Senior Claire Wigglesworth has been a part of the crew team since freshman year. After rowing in the top varsity boat and participating in the team’s rigorous practices, Wigglesworth wanted to push herself even more. Now a member of both the cross country and crew teams, balancing two very large commitments has not gotten in the way of much earned success.  

Wigglesworth started rowing since eighth grade, where she became prospect for Wilson’s crew team while she was still in middle school. She has rowed in the top varsity boat (1V) since her freshman year and has had the opportunity to row in some of the best regattas in the country and the world. She led the team to a first place finish at the Head of Occoquan and Occoquan Chase regattas, along with a third place finish at the Head of Schuylkill and a top ten placement at the world renowned Head of the Charles. Wigglesworth, who recently committed to row at Harvard University, along with the rest of the crew team have high hopes for what’s to come in the spring season. 

Wigglesworth began running competitively for Wilson during her junior year, but had always appreciated running on her own. “I’ve always enjoyed running in my free time and training for half marathons as something more to do,” Wigglesworth said. “I love cross country because I get to push my physical limits in a much more independent way than rowing, where the fate of the boat relies on everyone working together.” After just a year on the team, Wigglesworth was named the DC Gatorade Player of the Year and has enjoyed a great deal of success in her short time on the team. She was a part of the team that won the DCSAA state championship in 2018 and placed second in 2019, she finished fourth and third overall, respectively. 

It’s not common for Wilson athletes to partake in two sports during the same season, but Wigglesworth has been able to manage the commitments. “The cross country team has really welcomed me with open arms, although I haven’t always been present at meets and practices in trying to balance it with crew,” she said. 

No matter the sport she’s playing, Wigglesworth always knows what it takes to make her team better. “Although I appear as intensely focused on workouts and training regimen, I try to keep it lighthearted and fun, laughing with my teammates,” she said. Girl’s cross country coach Emily Farrar acknowledged Wigglesworth as a “naturally very talented athlete,” but more than anything sees her as an amazing teammate. The team won its first ever DCSAA championship in 2018, where Wigglesworth placed fourth overall, but Farrar saw that it meant more to Wigglesworth that the team had just made history than that she had had personal success. “The team’s achievements and everyone else’s achievements around her were more important and brought her more joy than anything she did for herself,” Farrar said. 

With her final cross country season behind her, Wigglesworth now turns her focus towards the crew team’s spring season that features the two biggest regattas of the year. “We have high goals set for the spring where we hope to win the team points trophy at WMIRA (Maryland-Virginia-DC State Championships) and place at Scholastic Nationals.”