Cambridge cross country runner Aoife Shovlin is dedicated to breaking records
CAMBRIDGE - Blocks away from her father's old stomping ground at Harvard, Aoife Shovlin is following in his footsteps, one mile at a time.
Aoife is a junior at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School. She signed up for cross country her freshman year, but she had low expectations.
"I mostly joined the high school cross country team because partially because my dad used to run in high school and college so I thought that would be cool," Aoife said.
"I've been working with Aoife since she was a freshman," Track and Cross Country Coach Ian Woodhouse said. "I remember she joined in the fall. We weren't sure that she would be as good as she ended up being."
"When I first started I didn't really like the sport that much. I kind of just wanted to compete and I liked my teammates," Aoife said.
It was her teammates that kept her coming back to running, lap after lap. She not only developed a passion for cross country, but indoor and outdoor track as well.
"In all three seasons we kind of run together. I also just really like competing. The races are super exciting it's a lot of adrenaline, especially the bigger races with the bigger crowds," Aoife told WBZ.
In her case, the bigger the stage the better the performance. Aoife has now won back to back Division 1 All-State titles in Massachusetts.
"It was really exciting. The first one was just amazing. Starting that season I had no idea that I'd be able to do that then this season I was really determined to keep that going," she said.
She kept that momentum going all the way to the Foot Locker Cross Country nationals in San Diego last month where she placed 32nd.
"I've always been in awe of her as a runner," teammate Audrey Jordano said.
Junior Audrey Jordano has run alongside Aoife since they were both freshman.
"I always sit next to her on the bus because before meets a lot of people are like super stressed. Aoife always has a good attitude and I know if I sit next to her she'll give me a better attitude too," Audrey said.
Aoife has a year to go before she graduates, and she believes she's capable of adding her name to the school's record books. She has set her sights on the top time for two mile in indoor track. She already broke the two mile outdoor record.
"She's very good at knowing what she's capable of, when she's capable of it," Coach Woodhouse said.