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11/04/2016 12:00 AMMaia Annunziato wanted to get involved with sports when she came to North Haven High School as a freshman, but she wasn’t sure where to start. Even though she hadn’t done any competitive running, Maia decided to join the girls’ cross country team and it became her home for the next four years.
“I wanted to try a new sport when I got into high school and the cross country team seemed like a welcoming group of people,” says Maia. “It was my first experience running as I’ve never done it before. It was difficult at first as we started doing two miles every day. As we continued, we brought up the mileage and it got easier for me as it went on.”
Maia enjoyed putting in all the effort and felt ecstatic when she completed her first 5K. Maia continued to get more involved with cross country and was named a captain for the Indians as a senior this year.
“It was a lot of hard work. We have practice six days a week,” Maia says. “I got really into it as a sophomore with the seniors that I had to look up to. Now, I can run up to six miles with no problem and that led to me being nominated as a captain to lead the girls who are learning how to run this year.”
Head Coach Carl Jackson feels that Maia was a clear-cut choice to lead the team as a captain because of her work ethic and the enthusiasm she displays while getting other students involved in the sport.
“Maia is a hard worker and she gets the other athletes to get ready by following the things she has done for herself over her four years with the team. She gives them ideas on how to start off their cross country career and things to do when they go to meets,” Jackson says. “She has constantly been working with the other runners over the years. She did a lot for the team this year during the summer, getting the new people ready for the season.”
Maia loved leading the Indians as a captain this fall. The experience was a whole new world for Maia, but she believes that it made her grow as both an athlete and a person.
“I’ve definitely learned to be more assertive and come out of my shell a bit when I have to work with the girls or even the boys’ team with whatever we’re doing,” says Maia. “Whether it’s long runs, sprints, or getting them to do our fundraisers, it definitely helped me be more confident and be more of a leader in other aspects of my life.”
Maia really took control in the recruiting process throughout the offseason. She understands the situation that newcomers with minimal running experience face when they join the team and so Maia wanted to make that transition as easy as possible for them.
“I wanted to carry out the tradition our team has of dedication and a great atmosphere amongst our teammates. Through the summer, we started in July to recruit and I wanted to be a part of that because I wanted to help younger students experience the same growth I had, even if they hadn’t run before like me. That’s why I took a lot of initiative in that,” says Maia, who also runs the 1,600 and 3,200 for the girls’ outdoor track team in the spring. “It was very interesting from a captain’s perspective to see everyone improve throughout the season as people and as runners. Being a captain to me was a very positive experience.”
Maia enjoys running through the woods because she finds it peaceful and plans to continue doing that now that she’s completed her career with North Haven cross country. Maia invites anyone at the school to join the team, so they can have a similarly positive experience like she did with the Indians.
“It’s a lifetime hobby and I’ll be doing it for as long as I can,” says Maia. “This team is so supportive and a close-knit group, which makes it a great thing to participate in. If anyone wants to join, I’d definitely encourage it.”