Ask anyone on the track team to choose the best leader and role model, and chances are, they’ll choose captain Anna Laurence.
Laurence, described as a quiet, good-natured athlete by her friends and teammates, leads her team not only by setting a good example, but also by encouraging others in and out of athletics.
“What makes Anna such an incredible teammate, athlete, and captain is her ability to be a role model both on and off the track,” teammate Rachel Hurwitz said.
The athletic department agrees. Laurence was awarded the Mendelson Award for athletic achievement last Thursday, an honor for any graduating athlete.
The Mendelson award was named for the late Danny Mendelson, a South junior who died on the last day of school in 1968. He had just been elected captain of the varsity football team, competed on the varsity wrestling squad, and had already been named an All-Star centerfielder for the varsity baseball team. Every year, the Mendelson award honors graduating seniors such as Laurence whose athletic abilities and devotion to the school are unparalleled.
Laurence’s dedication to athletics at South is evident to administrators and her teammates.
“Anna takes competing very seriously,” senior Kathleen Garrity said. “She prepares for meets days in advance and her focus before and during her races is admirable.”
Laurence has been running since she was in third grade when her older brother, a runner himself, encouraged her to participate in the annual Heartbreak Hill race. She liked running in that race so much so that she stuck with it, immediately joining the cross-country and track teams when she came to South.
“Running gave me a group of people that I could hang out with and talk to, which really helped [my] transition from middle school to high school,” Laurence said.
Laurence said she believes that older students made her feel at home both on the track team and outside of it. “The captains on the cross-country team my freshman year gave me a tour of South before school started and all the upperclassmen [on the team] were friendly in the halls during school,” she said.
As an upperclassman, Laurence followed the example set by captains before her and took younger athletes under her wing, helping them feel comfortable among their teammates and setting an example for them to follow in the future.
“Anna is one of those people who is there for her team any day of the year, and will do anything she can to help a teammate in any aspect of their life,” Hurwitz said.
“[Anna] works really hard and encourages young athletes,” sophomore Lizzie Fineman agreed.
Though quiet in voice, those close to Anna know that is very outgoing. “Once you get to know her, you realize she is anything but shy,” math teacher Leslie Quattrini said. Quattrini also adds that Laurence’s kindness “makes her someone that people feel comfortable around.”
Laurence’s easygoing attitude also applies in athletics, where, according to teammates and friends, she has a positive influence on everyone around her.
Quattrini, who has taught Laurence for two years, says that Laurence has never come to class unprepared. Adds Quattrini: “Her ability to balance school and sports with such a level head really speaks to her maturity.”
Laurence feels that time management is an essential skill for any athlete and advises her fellow athletes to keep this in mind. “There are days when you will start school at 7:40 am and not get home until 8 pm if you have an away game or meet,” she said.
Laurence said that dedicated athletes can also get stressed by homework and other after-school commitments. “It can be stressful at times trying to manage schoolwork with such a busy schedule,” Laurence said. “But if you learn to manage your time, you can cut down on a lot of stress.”
After balancing academics and sports for four years at South, Laurence understands what she needs to do to succeed. “Her ability to balance school and sports with such a level head really speaks to her maturity,” Quattrini said.
Though Laurence will not be at South to compete in the fall, she has faith in her young teammates. “They have a lot of talent,” Laurence said. “Everyone on the team helps each other in different ways, and many of them have leadership qualities that will help the team in the future.”
Although Laurence will move on to a running career on the track and field teams at Connecticut College next fall, teammates said that Laurence’s participation and dedication will never be lost at South.
“Anna changed the Newton South cross country and track teams for the better over her four years as a member,” Hurwitz said. “Her legacy and spirit will remain with the team forever.”
