TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—The Westwood High School girls cross country team has accomplished something no team in the program’s history has done before. Led by senior Alice Rappazzo and supported by a deep and talented roster, the team this year delivered a season of firsts, culminating in historic wins at the league, county, and state levels.
Their journey began with a victory in the Patriot League Championship, where the team’s consistency and preparation showed through. Building on that momentum, they captured the Group C County Championship, further establishing themselves as a top contender in Bergen County.
The team’s standout achievement came with their win at the State Sectional Championship, marking the first time in school history that the Westwood Girls Cross Country program has earned this title.
Bethany Kazimir, head boys and girls cross country coach, told Pascack Press on Nov. 13 that this season’s accomplishments were made possible by contributions across the roster:
- Senior Alice Rappazzo, who broke the school record in her first race of the season, brought leadership and immediate impact in her debut year on the cross-country team.
- Juniors Ava Colella, Sophia Rasmussen, Nina Almeida, and Danielle Arcuri added depth and consistent performances that made the team competitive week after week.
- Sophomore Madison Mahoney provided reliability throughout the season.
- Freshman Brooke Colella made an immediate impression, stepping up in key races to strengthen the team’s overall results.
Asked the secret of the team’s success this year — her third year as head coach, topping another three as assistant — Kazimir explained, “This year we had three new runners, senior runners that hadn’t run for our program yet, and they are all quite elite.”
She said Rappazzo came over from field hockey — “she’d run a half marathon in an hour and twenty-nine minutes, and I had her in class last year and said You should come over, just saying, and she did” — and Colella followed in her sister’s footprints “and is also an excellent runner, so I have the sisters now” — and Mahoney “is just an excellent runner. So with the four of them, they are just — I can’t put it into words. They are so wonderful.”
Kazimir said “Our fifth runner, Nina Almeida, keeps scoring for us. She has improved her time by over five minutes this season. It’s unreal. She’s worked super hard, she’s pushed herself, and she never stops smiling. None of them ever stop smiling. They are just the nicest group of girls I’ve ever had. They’re just great.”
She added, “They’re not alone in that. The whole program in general: Our boys are phenomenal. They are friendly. We practice together, because our program is small. They have been the best cheerleaders, the most supportive, they’re writing notes to each other and drawing on each other — inspirational messages — they’re buying little gifts for each other. Everything they do is the most supportive.”
Kazimir said, “They push each other. It’s just great. They have good energy, they come from good families, and this is the best we’ve been, with the most support. It all contributes to their success.”
Asked what next year looks like at this point—winter track and beyond— she said, “I only graduate Alice, so if we can get a fifth runner then I think they’ll be just as successful. They’re hungry, they’ve never been down there before, in Holmdel, in the state finals and sectionals; they want to go further. and they know what it takes and how hard they have to train, and they’re ready, which is really cool.”