SOMERS, N.Y. - On Saturday, Nov. 8, Somers Cross Country traveled to Bowdoin Park in Wappingers, where the girls took to the course first. With hills everywhere, two Tuskers ascended the heights that mattered most.
Julia Duzynski finished fifth, with her sister Kaya Duzynski close behind in sixth.
In her final race, the senior was reserved about her performance. “It’s OK,” she said. “I could have done better.”
Even so, she was proud of her sister. “I’m so happy for her,” said the elder Duzynski.
Kaya, meanwhile, had no problem expressing the thrill of reaching new heights. “It was really unbelievable,” said the sophomore. “I was hoping to get to the states, but I wasn’t sure it was going to happen. So I tried to tell myself, it’s a possibility, and if it happens, I’ll be really happy.”
The smiles told the story, but the real grind came long before the finish line. “Uphill,” she clarified, “I just told myself there’d be a downhill after.”
As for running at states, she’s keeping her focus steady. “I’ll see when I get there,” the younger Duzynski assured.
Off the podium, Parker Page still felt pretty uplifted after placing 15th. “That sounds really good,” beamed the sophomore.
The downhill, on the other hand, wasn’t her favorite. “My muscles get fatigued. So I like the hills. I feel it less,” said Page.
Inspiration, though, is never far off. “They’re my friends. I see them work so hard, and they are finally going to the states together,” Page said. “I’m so happy and proud.”
Aidan See had good reason to feel the same way. Finishing in third, he was still a little stunned at the podium. “It was a little weird,” said the junior. “I’ve never been on a podium.”
He admitted the final climb nearly undid him. “The last part of the big hill, it was a big struggle and I was feeling pretty bad,” he revealed. “But I was able to push through and finish strong.”
From there, adrenaline carried him over the edge and into third place. “I didn’t want to get out kicked,” said the runner.
Looking ahead to states, See remains grounded. “Maybe I can break 16 minutes, but I just want to do my best and get a good place,” he said.
It’s a sentiment Julia Duzynski can verify as her career winds down. “All my hard work shows that it’s possible,” she concluded.
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