By Dan Guttenplan
Sports Editor
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BYFIELD — One can only predict that the name Auwerda will be giving rival coaches around the Cape Ann League fits over the next decade.
Rowley's Auwerda family has already made a substantial impact on the Triton cross country and track programs. Eldest siblings and twins, Sara and Zach, are senior captains of the girls and boys teams, respectively. Sam, the third-oldest of six siblings, is a sophomore member of the boys team. Triton coach Joe Colbert believes he may be writing the name Auwerda on his lineup card for at least five more seasons.
"The Auwerda family has a streak of running talent," Colbert said. "We have two senior captains already, and Sam has a promising future. It's unusual to have three siblings on one team, and there's a fourth in eighth grade who also wants to run."
The family running tradition is somewhat hard to figure, considering the parents of the six children are not runners. In fact, the three high school siblings rarely train together, as their speeds and mileage often differ.
"We only ran together once or twice all summer," Zach Auwerda said. "We run on our own. We all kind of do what works for us."
Sara Auwerda discovered what worked for her as a freshman when she was the first of the family to join a Triton running team. She ran spring track and became an immediate contributor to the varsity team. By her sophomore year, she was named Outstanding Runner of the Red Auerbach Freshman-Sophomore Invitational during the indoor track season.
After witnessing his sister's immediate success, Zach tried out for the cross country team as a sophomore.
"I suggested it to him," Sara Auwerda said. "I thought it was fun, and I thought both of my brothers should do it. They liked it right away. I don't feel like a trendsetter; I just introduced them to the sport."
After Sara and Zach moved toward the front of the pack as sophomores, Sam decided to try out for the cross country team the following fall, his freshman year.
"I think the mentality that we all share makes us good," Sam Auwerda said. "We all want to run. The competition aspect is fun. I wouldn't say we love to go out for runs for fun. But we do like to compete."
There is little evidence of sibling rivalries in the Auwerda home. Zach said that is due to the siblings' shared "distance running mentality," which he feels is more laid-back by nature. Sara said the siblings occasionally share their running experiences at home, but rarely offer advice or strategy.
"We'll talk about workouts," Sara Auwerda said. "It's not like we talk about it all the time, but we'll say whether a practice was hard or easy."
As senior captains, Sara and Zach appear to be setting the bar for the rest of the family.
"I'm hoping I'll be a senior captain when the time comes," Sam Auwerda said. "That would be nice, because my brother and sister are now. It'd be kind of strange not to be a captain."
