In a sport where individual performance is almost always the sole measuring stick, Tina Capparell's measurables spoke volumes.

If you want to talk hardware, Capparell's medal haul screams success.If you want to talk personal records, Capparell's plunging times yell improvement.If you want to talk resiliency, Capparell's ability to overcome obstacles shouts determination.But if you want to talk about Tina Capparell, that's when the screams, yells and shouts turn into a whisper.Sure, Capparell is proud of another incredible season that earned her the Times News Girls Cross Country Athlete of the Year award for the third straight time, but the Marian High School junior would much rather the conversation not be solely about her.Instead, Capparell stressed the role her coaches played and the excitement of the Fillies' team success."I'm really proud of my individual accomplishments because I worked hard to achieve them," Capparell said. "But I think the best part of the entire season was winning team districts and qualifying for states. No Marian cross-country team had ever accomplished either of those things before."I don't think anything that happened this season can match the excitement I felt out at the state meet surrounded by my entire team and coaching staff."Capparell's attitude is something that doesn't surprise Marian cross-country coach Tom Kostic."Tina is very team-oriented," Kostic said. "I tell our kids all the time that there are so many things you can accomplish individually in this sport, but there is something special about being part of a team's success."Tina gets that. She has the type of talent and work ethic that can elevate the people around her, and that's what she did this season."Capparell's accomplishments in the postseason show exactly how talented she is.She started things with a personal-best time of 19:30 and a second-place finish at the Schuylkill League meet.She followed that up at the District 11 Class 1A meet by shattering her previous personal best with a time of 19:13. That was good enough for her third consecutive district championship.Capparell capped her brilliant, late-season stretch with her third straight medal at the PIAA State Championships. On the hilly and demanding course in Hershey, Capparell might have turned in her best run of the season, finishing in fifth place with a time of 19:26."I was happy with my postseason performances," Capparell said. "I had my best-ever finish at leagues, I defended my previous titles and had the best time of my career at districts, and then hit my goal with a top five finish at states."Not only did the outstanding finish at the state championship meet put a perfect bow on the 2016 season, it also provided some extra incentive for 2017."When I think back to the state meet and realize how close I came to winning a state championship, it provides me with a lot of motivation," Capparell said. "I was just nine seconds behind the winner. That has definitely given me a little extra push during my runs since the season ended. I've already set a state title as one of my goals for next season. I know I'm close, and I also know I have plenty of things I can work on to get better."Kostic believes that Capparell can achieve that goal."I've been coaching cross country for 18 years (17 years at the former Bishop Hafey High School) and have had a number of all-state runners," Kostic said. "Tina is definitely one of the best I have ever coached. "She has so much upside. I can definitely see her challenging for a state championship."Perhaps the most incredible part of Capparell's late-season success is that she really didn't have a preseason or an early season.For the second consecutive season, Capparell had to overcome health issues along the way.Her sophomore year it was heat stroke. This season it was a virus that left her anemic and weak.Capparell got sick a week before the start of fall practice and missed nearly the first month of the season."The doctors put me on iron supplements and vitamins and eventually I regained my strength and stamina," Capparell said. "It took some time, but I built myself back up to where I was before I got the virus."Despite the late start, Capparell had a finish to remember.One that came through loud and clear.