minute warm-up, I usually whisper angry rap lyrics to myself while staring down the competition and visualizing scenes from the 2006 hit movie “300.”
What is your favorite thing about the team this year?
My favorite thing about the team this year is my coach, Ellen O’Neil. She is a great coach and also has a lovely sense of humor.
What is your favorite movie?
My favorite movie is “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”
What is your favorite memory of the season so far?
My favorite memory of the season would probably be going to Vermont with my team, where we played wiffleball and encountered stray chickens.
What are your personal and team goals for the season?
I hope to break 22:30 in the 6k, and also that we beat Wellesley.
Any fun facts about the cross country team that not many people know?
Our favorite non-running activity is aquajogging. Actually, if cross country didn’t exist, we would probably form an aquajogging team and try to compete with other NCAA teams.
Also, I would like to give a shout out to Danielle Opatovsky whose running ability is exceeded only by her sparkling personality.
