State Champs from Mount Greylock Gear Up for New Season

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – It was the return of an old tradition and the start of a new era as the reigning State Champion Mount Greylock girls cross country team began its season on Monday morning.

 

Early Monday morning.

 

“It was a midnight start,” assistant coach Jenna Dickinson said, pointing out the remnants of the breakfast the Mounties enjoyed after a Sunday night campout on the campus.

 

Monday was the first day of preseason for most Massachusetts high school sports (football got underway on Friday).

 

Most of the Mount Greylock girls had no trouble getting to school in time for the 9:30 team meeting and inaugural workout. They were already there.

 

“They’ve been doing it for a long time,” Dickinson said. “Pre-COVID. The last couple of years they weren’t able to do it, but the seniors brought it back.”

 

“It’s a good bonding experience,” new head coach Ann Barber added.

 

Barber takes the reins of the Mount Greylock girls program after working as an assistant with the boys team last fall. She was a long-time teacher and coach in the Taconic program before taking a job at Mount Greylock in 2019.

 

On Monday, she was still getting a feel for the 2022 edition of the perennial Berkshire County power.

 

“We’re just trying to figure out who is going to take the role of leadership, and who is going to take the role of being in our top seven varsity team,” Barber said.

 

The Mounties lost to graduation two scorers from last November’s Division 3 state title team: Katherine Swann and Josie Smith.

 

Much of the core returns for another go-around, but there are concerns as they head toward the season-opening home meet on Sept. 7.

 

“We’re starting the season with some injury recovery,” Dickinson said. “So it’s a bit of a mystery right now. We’re going to see how the next few weeks go.

 

“Injuries from the spring and summer. We’ve got a number of long-range injuries.”

 

The plus side is that more girls open preseason knowing that they have a chance to crack that scoring group in the varsity races.

 

“It’s anyone’s game right now,” Barber said.

 

As for her coaching strategy, Barber has some objectives in mind for her first year at the helm.

 

“I think for the most part, coach Jenna and I are going to work together and make sure the team is one big cohesive group and gets along and has fun,” Barber said. “We’re going to work a little bit more with the boys team this year so they can pace off each other and work together a little bit more.

 

“Down the road, there could be things that we change. We’re just trying to figure it out because this is day one.”

 

Likewise, it was the first day Monday for Mount Greylock’s boys.

 

Head coach Chris Malone was optimistic as he watched his harriers arrive for their workout.

 

“So far, we have 43 boys signed up,” he said. “Eight 11th graders and seven or eight seniors. So we’ve had a pretty good turnout. Kids are all excited for the season. We’re looking forward to it.

 

“We had a few injuries last year that kept some kids out. Ollie Swabey, one of our better runners, was hurt. But from what I understand, he’s healthy again and ready to run. So that’s good.”

 

Mount Greylock’s boys were 16th in Division 3 last year, missing out on a tie-breaker to No. 15 Wahconah at the state meet. All but one scorer from the D3 Championship meet returns for Malone’s squad.

 

The Mounties’ girls team returns as one of four state championship squads from Berkshire County last academic year – the only one in the fall season but one of three from its school, which also won titles in boys Nordic skiing and baseball.

 

“No pressure, right,” Barber said with a laugh.

 

“I actually think our team is in a good place not to focus on that,” Dickinson added. “It’s a completely different group from last year.

 

“We need this year to be fun. We need these kids to have fun this fall.”