Cavanaugh Leaves Legacy With Girls Cross Country
- Dan Fappiano
- 24 minutes ago
- 8 min read
Katie Cavanaugh was in eighth grade when she lined up in that year’s Southington Apple Harvest 5K. While she had been running cross country before that, it was her first road race and her first 5K. But Cavanaugh knew how to make a strong impression. She would end up coming in first for her age group – a result that Cavanaugh said propelled her into wanting to compete even more.
Her running career began a few years earlier in sixth grade. She decided to join the DePaolo Middle School cross country team after some encouragement from her dad. Don Cavanaugh has been an avid runner throughout his life. The 5K is his speciality. Once his daughter got to middle school, he thought running might be something she would enjoy too. As she got more acclimated to cross country, the pair would spend considerable time running together, which prepared the then-middle schooler for the hurdles to come.
“Once I started getting into it more, we’d go on a random five-mile run on a Sunday,” Cavanaugh said. “I was kind of hesitant at first. But the more I started doing it, I realized the work that I was putting in was paying off, and saw a lot of success. He definitely pushes me hard in the sport.”
At the middle school level, Cavanaugh was running basic drills, rather than keeping to a dedicated regimen. Still, she was learning the fundamentals of the sport. And as the wins kept coming, Cavanaugh realized she’d be running well beyond her time at DePaolo.
“I started winning races in middle school. That was something that made me say, ‘Wow, maybe I can be good at this.’ I really enjoyed that and enjoyed the feeling. So I wanted to keep doing it.”
Cavanaugh Joins The Blue Knights
Cavanaugh joined the Southington High School girls cross country team as a freshman and found herself on the varsity squad from her very first day. She knew how to win races, but now she had to learn how to balance school, life, and sports while taking on an entirely different class of runners.
Still, she did not have to fend for herself. She remembers upperclassmen like Jessica Lombardo and Ava Egan taking her under their wings. It may have been her first year on the team, but it didn’t take long for Cavanaugh to understand what the Southington program was all about.
“I remember having people to look up to and race after,” Cavanaugh said. “Coming in as a freshman, I was welcomed with open arms. They didn’t have to do that – they had been on the varsity squad, it was their time to shine. But they showed me a great level of respect. They taught me everything they knew right from the get-go. I definitely would not be able to be the person I am without them.”
During her freshman season, the Blue Knights advanced to the State Open as a team. Southington has done so all three years Cavanaugh has been on the squad. At the time, she was still soaking in the experience. But now that she’s entering her senior season, she understands what State Open success says about Southington as a program.
“As a freshman, I didn’t understand the weight of that,” Cavanaugh said. “Now I realize how impressive that is. It was cool to be able to experience that at such a young age. Our current freshmen are really good, and I’m hoping they get the chance to experience the same thing.”
The Injury Bug Bites
Cavanaugh had one of her highest highs with Southington as a sophomore, setting her personal record of 20:13. She was also getting more accustomed to running indoor and outdoor track as well as cross country. But then came a wave of injuries, perhaps the only thing that could slow Cavanaugh down.
First it was shin splints, a common injury among runners. That wasn’t it for Cavanaugh though; she also dealt with numerous ankle sprains. Her right ankle in particular caused significant problems. It forced her to wear a brace and begin taking the injury more seriously.
Cavanaugh took a step back and decided to focus all of her attention on recovering rather than running. She missed most of her sophomore outdoor track season and had a slow start to her junior cross country season due to the layoff.
Physical therapy helped her return, but for Cavanaugh the real key was remembering the little things. Whether that was rolling her ankle out, doing mini-band exercises, or even just getting enough sleep, Cavanaugh was dedicated to healing and getting back to running.
“Once I took the time to strengthen it and give it the time it needed to improve, that’s when I saw the most improvement,” Cavanaugh said. “You could do those big workouts, but you have to give it the little stuff to support them.”
While she wasn’t able to run, Cavanaugh watched her teammates around her get stronger and faster. That motivated her to return all the more. Running can be a grueling, tiring activity. It is sometimes used as a punishment in other areas of sport. But Cavanaugh knew how much cross country and the Blue Knights mean to her. While the ankle injury may have been a setback, Cavanaugh was not going to relent until she was competing with her teammates once more.
“You don’t realize how much you appreciate it until it’s gone,” Cavanaugh said. “I have found a lot of endurance through this sport, a lot of perseverance,” she continued. “Running up those hills, it toughens you up. I found myself through that. Being able to preserve and get up those hills is something that’s very motivating and can build your character. I’ve been able to make myself and my family members proud of the stuff I was doing. I wanted to keep doing that and get back out there, to show them that I’m ready to work.”
Cavanaugh Starts Senior Season
As she goes through her senior season, Cavanaugh hopes to see Southington reach the State Open one more time. Furthermore, she wants to qualify for the New England Cross Country Championship, a goal she has had since freshman year.
Cavanaugh knows it will be a difficult task given the talent of runners in Connecticut. However, she says she is ready to put in the work. Now that she is healthy, she’s determined to go as far as she can.
Head coach Jaclyn Sullivan fully believes in her senior’s ability on and off the track. She calls Cavanaugh an extension of herself as a coach. Sullivan admires Cavanaugh’s tenacity and competitive spirit. No matter how ambitious the goal, she knows the senior will chase after it. And as a leader, Cavanaugh has become someone that has truly embraced the Blue Knights program and understands the culture they’re trying to create.
As other members of the team look at Cavanaugh, Sullivan wants them to understand her love of the sport. Her dedication is what has helped her shine and make her the person she is today.
“Katie is a well balanced and caring student-athlete whose love for running is contagious,” Sullivan said. “She openly shares her passion with her teammates and is always the first to cheer for her own team and even for her competitors, many of whom she counts as friends. She’s genuine, welcoming, and embodies what it means to be a runner: showing up with consistency, racing with tenacity, embracing challenges, and learning from every opportunity.”
“What I hope her teammates take away from Katie’s leadership is more than just training tips or racing strategies. It’s a love for the sport, a comfort in building strong relationships with teammates and coaches, and the confidence to be themselves,” she continued. “Katie helps anchor the culture of our program, ensuring it will continue to grow. She is a positive light and a role model for what it means to be a student athlete, a leader, and a good human.”
Her work as a runner and leader helped Cavanaugh be named one of Southington's captains for the 2025 season alongside fellow senior Jenna Hebert. She considers it an absolute honor after looking up to runners such as Jackie Izzo and Grace Michaud. But it didn’t hit Cavanaugh that she was really a senior captain until she was asked about a poster.
During Southington’s final home meet, each senior has a poster hung celebrating their achievements. Each upperclassman ask a specific underclassman to decorate her poster. Once Cavanaugh was asked who would design hers, it sunk in how far her journey had gone.
Through all the injuries, through all the training sessions and Sunday runs, Cavanaugh always showed up. Cross country became an essential part of her life. And along the way, Cavanaugh got to watch the Blue Knights program become what it is today.
“Every single season I’ve seen every single senior go through this. I can’t believe it’s my turn to do this. I’ve always been the person making the poster,” Cavanaugh said. “To actually get to work with those girls who are going to be the future of our team is very special to me. I’m hoping our new freshman girls will see how hardworking we are and the kind of commitment we have for it and the teambuilding we have together. Hopefully that will show them how special it is to be a part of this group and what it could teach you along the way.”
Cavanaugh Creates Her Southington Legacy
As she prepares for graduation, Cavanaugh is touring colleges and plans to pursue a degree in engineering. She also plans to keep on running at the college level.
Throughout her life, her mother Mary Cavanaugh has been her anchor of support. Before Cavanaugh could drive, her mom would bring her to every practice. She has attended every meet she could and supported her daughter’s career every step of the way. Still, she was surprised when Cavanaugh said she wanted to keep running in college. Running was, for her daughter, not just a fun way to hang out with her friends – it was a path to her future.
The younger Cavanaugh wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I would have never guessed how much it would’ve taught me,” Cavanaugh said. “I remember in middle school it just being a fun place to hang out with my friends. I would have never imagined that I’d be trying to choose a college over this. After these four years, it’s definitely something I want to weigh in my decision. I wouldn’t have guessed it would become such a big part of my life, but I’m glad it has.”
For the past four years, Cavanaugh has proudly worn the Blue Knights logo on her jersey. She will soon run her last race for Southington. But every meet, every mile along the way, Cavanaugh crafted her legacy. For her work as a runner and leader, Cavanaugh’s impact will remain long after she crosses her final finish line with girls cross country.
“It definitely means a lot to me to wear the Knights logo,” Cavanaugh said. “It means a lot since we’ve done it so much. It’s a legacy. I like to think of all those girls who ran before and the program that we have. It’s grown so much. It’s really cool to be a part of that legacy.”
