Captains of the Week: Annika Finelli and Andrea Nystedt

Girls cross-country captains Annika Finelli (left) and Andrea Nystedt (right) pose for a photo outside of Phillips Hall.     

By  JOONYOUNG HEO and ROXANE PARK

The woodland trails of the great Exeter outback are frequented by squirrels, the occasional deer, and the girls varsity cross-country team. Several times a week they go on team runs, led from the front or supported from the back by senior captains Andrea Nystedt and Annika Finelli. Their hard work has made for a strong team and an impressive record this season.

Finelli has a long history with the sport. “I’ve done cross-country since I was a fifth grader,” Finelli said. “Coming into Exeter, I knew I was going to do cross-country and indoor track. I was a junior varsity runner in my prep and lower years, then finally in my upper year, I picked up my training and became a varsity athlete. Being voted in as a captain was super exciting. I’ve loved the sport for all four years I’ve been here.”

On the other hand, Nystedt discovered her love for cross-country during her lower year. “My prep year, I did dance, as I was a serious ballet dancer before exeter, but I decided to try something new, and I decided I’d do cross-country,” she said. “I wanted to challenge myself and why not? I heard a lot of fun things from my friends on the team. It’s kind of funny because I’m asthmatic and I’d never run before besides the turkey trot during Thanksgiving at home — that was the peak of my cross-country experience. I just went into my first cross country season blind. I’d never run more than three miles in my life before, and then on the first day we ran four.” 

“I think that’s what makes it so special for me,” Nystedt continued. “It’s proving to myself that I can keep going even when it’s tough and my lungs are burning. I’ve improved a lot throughout the seasons as well which has been very rewarding. Then last season I was lucky enough for my teammates to elect me captain last year, and I’m really excited for what the team can do this season.”

Nystedt and Finelli’s season as captains began with some unusual circumstances, but together, they have successfully led the team through practices for the past two months.

“There’s definitely been a big change,” Finelli said. “The boys and girls programs have combined, so it’s me and Andrea working with the captains on the guys’ side. We’ve been trying to work together. It might have seemed difficult, but cross-country has always been a sport where I’ve really enjoyed the team dynamic, so practices have worked great.”

Nystedt expanded on the unique team dynamic. “I think everybody on the team perseveres really well and learns how to overcome adversity because running is not easy,” she said. “But I think what’s really special is that everybody shows up and is prepared to work hard. However, everybody’s also having a fun time, and I think that’s the most important thing. There’s a serious tone, but there’s also a lighthearted tone. It wouldn’t be fun if we were all about the splits or really serious about a race. I think being able to have those light-hearted joking moments, talking and laughing on long runs or recoveries, brings the team together.”

During team practices, the runners are divided into four training groups: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. “Each group is determined in terms of experience, training, and speed,” senior Daria Ivanova said. “Alpha and beta usually do the same workouts, and gamma and delta do slightly reduced exercises. The groups are pretty fluid, and it’s always tailored to what you have experience with.”

“A typical training will be, depending on the day, a recovery, a hard workout, or something in between,” prep Kate Gilchrist said. “Hard workouts can be anywhere from six to 12 miles and we have to go at a pretty fast pace. For recovery, we go for about 40 to 70 minutes at an easier pace.”

“Our training has been a lot more intense compared to last year,” lower Tiffany Sun explained, “but I feel like I am benefitting from this change.”

The team’s hard work is reflected in their great record this season. “We’ve been training really hard, and the team looks strong,” upper Kayla Hyett said. “The combination of returning runners and new teammates has made our varsity and junior varsity groups tough in competition.”

The runners have even exceeded Finelli’s expectations following last year’s season. “We’re looking good this year,” she said. “We were nervous last year when we had two of our varsity athletes leave, so we didn’t know who was going to fill in for them. But this year, we’ve had some underclassmen take over those two spots, and the varsity team is looking really strong.”

The team has also seen some great individual performances. “Our first race was a great opener for a lot of people,” Ivanova said. “I ran a good time and got a personal record by a lot. I got a personal record in another race as well. I wanted to get a sub-19 time and I missed it by three seconds, but I did place second, so everything was fine.”

“So many of our runners have gotten faster this season,” remarked Instructor in English and team coach Emily Quirk. “They are running more miles and pushing themselves on our harder days, which has led to improvement.”

Through their captainship, Finelli and Nystedt have helped the team secure an admirable record. “The captains actually start off each practice by making sure everyone’s there,” Gilchrist said. “They make sure everyone’s set up and pumped for every meet, and they make sure everyone stays together during team runs.” 

“The captains are right there with the rest of runners, struggling alongside them and modeling resilience and drive,” Quirk continued. “The captains have also encouraged our newer runners to rest as needed and trust the process. While Andrea often joins new runners on their recovery runs and warm ups, Annika focuses on supporting our returning varsity runners, offering words of encouragement both before and after races.”

Hyett agreed that Finelli and Nystedt are committed to supporting the team and ensuring success: “Our captains clearly care deeply about every member of our team, checking in on us before races and making sure we all know where to be,” she said. “They show up to each practice with enthusiasm and hype up the team with fun spirit days before Saturday meets.”

This was one of the goals that Nystedt shared for her time as captain. “I’m just making sure I’m bringing a positive attitude to practice and workouts,” she explained, “giving high-fives or saying ‘Hey, how’s your day going?’ as I bike to practice. That’s what I really try to do — get the energy up. Even if I’m tired, I still get that energy and try to spread it to others because I feel like it’s more fun when everybody’s uplifted. I feel like running has always been a highlight of my day, and I really want it to be a highlight for others.”

Even outside regular practices and meets, the captains have worked to strengthen team spirit. 

“They’ve been doing an excellent job,” upper Meredith Habstritt said. “I’m a new upper this year, and I felt supported and welcome. They reached out to me even before pre-season as early as last May to make sure the team dynamic was already built up before the season started. Then, throughout pre-season and into the school year, they organized different team events and helped us get to know each other really well.”

“I love my captains,” Gilchrist said. “It’s an older-sibling relationship. They’re really looking out for you, and they’re so amusing to be around. They set up team dinners for us after every single practice. They make sure everyone is checked in and feels good after practice. If there’s an injury, they know who to talk to and how to get help.”

“I’ve been proud to watch the girls come to each other’s sides at moments of vulnerability this season,” coach and Instructor in Music Brandon C. Newbould said, “and I expect they will enjoy some success this season because of that teamwork.”

This tight-knit team dynamic exists for a reason. The captains, players, and coaches alike have recognized that, although cross-country may seem like an individual sport, the runners are truly able to thrive as a team. 

“Running in groups is just so central and key to cross-country,” Nystedt reflected. “A lot of people think that cross country is a very individual sport, but you go faster when you’re with others. That’s why it’s so important to have a strong team and to try to develop those relationships, because whether it’s just doing a workout or especially in a race, it really helps morale when you’re running next to a teammate.”

Team Coach and Instructor in Mathematics Diana Davis agreed. “When one of them is feeling tired, they can get strength from their teammates. When others are feeling strong, they can pull the others ahead. It’s much easier to run further when you’re with someone else, right? When you’re with a group you can train better and get stronger, get fitter, faster,” she said.

“I think it is great that I run with some of the girls as well as some of the boys,” shared prep Henry Hazelton, a member of the boys cross country team. “It really makes the team a lot closer together. Andrea has run with me many times and she has helped me get a feel for Exeter as well as being a friend.”

This exemplary team spirit extends even beyond the trails and has created many fond memories for the girls. “The captains have really brought everyone together,” Ivanova said. “Last year during pre-season, we made some blueberry crumble in Dr. Davis’s kitchen and ate it together.”

“We ran to a raspberry farm during pre-season and we were able to pick raspberries and bake some treats afterward,” Habstritt said. “That was really fun. We’ve always continued to build a really great team dynamic.”

Finelli and Nystedt also collaborated with the captains of the boys team to organize a movie night earlier this term and foster bonding across the teams.

“We watched Kung Fu Panda and had a really fun time,” Nystedt said. “We went to the forum and munched on some snacks as we watched Po become the Dragon Warrior. I guess something funny about that movie is that he realized the secret to defeating the enemy is himself, which is true for cross country as well: nothing is going to help you as much as yourself. There’s no miracle drink or miracle exercise that is going to make you drop a couple of minutes. It’s really just the work that you put in that is what you get out, and we’re scheduling another movie night or another team bonding activity soon.”

Experience, the examples of previous captains, and their own philosophy for leadership have all shaped Nystedt and Finelli’s roles on the team. 

“In my freshman year, Caroline Luff was our captain and I’ve always aspired to be like her,” Finelli said. “Whether you were a JV runner, varsity runner, or brand new to the sport, she was super inclusive and made sure you got the help you needed.”

“I feel like something that’s really cool about being captain is that you know how you felt at the start and how you feel now, and you’re reflecting back on your times, and thinking about what you would like to have seen,” Nystedt said. “That’s what we try to implement, whether that’s dress-up days before meets or other little fun traditions. We try to keep morale up and everybody excited to come to practice.”

“I think that’s what’s important,” Finelli said. “At the end of the day, having a team to lead just makes me happier. Knowing I have this responsibility gives me something to work toward to be that older figure for these underclassmen. When I graduate, I want to make sure people remember me — not necessarily me, but the sport as a whole and what I did for the team. That’s what I’m always thinking about.”

Newbould observed that “Annika and Andrea complement each other in leadership qualities.  Andrea’s genuine care and kindness towards her teammates plays a key role in bringing our newer athletes through the first couple of challenging weeks as they adjust to the rigors of training and racing.” On the other hand, “Annika’s playfulness belies her attention to logistics and organization, which has been very helpful this year as we merge the teams.  She knows how to bring the goofy, but no one doubts the seriousness with which she approaches the sport in terms of performance.”

Looking ahead, the girls cross country team has a number of goals for the season. “Everyone is just looking forward to improving,” Habstritt said. “We’ve had two months of training under our belts. The varsity team has seen a lot of improvement from last season and so have I. I’m excited to continue on that trajectory.”

“We’re looking not only towards our usual prep school competition, but also to Nike Cross Country Regionals (NXR) and competing against not just private schools, but all the schools in the New England region,” Davis said. “That’ll be exciting. Our kids are really strong. Last year, we placed second at interschols to Loomis and they’re looking really strong this year, but I always hope we can win, I always think we can win, and there’s always a way and there’s always a chance and I believe we can do it this year.”

Even with their competitive spirit, of course, the captains’ priority remains, as always, the team. “I want everybody to be healthy and happy,” Nystedt said. “Yes, I would love it if we won interschols for both varsity and JV and even in an NXR, but if you’re un healthy and or unhappy, you’re not going to run well. I just want everybody to stay injury-free and keep building connections within the team.”

“I am very happy to have Annika as my co-captain,” Nystedt concluded. “I think we work very well together, and I hope we have a great season.”