Runner spotlight: Darcy O'Connor

This is one in an occasional series of profiles on B-CC track and field team members.


Darcy O’Connor, a B-CC senior, knows the value of running with teammates.

Without them, she says, she might not get out much.

And without them, she certainly wouldn’t improve her times on the track.

She has run all four years on the B-CC cross country team, and now is in her third year on the indoor track and field team.

When she was a freshman, her top mile time was 6 minutes, 40 seconds, and top two-mile time was over 14 minutes. Now, her top times are 5:50 for the mile and 12:30 for the two-mile.

For Coach Chad Young, O’Connor has been an invaluable member of the track team, both as a competitor and a teammate. He said she has served as a mentor to younger teammates.

``She’s always been one of the hardest workers on the team,’’ Young said. ``It’s not only her improvement in running that is important, it’s the leadership that she shows with the younger girls. Because of her leadership, she’s so important to have on a young team.’’

O’Connor said the team has always tried to support the younger runners.

``I like to encourage the underclassmen because I remember being a freshman on the team and having a great time, which is why I continued to run,’’ she said. ``I know that encouragement from an upperclassman meant something to me, because it was coming from someone experienced in the sport. We encourage the underclassmen to come with us on runs, and join us outside of practice, like for lunch after our weekend runs.’’

She joins a big group of girls on long runs, and on workout days she participates with fellow senior Paige Donnelly and four sophomores – Grace Reingruber, Hallie Jester, Claire Cohen, and Ava Farrell.

``I really like my teammates,’’ she said. ``I wouldn’t go out running every day by myself. I’ve learned a lot about commitment from running.’’

She laughed. ``I learned if you don’t run every day, you will not get faster.’’

Her goal for the indoor mile: 5:40, or 10 seconds faster than her PR. ``It seems like a long ways away, but I’m trying,’’ she said.