By Maya Gambhir, Staff Writer
On October 30, River Hill’s very own senior cross-country standout, Alyssa Mattes, raced to victory at the regional championship, securing first place and a spot at the statewide meet. The day was packed with energy, a culmination of all the preparation—both physical and mental—that had been undertaken throughout the season.
The release of the results evoked a wave of emotions. “I was kind of relieved and also surprised by the results because I had done what I was supposed to do, and it made me happy,” Mattes explains.
This win added to the Regionals trophy Mattes brought home during the 2024 season. “I’m also a back-to-back regionals winner because I won last year, so I was like, great, now I can carry this momentum to states,” she explains, emphasizing her eagerness to keep working and improving.
On the day of Regionals, mental preparation was key. Breaking down the day of the Regional meet this year, which was hosted at River Hill, Alyssa explained that “I was really nervous before regionals, but that was to be expected,” she said.
Like any sport or competition, nerves can often take off moments before a cross-country race. However, for Mattes, this is something she has learned to manage with the help of her team.
“I got to the line late because I get race anxiety. I literally ran back to the line, and I was a little nervous, shaking my hands and trying to loosen up. It was kinda comforting because everyone was also on the line, and we were all nervous,” says Mattes.
Preparing to start the run, which consisted of a 5-kilometer run, Mattes explains how she grounded herself, “I told myself the key thing to the meet was just to have fun. I couldn’t control the outcome, so I had to remind myself that I do this sport for fun, and win or lose, I’d be happy.”
The top-performing teams at regionals are able to move on to the statewide meet. At Regionals, Mattes explains, “I was hoping to help the team place and get to states.”
Cross-country and track have both been a huge part of Mattes’ life, even before high school. “I did bullseye in middle school, and that’s kind of what got me into running, but I started running for high school cross country and track my sophomore season,” she explains.
Since then, Alyssa has grown into one of our school’s standout athletes, known for her consistency, positivity, and a drive to improve. For her, the sport has also always been about more than the titles and the awards, as she explains, it truly is the team that makes the experience.
That sense of community carried her through an especially successful season this year. Reflecting on her experience this season, Alyssa remarks that it was her best season yet, noting not only her individual progress but also the support she received.
“I had really big goals and I really needed to work hard, and I appreciate my teammates, especially the boys varsity and the coaches for pushing and encouraging me throughout the season, the good and bad races, they were there to support me.”
Even with a strong season, one challenge Mattes, like many athletes, faced was strengthening her mental approach and attitude to races, explaining that “I really needed to work on my mindset and prepare for races, because it wasn’t just a physical thing. At the end of the day, it was me against me, not me against someone else, so I really needed to believe in myself to push myself to be better.”
Her resilience and positivity truly came through, carrying her to a victory and supporting her team members all the while.
Next year, Alyssa will continue her running career at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).
“Running Division I in college has been a big goal for me for a while, and I’m happy that I actually get to do it,” Alyssa said. “I’m excited to continue running as well as focus on my academics, make new friends, and spend time with the team running competitively for the next four years.”
Mattes went on to become the runner-up in the state meet, a fitting capstone to a tremendous season.
With regionals behind her and college running ahead, our very own Alyssa Mattes is ready to take on the next challenge, one stride at a time.