WILBRAHAM — The character traits of team dedication and humbleness make a great combination when describing a team captain. Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s girls’ cross country captain Sara Burke, of Westfield is a perfect example of a team captain upholding these core values.
Burke was the recipient of the Coaches Award for the 2014 Girls’ Cross Country team. The senior exhibited remarkable dedication during the season. Due to prolonged injuries, Burke was not able to participate in the last three races of the season. However, she still attended these meets, one of which was the New England Championship, held on a Sunday at Vermont Academy. Burke clearly has a passion for her team, and made every effort to stand by her team’s side, even if that meant traveling across state lines.
“Sara was the glue that held the team together,” Coach Marissa Axtell said.
“She was a veteran on the team, as it was her third year and she was one of the senior captains. She was a constant motivator for the team by pushing the girls both by encouraging words and example. Sara had to work through many injuries this season. She never stopped pushing herself and setting a high standard for the rest of the team that if she could push through it, they could as well. Sara led meet day rituals during warm ups and the girls’ famous Titan chant. She was the person that the team look towards everyday.”
Burke takes great pride in her team.
“As a team we grew in talent and size, and also as a family because we all became really close,” Burke said. “We had a lot of new talent on the team, both international and domestic – we went from nine girls to 19. We were all hard working and we had a great season.” – Courtesy of WMA student James Sabatino (Westfield)
