The Norwood High boys' and girls' cross-country teams were awarded the Ted Dutkiewicz Team Cross-Country Sportsmanship award by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Norwood High athletic director Brian McDonough, who is also the head boys' and girls' cross-country teams, recommended the team for the award.
He signaled out the following the accomplishments of the team.
-Worked weekends, clearing the course for the 700 participants, who competed in the Bay State Conference Cross-Country Meet. Norwood has hosted the event for the last five years.
-Volunteered at the town's annual recycling day in October, unloading recycled items from Norwood residents' vehicles and homes.
-Many members of the team are in community service volunteering at Norwood Hospital, Norwood Food Pantry, the school's Friendship Club (which is a club for special needs high school students and meets twice a month) and Mission Mustang, which collected items to send care packages to servicemen and servicewomen overseas. Boys' cross-country captain J.J. O'Donnell organized the town-wide mission.
"The members of the boys' and girls' cross-country teams represent the total student athlete in every sense of word: student, volunteer, and positive sportsmanship," wrote McDonough in nominating the team.
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