After injuries hamper start of college career, Northbridge's Masciarelli embraces fresh start

Whether it was playing basketball or running distances for Marianapolis Prep, Sydney Masciarelli thrived — and injury free.

The Northbridge native headed off to the University of North Carolina in 2021 as a scholarship athlete, after collecting Gatorade runner of the year accolades in Connecticut for her performances, and also reaped NEPSAC honors there for her efforts on the hardwood.

Season after season, success — with her long strides uninterrupted by pain or discomfort.

Then came the too-frequent speed bumps of misfortune called stress fractures — four of them, in fact — all within her first three years at Chapel Hill. While missing such considerable time recovering, Masciarelli did wonder at times whether she should've gone the roundball route.

"There's something in me that told me to stick to running," said Masciarelli, who proclaims this is her first summer 100% healthy to run since before she headed to UNC three years ago. "It's all part of the process."

A painful, frustrating part of the process, but one Mascarelli has navigated with patience and support from family, coaches and teammates. She's coming off a fine outdoor track season, her first as a collegian, that included a top-10 performance at the Atlantic Coast Conference championships, in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

"I wouldn't have ever wanted to get hurt, but I've learned a lot through all this," said Masciarelli, who is entering her senior year at UNC as an exercise and sport science major, with plenty of track eligibility remaining.

The first of Masciarelli's four stress fractures came during indoor track as a freshman, to her left foot. No. 2 was to the right tibia during outdoor track that year.

Masciarelli recovered in time to contribute in cross-country as a sophomore and into the indoor season, before suffering a stress fracture to her left femur, sidelining her throughout outdoors and the summer. "I didn't run at all for over two months," she said.

She was a spectator last indoor season after coming down with a stress fracture in her left fibula in January. Considerable cross training enabled her to start running in March, when she embarked on her first healthy outdoor season.

"Freshman year getting hurt twice was tough," Masciarelli said, "and wondering if I could get back to where I was. Mentally, I was, uh, why has this been happening?"

She praises twin brother Sal, who runs track and cross-country at Central Connecticut State, for helping her focus. "Sal has helped a lot, helping me realize there's a reason why all of this has happened."

Older sister Sophia, who starred at Holy Name, just graduated from Hofstra and is training for the New York City Marathon. Older brother Stefan played basketball at St. John's and Lasell.

Masciarelli also credits a coaching change for helping her weather adversity. She has been working more closely with Chris Miltenberg, the Tar Heels' director of track and cross-country, after the departure of women's cross-country coach Dylan Sorensen.

"Chris has been really patient, and has stressed the importance of cross-training, with bike, et cetera," she said. "HIs approach has helped me stay healthy."

As Masciarelli noted, the whole ordeal has been a valuable learning process, aided somewhat through the studies in her major, about her body and why she may be so susceptible to these stress fractures.

"I noticed I just was not eating enough," Masciarelli said. "I was not getting enough calories, while having low bone density."

While not a vegeterian or vegan, Masciarelli hasn't necessarily been a meat eater. She has increased chicken and ground beef in her diet, and has further increased her protein intake with one or two protein shakes per day.

"The chicken just has to be cooked in a certain way for me," said Masciarelli, who noted her mom Loanny prepares it just that way.

"The nutritionists are noting how I'm staying healthy this summer. I'm feeling like myself again. Things are definitely working in the right direction."

During this past outdoor season, Masciarelli twice competed in the 1,500 meters and twice in the steeplechase, a discipline in which she won a national title as a high school runner.

At the ACC meet in May at Georgia Tech, she finished ninth, just one spot out of scoring, in 10:28.39. While more than 40 seconds from the lead, Masciarelli saw the race as making strides toward where she wants to be on the track.

"That race went out hard," said Masciarelli, whose ran her personal-best time the month before, placing second at the Charlotte Invitational, in 10:26.27. "With time and being consistent, I'll get there."

Masciarelli is training at home for the summer and will head back to UNC in August, when preparation for cross-country will pick up in earnest. While June included easy running, Masciarelli's morning regimen in July includes more hills and small workouts while picking up the mileage, with time for cycling and lifting in the afternoon.

The Tar Heels were riddled by injury top to bottom last fall, not qualifying for the NCAA championship meet after finishing fifth the year before.

"I'd like to finish top 20 in the ACC meet, which is All-ACC, and get into the top 40 for All-American," said Mascarelli, who is expected to be among UNC's scoring seven this fall. "To help get the team into the top five, and I think we can do that.

"This is my first healthy summer," she added. "I'm pretty confident, and I'm excited."

—Contact John Conceison at john.conceison@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ConceisonJohn.