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Berardino Becomes a Top-Notch Runner for the Cougars

After dancing for 11 years, Isabel Berardino decided that she needed a change and joined Haddam-Killingworth’s cross country and track programs. Isabel unlocked her potential by running for the Cougars and has gone on to help the outdoor track team claim two Shoreline Conference crowns, while contributing to a pair of conference and state championships with the cross country squad, winning an individual Shoreline Conference cross country title along the way.

Isabel, who recently finished her junior season, was a member of the Backstage Dance Center in Killingworth for 11 years. As Isabel danced, running was always something that she considered. Isabel remembers watching her parents, Bill and Kerstine, run a marathon at Disney World when she was a child. Isabel also spent time going on runs with her mother. Isabel found running to be fun and decided to give it a try in her freshman year at Haddam-Killingworth.

“It was always something I wanted to do, but I was a dancer for 11 years. It was always in the back of my mind,” says Isabel. “I really wished I could do it. I just never had time. I was going into high school and thought I would try it. I absolutely loved it.”

Isabel joined the H-K cross country team as a freshman. Isabel performed better than she thought she would in her first race and realized that she had potential in the sport. Isabel helped H-K win Shoreline Conference title and the Class SS state championship during her freshman campaign. All of Isabel’s teammates welcomed her to the program, and she enjoyed the experience so much that she went on to sign up for the Cougars’ indoor and outdoor track squads.

“It was awesome. I had a couple of friends that were on the team. I immediately clicked with the upperclassmen. I’m still really good friends with a lot of them,” Isabel says. “Some of my best friends have been made through the team. I liked that we weren’t super separated. It gave me the ability to meet a bunch of new people, not just a specific group.”

Isabel helped the H-K girls’ cross country team capture the Shoreline Conference and Class SS state titles again as a junior during the fall 2021 season. It was the fifth time in seven years that the Cougars finished first at the Shoreline meet. Isabel took first place in the girls’ race by clocking in with a time of 21 minutes and 35 seconds, finishing ahead of Shawn Laverty of Portland (22:02) for the top spot.

“It was honestly awesome. It just gave me even more motivation to try and do it again,” says Isabel. “I give a lot of credit to the runner who came in second place. She really pushed me throughout the entire race. It was cool to be a Shoreline champion.”

When she joined the outdoor track team, it made sense for Isabel to focus on the distance events. She had made a name for herself in cross country and wanted to continue honing her skills as a runner. Isabel competes in the 1,600, the 3,200, and the 4x800 relay in outdoor track.

“I was doing cross country in the fall. I didn’t think it would be really worth it to start sprinting. It’s a different muscle group. It was kind of a given. It was automatic,” Isabel says. “It was something that really worked for me. When I was a kid, I thought it was just running. Now, I know that running and sprinting are completely different things.”

Isabel helped the H-K girls’ outdoor track team win the Shoreline Conference title in both her sophomore and junior seasons. As a junior this spring, Isabel finished second in the 1,600, took third in the 3,200, and also run on a runner-up 4x800 relay to help the Cougars defend their crown. Isabel and her teammates went on to compete in the Class MM State Championship, where she finished fourth in the 3,200 and also contributed to a sixth-place performance in the 4x800 relay.

Whether she’s running at the conference or state levels, Isabel understands that she’s always going up against difficult competition. Isabel tries to focus on the runner in front of her and make sure that she’s also competing with the right mindset.

“At things like states, that’s where you have the better competition. There are people that are highly ranked,” says Isabel. “I get in my head a lot when I run, but I just try to focus on one person and try to slowly pick them off. It’s a different mindset each race, but there’s something special about championship races.”

H-K cross country and track coach Matt Diglio has been impressed with Isabel’s progression as a runner during her time at the high school. Digilo says that Isabel has played an instrumental role in the Cougars’ success on both the track and the trails.

“Izzy had never run cross country before joining our team as a freshman. Since that time, she has made consistent progress and improvements as a runner from season to season and year to year,” Diglio says. “She is a very dedicated and hard-working runner who has made a profound impact on our program over the past several years.”

Isabel says that her love for running truly flourished during her junior year. She has come to embrace the team aspect of the sport. As she enters her senior year, one of Isabel’s main goals is to earn an opportunity to continue her running career at the collegiate level.

“As a freshman, I obviously cared about the sport, but it was more of a second thought to me. This year, I really came to appreciate it,” says Isabel. “Next year is my last year racing. If I want to run in college, this is the time that counts. I really used that as my motivation.”

Before she closes out her tenure at H-K, Isabel wants to become a Shoreline Conference champion again, while earning a top-three spot at states for cross country and All-State honors in track. As she looks to achieve those goals, Isabel says that she’s gained so much by competing for the Cougars and feels that her experience in running has helped her grow as both an athlete and a person.

“I couldn’t be more grateful for the coaching and my teammates. Everyone has really set me up on a good path for life,” Isabel says. “I know the things I’ve learned in running I can use in my future outside of running. It’s a good way to learn discipline, growth, and accepting failure. But you’re also able to cherish the wins and stay humble.”