By: Taevy Malone, 2028
Senior Addi Poulter is a star captain of the BHS Cross country team, finishing up her last high school season after placing at divisionals and individually qualifying for the all-state meet this year at Devens. She has been running cross country for the past 6 years along with track for 3, constantly bringing a positive energy to the course as she showcases her reliability and talent as an athlete. The Lookout reached out to ask a few questions in honor of her accomplishments this year.
What is the achievement/ accomplishment of which you are most proud? Explain if possible.
Honestly, this past season. I had a really rough junior season and so to be able to come back, work hard and see the results come in was really rewarding. If I had to pick a moment it would be winning my first invitational in Westfield.
Do you have anyone you model yourself after, or who pushed/guided you in your growth? This can be a pro athlete, older teammate, adult, etc.
Definitely my dad. When I was little he would always run tons of marathons and do it with a smile on his face. Even though he doesn’t run marathons right now he still works really hard to fit running into his life and always pushes himself to do his best.
What is your advice for an athlete just starting your sport, or working to get better at it?
You will get out what you put in. If you work hard, like actually work hard, you will get better. It goes for the team environment too. If you try to be a part of the team it will be awesome but if you sit back and just stay in your bubble that’s where you will stay.
How do you balance athletics and academics? For example, what does a typical in-season afternoon look like for you?
On a typical afternoon I probably come home, have a quick mini meal or snack, then I am usually off to another practice, come home, eat and shower, homework, then bed. It’s definitely a grind.
When cross country isn’t in season, what do you do to stay sharp? Do you play other school sports, for a team outside of school, work on drills and skills independently, etc.?
I mean I am always running. Summer training is always big and I still run during the spring during softball season. I also lift a bunch outside of practices and work with coaches on faster work form.
What is one thing you have had to sacrifice in order to succeed at your sport?
Extra free time, once you hit a certain level of being an athlete you have to work twice as hard to still see progress and then you have to recover twice as much as well.
What is your favorite class this year? Why?
Either Calc or Anatomy and Physiology. I love having Mr. Tone and Mrs. Billouin as teachers and the subjects are really engaging and interesting.
Zadie Buckley has been a force for the cross country team her senior year, being a consistently strong runner that helped the team get to victory throughout the season. She finished up the season at all states in Devens after individually qualifying at divisionals at Northfield Mountain. She has been running cross country since junior year in order to train for track, and has recently committed to further her training running D1 at Stonehill College. The Lookout reached out to her to get some information on her interests as an athlete.
Do you have anyone you model yourself after, or who pushed/guided you in your growth? This can be a pro athlete, older teammate, adult, etc.
I model myself after Steve Prefontaine the greatest distance runner from the 1970s
What is the achievement/ accomplishment of which you are most proud?
I’m most proud of qualifying for the all state meet for the second year in a row.
What is your advice for an athlete just starting your sport, or working to get better at it?
My biggest piece of advice is to run every race without socks
How do you balance athletics and academics? For example, what does a typical in-season afternoon look like for you?
After practice I make sure to do my homework before going to sleep
What is one thing you have had to sacrifice in order to succeed at your sport?
I have had to sacrifice staying up late which is not a huge problem because I’m usually tired from practice anyways
What is your favorite class this year? Why?
My favorite class is Mr. Donnelly’s economics class because it challenges me
What musician/song are you listening to most lately?
One of my pre race songs this season is “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam
Are there any shows you’re hooked on/ would recommend?
The office is such a classic and one of my favorite shows
What is your favorite…
- Food: Jellybeans, I eat them every single day
- Color: My favorite color is gold like gold medals
- Animal: My favorite animal is a lion
