NORTH ANDOVER — Finding a balance between academics and athletics is often a strenuous challenge for student athletes in high school and college. But for Lynn native Tia Foglietta, balancing school and sports is a trial she has never backed down from.
Foglietta, a St. Mary’s alum, was a three-sport athlete in her days wearing the Spartan uniform. She ran indoor and outdoor track in the winter and spring seasons respectively, and played on the girls soccer team until her senior year when she opted to join the cross country squad.
“I’ve played sports my whole life,” Foglietta said. “I loved the sports teams at St. Mary’s. It was always something I looked forward to at the end of a long school day. I really enjoyed running for (Spartans cross country) coach Dom Finelli. He was a great coach and he was like a father figure.”
After graduating from St. Mary’s, Foglietta decided to continue both her academic and athletic careers at Division II Merrimack College. Foglietta weighed her options but ultimately chose Merrimack based on the similarities between the North Andover school and St. Mary’s. It also helped that she felt a perfect fit when she met with Merrimack’s cross country team.
“I chose Merrimack because it reminded me of St. Mary’s when I came for a visit,” Foglietta said. “The school and the environment felt like St. Mary’s. Merrimack’s really big on sports, just like St. Mary’s. I met with the coaches and the team and I enjoyed the visit. It fit like a glove.”
Just as she did in her days with the Spartans, Foglietta continues to excel as a three-sport athlete with the Warriors. Foglietta, now a junior at Merrimack, runs cross country in the fall and indoor and outdoor track in the winter and spring seasons, respectively.
“It’s definitely hectic, I had to learn how to balance it all,” Foglietta, a biology and health sciences major, said. “You can leave for a track meet at 6 a.m. and not come back until 7 at night. Sometimes they can take an entire weekend. Balancing that with school can be difficult but now that I’m a junior it’s like clockwork. I’m glad I stuck with it.”
She also credits her former coaches and teachers at St. Mary’s for helping her prepare for the challenges she faces as a student-athlete in college. Foglietta learned how to grasp a handle on time management as a Spartan, and she relies heavily on that skill at Merrimack.
“I have to thank St. Mary’s for preparing me really well for college,” Foglietta said. “I learned time management at St. Mary’s so when I came to college I already had that in me. I’m really grateful for all the teachers and coaches at St. Mary’s.”
Currently in her third season running outdoor track at Merrimack, Foglietta and the Warriors are off to a strong start this fall. The team finished third overall at Sunday’s Northeast-10 Cross Country Championship, with Foglietta finishing 42nd in the women’s 6k run.
Merrimack also finished second at the Bowdoin Invitational in September, with Foglietta logging a 14th place finish in the women’s 5k race.
“I think our team has matured a lot over the past few years,” Foglietta said. “We’ve all improved our times significantly. We’ve worked with one another to improve on our times. We’re all very dedicated and we’re in-sync as a team. We all have a common goal to get as far as we can.”
The Warriors have also bonded together this season in hopes of having a strong year in honor of a former teammate who passed away over the summer. Kelly Ledoux-Walsh, a Wakefield native, died in July at the age of 21.
Running for the late Ledoux-Walsh, Foglietta said, has helped her find strength within herself when times get tough.
“We all just want to end the season on a good note for Kelly,” Foglietta said. “I think we’ve had one of our best seasons yet. We’re with each other every single day, training in the weight room and running. It was really hard to go through that. We’re going to end the season very well knowing that when we want to give up, we’re doing it for her.”
Next up for the Warriors is the NCAA East Regional Championship, which will be held on Nov. 4 at Daemen College in Buffalo New York. Foglietta finished 52nd overall, third-best for Merrimack, at last year’s regionals.
“We just have to be positive,” Foglietta said. “The power of positive thinking is that if you think it can happen, it will happen. We just have to continue working hard through the rest of the season and hopefully it pays off for us.”