Who was Katarina Boscovich? 'Run Like Kat' pays tribute to Longmeadow teen who died in deadly crash
LONDMEADOW,MASSACHUSETTS: Friday's ‘Run Like Kat' race was dedicated to Longmeadow High School runner Katarina "Kat" Boskovic on November 25. Boskovic died in a car crash weeks before her high school graduation. It was her friend Shea Hamel, critically injured in the same crash, who emerged as one of the winners in the race to honor Boskovic.
Hamel, recalling the runs she went on with her friend Kat, said, "[Kat] would always kick at the end of the race. She always pushed me to kick at the end of the race because she knew that was the moment where it counted most," Mass Live reported.
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According to event organizers, the 5K "Run Like Kat" race memorialized Boskovic's legacy as an outstanding student-athlete, mentor and youth track coach, and devoted member of the town's community. Over 650 other runners took part in the race and the event raised almost $18,000 for the Kat Boskovic Memorial Fund, established shortly after Kat's death through the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. On Friday morning, a mild drizzle matched the tear-filled eyes of most participants who were dressed in purple and navy blue — Kat's favorite colors.
Who was Katarina Boscovich?
On May 7, Kat and Hamel were both passengers in a 2010 Acura that struck a tree on a curve of Green Willow Drive in Longmeadow. Kat died in the crash only weeks before she was set to graduate from Longmeadow High School and head to McGill University in Quebec to study to become a doctor like her parents. Hamel was critically injured in the crash too and was teetering on the verge of death and paralysis before she made a miraculous recovery.
Meanwhile, Zachary Elfman, 18, has been charged with manslaughter and other crimes linked to the May 7 car crash that claimed Boskovic’s life and seriously injured Hamel. Elfman was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol that led to the events that culminated in the horrific crash, as per reports.