by Brenna Henderson ’21

Freshman Katie Kaneko and junior Sean Enright ( have shown their talent throughout the season. Freshman Katie Kaneko is just beginning her athletic career at Sherwood while junior Sean Enright is a seasoned Warrior, but they are both top runners for the cross country team this year. Enright’s dedicated training and constant running has resulted in a personal best of a 16:51 5K and a 4:42 mile. His goal is to get his team to state championships and place in the top 25 himself. Enright enjoys running for the Sherwood team and plans to continue running for a team throughout college and is even going for a marathon. Recently, Enright finished 10th out of 206 boys at the Manhattan College Invitational, running the 2.5-mile course in 13:22. “Sean Enright is currently ranked in the top 25 among all Montgomery County runners by Montgomery County Running, in both public and private schools. Sean’s 10 place finish in the Invitational has gone to prove he is among the best in the state,” commented coach Dan Reeks. Enright trains year round, and right before a meet, he “pictures how the race will play out and usually listens to music.” He says that the hardest part about running is “pushing through the pain during a tough workout.”

Kaneko has been swimming year-round since she was seven and running since she was eight years old. Her never-ending training and amazing dedication allows her to be able to run a personal best of a 19:25 5K and a 5:54 mile. Kaneko has stunning race times, but she still feels that she could improve on her running and upper body strength. “Although I’ve run [cross country] for years, due to commitment to swimming, I have only trained twice a week in previous seasons. Now that [cross country] is my main sport, I want to continue to get my body and mind used to running six times a week,” Kaneko said. At the recent Manhattan College Invitational, Kaneko finished 2nd out of 173 girls, running the 2.5-mile course in 15:32.

“We thought she could place in the top 10 or 15, so 2nd, against very strong competition, was great,” commented Reeks. “She is a true competitor.”

Kaneko also was crucial in helping lead the girls’ team to become MCPS Division II Champions and have an undefeated regional meet record. During her freshman year at Sherwood, Kaneko said that she greatly enjoys running for Reeks and that he is an outstanding coach who pushes people to their best. The upperclassmen also have been welcoming and helpful. “One of the reasons why I love cross country is because it’s a coed sport,” Kaneko explained. “Running with and getting to know the other gender is really fun and rewarding. I’ve already made so many amazing friends and every runner is super nice and just an overall great person.”