Loomis' Malanga Wins New England Championship

Loomis Chaffee senior Brianna Malanga of Bolton, Conn., started running when she was in the 8^th grade as a way to get in shape for the basketball season, but somewhere along the way she discovered that she really loved running too and has combined the two sports ever since.  This year Brianna really hit her stride. She was named as a cross country team captain and earlier this fall she broke her home course record in an 18:48 for the 3-mile course, and then set it again during an intrasquad race in the middle of a freak snowstorm despite the blinding snow and slippery footing.

The culmination of her cross country career, however, came at the recent Division 1 New England Prep School Cross Country Championship races at Andover, Mass. In one of the highlights of the day, Brianna won the varsity girls race while leading her team to a third-place finish in the 13-school event.

Brianna ran with the top pack of runners for more than two miles before making her decisive move with less than three-quarters of a mile to go. In the final 600 meters, a circuit around Andover’s Great Lawn lined with cheering spectators, she extended her lead to 12 seconds and sprinted the final stretch to win in a time of 18:52 for the five-kilometer course. 

Team coach Becky Purdy notes that Brianne is devoted to her team members and last spring was a recipient of a Founders Prize for her team spirit and dedication. “Brie is a talented athlete who never gives up, never complains, never values herself above her teammates, and she richly deserves this championship title. I couldn't be happier for her. She has a deep well of talent, but she worked toward this achievement the old-fashioned way — putting in the miles and the strength-training, taking care of herself, listening to her coaches, developing her mental toughness, and simply being patient with the process.” 

True to her nature, Brianne stated that she was more excited about the team’s getting third place as she was about her own individual win.