Caroline McDonough Goes the Distance
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DHS junior track star Caroline McDonough seems to be taking on the world one continent and one sport at a time. Two years ago, this junior found herself and her family picking up and moving yet once again from Geneva, Switzerland to Darien. This was the second big move for Caroline since her family moved from her birthplace of Boston to Christchurch, New Zealand.
“The move at first was difficult and the amount of kids at DHS was surprising coming from a school with only 25 kids in my grade,” Caroline said.
Caroline has become a standout long distance star runner since her debut as a sophomore with the Blue Wave in the fall of 2006. She participates in all three seasons of track: cross country, indoor and outdoor track. Her talent has led her to such feats as being selected to run in the Field Championship in Boston in February. She was the only member of the team to place in the top six. This accomplishment tops her list of track achievements.
“One of my favorite moments so far was qualifying for the New England meets,” she said.
Caroline’s Top 5 Sports
She also played other sports when she moved from New Zealand to Switzerland such as basketball but her passion was always going the distance. Endurance is perhaps her strongest asset. “Caroline always works hard when she runs,” freshmen track teammate Tricia Vossler said. “Her amount of stamina shows Caroline is really committed and loves what she is doing. I will be glad to run with her in cross country next year,” Vossler said.
And even though Caroline is not fond of boasting about her accomplishments - her record-breaking times are nothing to hide. And unlike most high school athletes who have played their sport for years, the Darien High School Girls Track Team was Caroline’s first introduction to competitive running. And Caroline has already turned into one of the team’s best runners.
“Caroline is everything you would want in a distance runner: hard working, intelligent great attitude and a lover of the sport,” DHS Athletic Director John Keleher said.
“She has great stamina and always pulls through in the end,” senior track teammate Lindsay Gordon said.
“Caroline hopes that her running prowess will continue into her college years. A sport she stumbled into very late in terms of a competitive career has now come to define her life for the past two years and she hopes will for many more years to come.
“I want to go to a D1 school for running in the New England area,” Caroline said.
But something that is always a major priority for many concerned parents and overstressed juniors is letting the sport take control of a student athlete’s life: “I can manage my life by coming home from practice and getting my homework done” says Caroline to this commonly asked question that she has clearly heard a 100 times judging by the look on her face as I made this inquiry.
Caroline has many other interests in addition to track. She is a founding member and a huge supporter of the new DHS club called DAWG, which is a group of DHS students that commit themselves to help animal welfare issues in Fairfield County. Also thanks in part to loyal animal lovers like Caroline, the group recently held a successful pet food drive. And she hopes to continue this devotion to her “pet” cause throughout her high school career.
She also spends her weekends like the rest of Darien High School students hanging out with friends and going to the movies and trying to have as normal a life that a junior track star can have.
After living in Boston, New Zealand and Switzerland, Caroline McDonough has landed in Darien to break DHS track records: we are very glad to have this outstanding athlete join the Blue Wave Pride.
