Girls Cross Country: Expectations Are Sky High as The Standards Have Changed

Westwood Girls Cross Country coach Jen Teahan almost has to laugh when she says it out loud.
 
“It’s so funny to be so disappointed at a third-place finish,” Teahan said. “That’s the second-highest finish I’ve ever had in my cross country career. And we were undefeated all season. It’s just a crazy place to be. We’re disappointed with third at states. How? It’s like, pinch me. How lucky am I?”
 
That may say more about the state of Westwood girls cross country than any championship banner could.
 
Two years ago, the Wolverines completed a remarkable 2024 season by winning the MIAA state championship. In 2025, they followed it by going undefeated during the regular season and capturing another Tri-Valley League championship before finishing third in both the divisional and state meets.
 
Most programs would celebrate that season without qualification. Westwood came away hungry.
 
“We had higher expectations,” Teahan said. “So we’re coming back. We’re hungry for it. The girls have worked hard. They’re excited, they’re motivated. We definitely have the depth to do some really big damage this year.”
 
That depth could be the defining characteristic of the 2026 Wolverines. Teahan believes she may have as many as 12 runners legitimately competing for seven varsity positions. In more than two decades of coaching, she said this is only the third year she has enjoyed anything approaching this level of depth.
 
At the front of the pack are returning standouts Hailey Cashman, Susannah Rockers and Elyse Boger, three runners Teahan believes are capable of attacking races from the start. They are part of a four-captain group that also includes Cara Sullivan, with each bringing something different to the team’s leadership.
 
Cashman and Rockers provide an intense, goal-oriented presence. Sullivan is a natural nurturer. Boger, who joined cross country only last season, has quickly become a source of humor and energy who helps keep the group loose. It is a combination that mirrors the personality of the entire program.
 
Westwood’s runners are serious about what they do, but they genuinely seem to enjoy doing it together.
 
“They all have high expectations individually, but I think they have a feel for a collective responsibility,” Teahan said. “They just want to bring their best to the table because they know it’s going to benefit the team overall. And they just have fun. These girls are best friends.”
 
That commitment is difficult to miss around Westwood. Throughout the summer, I would be driving around town, constantly spotting groups of Wolverines running the streets, putting in the miles long before the official season began.
 
The established veterans, including Ciara Chi who was on the state title team, aren’t the only reason for optimism. Teahan pointed to Emily Cashman as someone who put in significant work during the summer and arrived in excellent condition. She is also excited about a talented freshman class and returning younger runners who could push for important roles. MacKenzie Vogelgesang, Ryan Colleran and Violet Gavin were also spotlighted during our conversation.
 
The result is something every cross country coach covets: options.
 
There will be races when Westwood can turn its top runners loose. There will be others when Teahan may ask the Wolverines to run as a pack, allowing the team’s depth to become a weapon. With runners capable of contributing well beyond the first five scoring positions, Westwood can attack a race in ways most teams cannot.
 
The challenge may actually be keeping the Wolverines from doing too much, too soon. Teahan’s philosophy early in the season is what she calls the “plus-one”: get a little better every day. The staff reduced the number of invitationals it will enter this fall to spend more time training through the early portion of the schedule, with eyes focused on the postseason.
 
Unlike when the program broke through two years ago, this team isn’t sneaking up on anyone anymore.
 
The first challenge is defending its TVL championship against teams that know exactly how good Westwood is. Then comes late October and early November, when the Wolverines hope to put themselves in position to reclaim the state championship trophy they raised just two years ago.
 
There is plenty of running to do before then, but occasionally Teahan gets a glimpse of what this team might become. During an early-season workout, she watched her runners tearing through a session and found herself trying not to reveal just how excited she was.
 
On the outside, she played the coach: good workout, cool down, onto the next day. Inside?
 
“Fireworks are going off,” Teahan said.
 
After everything Westwood Cross Country has accomplished over the past two seasons, that’s an intriguing visual. The Wolverines may be even better in 2026.
 
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