Ariella Harrington
Ariella Harrington is the captain of the women’s cross country team for the 2009 season. Ariella has had a grand four year career with the Lasers, beginning in 2006 when she ran her first race at New England College, finishing with a time of 20:29 on the course.
Full Name: Ariella Harrington
Year: Senior
Major: Sports Science
Hometown: Woburn, Mass.
High School: Woburn
Ariella Harrington is the captain of the women's cross country team for the 2009 season. Ariella has had a grand four year career with the Lasers, beginning in 2006 when she ran her first race at New England College, finishing with a time of 20:29 on the course. As a freshman, she was the second Lasell runner to finish at both the Roger Williams Invitational and the Saints Invitational, with times of 23:19 and 23:02 respectively.
Sophomore year, Ariella was also the second Laser to finish at the Saints Invitational, ending the course with a time of 23:17. During a strong junior season, Ariella finishing 19th at Rivier College with a time of 24:50, 15th at the Monks Invitational with a 23:42, and 46th at the Saints Invitational with a 23:17. She completed the GNAC Championships in 37th place in 2008, with an overall finishing time of 24:05, and was the second Lasell runner to finish at the 2008 NCAA Regional.
This season, Ariella has been the second athlete to finish in five races, earning a fourth place finish at the 2009 President's Cup, an 8th place finish at Rivier with a time of 22:51, and a 14th place finish at the Monks Invitational, completing in 22:58. She was also the first Laser to finish at the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship Race on October 31st, completing the course in 22 minutes, 18.38 seconds. Ariella was the 12th runner to finish the meet, out of 88 total athletes.
In addition, Ariella has been a member of the GNAC All-Academic team for the past two years, and on the NAC All-Academic team prior to that.
Favorites:
Movie- Grease
Book- Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
Class- Sophomore Honors Leadership Seminar with Neil Hatem
TV Show- Friends
Song- "Coat of Many Colors" by Dolly Parton
Food- ice cream
Questions:
Why did you choose Lasell College?
I liked that it was a small school and that they got students involved in coursework, and even fieldwork, related to their majors early on in their college careers. Plus, they had a cross country team and when I met with the coaches, I really liked them and couldn't wait to be part of the team.
What's your favorite memory as an athlete at Lasell?
My favorite memory as an athlete at Lasell is from this season when our team placed third at the Running Monks Invitational at St. Joseph's College in Maine.
Do you have any superstitions before you go into a race?
Sort of, I always wear a tank top under my uniform, and there are two tank tops in particular that I use on meet days.
What do you do in your free time away from athletics?
I like spending time with my family, friends, and pets, and going shopping.
Do you plan to continue running or to go into coaching after you finish your career at Lasell?
I definitely plan to continue running. Coaching cross country or track is a possibility.
On the more personal side:
Who has been a great influence in your life?
Above all, my parents because they are always there to support me in everything I do. Throughout my career at Lasell, my teammates and coaches have been very supportive as well. Plus, for the past two years that she has been the athletic trainer for cross country, Lori has provided lots of mental and physical guidance to help me continue running and competing for the entire season, despite a variety of injuries.
Where do you see yourself after graduation?
Hopefully, working as a strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Ideally, I'd like to be working at a gymnastics club as the strength and conditioning coordinator for their teams and/or teaching fitness classes to children of all ages and abilities.