Peabody runner Rocha looks to ascend new heights

Having scaled one height – literally – in the MIAA Division 1 cross country state meet last weekend, Peabody High cross country star Catarina Rocha is ready to tackle another challenge.Rocha, winner of the D1 girls state title at Northfield Mountain last Saturday, will compete in the Foot Locker Northeast Cross Country Regionals at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx today.”It’s been a long time since I saw Van Cortlandt Park,” said her father and coach, Joe Rocha. “It’s a traditional course, a very historic course of the Foot Locker Regionals since the beginning. The last three years were different (due to construction at the park, the regionals were held at Sunken Meadow State Park on Long Island).”This will mark the third regional competition for Catarina Rocha. The last two times she competed, she placed in the top 10 and thus qualified for the national competition in California. This year, the national competition will take place in San Diego on Dec. 8.”Hopefully, I make it this week,” she said. “If not, I’m ready for indoors and outdoors (in track).”Joe and Catarina Rocha planned to visit the course yesterday afternoon “to see the course and make some decisions how to run,” Coach Rocha said.Among the cross country runners who have previously tackled the course is Marblehead High alumna and US Olympian Shalane Flanagan.Asked about the race today, Coach Rocha said, “I think she just has to take it, run a race like she’s been doing all season. She’s peaking at the right time.”It sure sounds that way after Catarina Rocha’s win in the state meet.”She ran with the girls for the first mile,” Coach Rocha said. “The last three-fourths of a mile, she went by me. I told her she had a big lead, try to conserve some energy for the finish line.”Catarina Rocha won in 18:06.12, her second straight state championship.”No one puts pressure on any of us,” she said. “If I didn’t win it, no big deal. It was just another race. I’d (have) moved on.”One aspect that did loom large, literally, was Northfield Mountain, site of the race course.”It is a challenge for your quads going up,” Coach Rocha said, noting that about the first three-quarters were uphill. “After that, going down is a challenging part, too. You’re using a different part of muscles.”Catarina Rocha expressed satisfaction from her team winning a state title at the same meet.”I was more excited for my team than even individual (results),” she said, adding, “I was not really paying more attention at the end on my times. I was estimating on our chance to win. I was not even thinking about my legs.”However, she said, “The day after, it takes a toll on your legs.”Yet it sounds like one week later, she’s ready for her next challenge.Rich Tenorio can be reached at [email protected].