Gabriela Gallen-Kallela-Sirén ’22 Leads Vikings at 2021 All-Catholic Race

Gabriela Gallen-Kallela-Sirén ’22 led the way for Nichols girls cross country at the All-Catholic Race on November 7, taking first place with a time of 20:40.99 and earning All-Catholic honors.

 

After placing sixth in the 2018 All-Catholic Race as a freshman, Gallen-Kallela-Sirén never finished lower than second place in her final three seasons at Nichols. She placed first in 2019 with a time of 20:40.63, and after a second-place result in 2020, she earned her second career All-Catholic win Sunday.

 

“Some things I’ve learned throughout my seasons are strength, grit, and perseverance,” Gallen-Kallela-Sirén said. “Those values kind of connected the different members of the team. It’s a really tough sport, and I’ve had a really good time with the team.”



Photo credit: Derek Gee / Buffalo News

Two other runners from the Vikings girls cross country team placed in the top 20, as Quinn Benchley ’23 placed 12th with a time of 22:47.48 and Mia Anderson ’24 placed 17th with a time of 23:14.45. The girls cross country team finished in fourth place overall.

 

On the boys cross country side, senior Austin Bares ’22 finished in second place to earn All-Catholic honors. His time of 18:09 paced the Vikings, followed by Sayward McPherson ’24 in 20th place with a time of 19:58.26. The boys team finished in fifth place.



Photo credit: Derek Gee / Buffalo News

 

Next up for Bares and Gallen-Kallela-Sirén is the New York State Federation Championship race, which takes place in Wappingers Falls on Saturday, November 20.

Congratulations Vikings!