Q & A With Ellie Filer

Q: What motivates you to perform at your best?

A: “What motivates me is fixing what I did last round, or if I did something bad I would take that fuel and try to make it better next time. Also, if someone would beat me, it would be motivation to beat them the next time.”

Q: How do you handle pressure in high-stakes situations?

A: “I handle the pressure by keeping calm, and almost thinking ‘it’s not a competition, it is just me out there and I need to play my game.’”

Q: How do you support and motivate your teammates?

A: “I always tell them ‘good shots,’ [or] say, ‘you had an amazing round,’ things like that, because that always motivates a person to do better.”

Q: Give an overall summary of you and your team’s season.

A: “Our team this season was great, I think this is the best it’s ever been. We won almost all our matches, and the ones we lost were just by a couple shots. A lot of my teammates had a personal best this year (Sofia Hallinan 100 on 18). My season I am very proud of. I think I placed first in all of them except two. I have also had a personal best of 83 for 18 holes and a 38 for nine holes.”

Q: What specific goals did you set for yourself this season, did you accomplish them?

A: “My goals this year were to place higher than fourth in Districts, which this year I placed third. Another goal was to have fun. Every year I put so much pressure on myself; this year I wanted to have fun and enjoy it.”

Q: What advice would you give to other athletes?

A: “My advice would be to enjoy what you’re doing now, because you only have four years in high school, and if you’re not doing that sport in college you’re pretty much never going to do it again competitively. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself and have fun.”

Q: How do you handle setbacks or losses, what have you learned from them?

A: “I handle setbacks by using those things I did wrong, or things that could have been better, and practicing those things. There is no use in thinking about it and bringing yourself down when you can’t change it, but you can always work on it to make it better.”

Q: How have you grown as an athlete since the beginning of the season?

A: “At the beginning of the season, I was really nervous about how it was going to go. I would always bring myself down after a bad round, or I would basically implode when I had a bad shot. After I kept playing, I realized I needed to keep calm, and focus on myself and not the last shot. When I would focus and keep my cool, I would play great.”

Q & A With Assistant Coach Tom Fox

Q: What qualities make Filer stand out among her peers?

A: “She has been an incredible leader, especially when she helps our newer golfers.”

Q: How has Filer contributed to the team’s success this season?

A: “She finished third in the district this season.”

Q: How has Filer evolved since the beginning of the season?

A: “There were many times at practice I would witness her helping instruct her teammates to help them improve.”

Q: In what ways does Filer embody the values or goals of your program?

A: “Ellie represents the program both on and off the course with great sportsmanship.”

Q & A With Gracie Gioiosa

Q: What motivates you to perform at your best?

A: “I wasn’t able to run for a long time due to an undiagnosed hip condition, so when I’m feeling unmotivated, I try to remember what it was like not being able to do what I love for a long time.”

Q: How do you handle pressure in high-stakes situations?

A: “Unfortunately, I am not overly competitive, so beating another runner doesn’t overly motivate me. This is a blessing in disguise because I feel like the high pressure pushes me to be my best and get more competitive than I otherwise would be.”

Q: How do you support and motivate your teammates?

A: ”If I didn’t do cross country, I would be a cheerleader. I can’t do a flip or remember dances, but I love to cheer. It’s so much fun racing with teammates on JV, but I love when the races are split up because then I get to cheer them on. Aside from cheering when teammates are racing or going through a tough workout, I like to go up privately to teammates after a race or even a chill run to congratulate them on working hard in and out of cross country. I think one-on-one time with younger teammates especially is so important for getting us through the long season.”

Q: Give an overall summary of you and your team’s season.

A: “Our first race was the Big Valley Invitational (BVI), and we got second place, coming in right behind State College. We had a lot of girls who medaled. That first race set the tone for how we needed the rest of the season to go. Right after BVI, we headed to Latrobe. That course was daunting, and we all got really down about our performances, especially after coming off of the high we got from BVI. I think it was good though to experience that minor setback because it reinforced the idea that we can’t be ‘September superstars,’ that we have to have grit and be able to mentally work through tough courses. The next week, on Sept. 11, we went to Hollidaysburg. Seeing that they’re in our district, we were very nervous about the outcome of this dual meet. Thankfully, we pulled through and won by a point. That very weekend, we went right outside Pittsburgh to the Red, White and Blue Race (RWB). That race is massive, and I am so proud of every girl but notably Lana Luke and Brionna Adams who were able to not get bottlenecked in the hype of the first mile. At RWB, we had a goal of getting in the top ten and we got fifth, so we were all thrilled about that. The following weekend we held our 29th annual Mountain Lion Invite and won. Our coaches, parents and teammates put so much work into this meet, so it was such a good feeling to win.”

Q: What specific goals did you set for yourself this season? Did you accomplish them?

A: “My personal biggest goal is to break 21 and make States. I am trying to stay hopeful, but I have not yet met these goals, and I don’t think I am going to.”

Q: What advice would you give to other athletes?

A: “Even in a sport as individual as cross country, supporting teammates is still the most important thing. If you feel like your team is becoming cliquey or unsupportive of the entirety of the team, then be the change you feel needs to happen.”

Q: How do you handle setbacks or losses, what have you learned from them?

A: “Unfortunately, I have had my fair share of setbacks thanks to injuries. When these injuries happen, I try to obviously rehab, but in the meantime I distract myself with school work and by supporting my teammates.”

Q: How have you grown as an athlete since the beginning of the season?

A: “Growing into a better athlete comes in the form of performing better, but more importantly I think it means being a teammate others can look to for help or guidance. Since this is my senior year, I have been trying to do a better job of being a leader, and I hope I have been succeeding.”

Q & A With Coach Tabitha Quinn

Q: What qualities makes Gioiosa stand out among her peers?

A: “She looks out for the underclassmen who are extremely talented but are growing each season in the race strategies. Gracie has taken them under her wing and provides the support and confidence that is sometimes needed when the younger girls are nervous, struggling with anxiety or need a helping hand in their academics.”

Q: How has Gioiosa contributed to the team’s success this season?

A: “Gracie has fabulous leadership and an outstanding work ethic. She has been able to return to running this season after having been sidelined the past few seasons.”

Q: How has Gioiosa evolved since the beginning of the season?

A: “She has taken each practice positively, knowing that the outcome will better not only herself, but her teammates. She is reactive in a race and does not settle in. She knows that racing is about a confident mindset and not comfort.”

Q: In what ways does Gioiosa embody the values or goals of your program?

A: “Much time is spent in the summer gaining a base or foundation, and as the season progresses, the runners need to be patient and aware of their teammates. They know they have to have each other’s back and step up as needed or go together to different parts of the race. Gracie also is fantastic with time management and has learned much about her conditioning and recovery time.

Q: What was your first impression on Gioiosa, and how has she grown since then?

A: “She is family oriented and oftentimes puts others before herself. She is independent and is not afraid to take chances to lead or help someone.”

Q & A With Mark Harrington

Q: What motivates you to perform at your best?

A: “ I would say my team. Football is definitely a team sport and to have them in the same huddle and everyone on the same page is definitely a motivation. Also, having a family that is on the coaching staff.”

Q: How do you handle pressure in high-stakes situations?

A: “ I’d say our team went through a lot of pressure situations, and just knowing that each player has each others back helps everyone calm down a little and be able to perform.

Q: How do you support and motivate your teammates?

A: “Just if someone messes up or something, get them right back up to make the play. So in the game, when that situation comes back up they do make the play.”

Q: Give an overall summary of you and your team’s season.

A: “Definitely not the season we wanted, but there’s a lot of ways we consider it a win at the same time. We stuck though it, we battled through it and we never gave up.

Q: What specific goals did you set for yourself this season? Did you accomplish them?

A: “ I set a lot of goals to be a leader, and I think I did a great job with that. Having no one give up and having everyone give it their all every week was definitely something that I wanted. And that is exactly what we did.”

Q: What advice would you give to other athletes?

A: “ I would say just keep on going. If you don’t make a play, don’t get down on yourself because someone is going to watch how you make the next play, and that’s going to determine if you are a good athlete or not.”

Q: How do you handle setbacks or losses, what have you learned from them?

A: “I mainly just watch more film and watch all the plays that could have been made. So next week, when you get that opportunity, you make the play. Also just being able to stay as a team is very important.”

Q: How have you grown as an athlete since the beginning of the season?

A: “A lot of coaches say losses make you a better person, and that’s definitely the case with our team. We all had to grow up, and I think we did ok.”

Q & A With Assistant Coach Jason Jones

Q: What qualities make Harrington stand out among his peers?

A: “Some of the qualities that stood out to me from MJ were his ability to be a leader even in the team’s darkest moments. At times, football can be a tough sport, especially when games do not end our way. MJ showed consistent leadership and was a true “team player” throughout the entire season. His ability to be coachable and respectful to every coach and player, while also leading his peers on the field, is of the highest value to any team he would be a part of now and in the future.”

Q: How has Harrington contributed to the team’s success this season?

A: “MJ is one of our main players on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. When MJ is on the field, our offense is in a better position to succeed.”

Q: How has Harrington evolved since the beginning of the season?

A: “From not quarterbacking at all the past two seasons, MJ’s play got better and better each week. He is asked to do a bunch of different things for our team, and he takes all of these requests in stride. He has evolved to the point where I would want MJ playing QB for any team I coach in the future. He is coachable and willing to improve his craft every single day.”

Q: In what ways does Harrington embody the values or goals of your program?

A: “MJ stands for the best parts of our program’s desires for each player. His work ethic, personality and demeanor are everything you could ask for as a coach.”

Q: What was your first impression on Harrington, and how has he grown since then?

A: “I first got to know MJ when he was an eighth grade basketball player for the Maroon team. MJ was the ultimate teammate and the most coachable player we had. My impression of him has only grown since our first encounter. Whatever direction MJ chooses after high school, I am confident that he will succeed. His ability to make others around him better and his bright personality make him an asset for any college, job, coach, etc. in the future. That is better than any compliment that he could gain athletically. As a coaching staff, we are all proud of him.”