Congratulations to Newark Valley senior Marissa Silba who won the Class C Sectional Championship in Cross-Country. She will be competing in states Nov. 10, 2018 down in Long Island. She was also named ESPN Ithaca’s Athlete of the week.
During the interview with ESPN Ithaca, she said she is always out running, rain or shine in all seasons.
“I’ve been running every summer, every winter, whether it’s snowing or what, almost every day I’m out there running,” she said.
Newark Valley Cross Country Coaches Tracey and Eric D’Arcy have been an institution at the school and have made a lasting impression on those that they have coached. Silba says one of their mottos has had a particularly strong impact on her and her work ethic. She said her coaches have encouraged her never to be satisfied.
“I could be done,” Silba said. “It’s my senior year, I’ve finally won a section title, I could be happy with what I’ve done. But now I’m going to states and I’m thinking, what’s next? How am I going to keep going, how am I going to keep improving and so that’s just a motto they’ve always told us. I’m just going to try to not be satisfied with what I’ve done.”
Silba will be competing in the NYSPHSAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 10 at Sunken Meadow State Park. The course is well known for the great ‘Cardiac Hill’ and is among the toughest in the nation. Silba said she will have to be intelligent in the race this weekend.
“If I go out too hard, or if anyone goes out too hard it’s going to be a very difficult race to finish because of that hill and I know that there’s a lot of mobility so even if I go out a little slow I will probably be able to make up the ground. So I just have to make sure that I stay at a good pace.”