Ben Seifer/Alpine Ski

-Before getting into bed the night before a race, Seifer heads into the bathroom to cut his toenails and fingernails. “I always cut them whether or not they need it,” Seifer said. At first it was purposeful, “If my boots were really tight I didn’t want my nails to be pressing on the inside … now it’s really just a habit.”

-Before leaving the house, Seifer checks to make sure he is wearing his Jewish star around his neck, a birthday present from his uncle. “I think I forgot my star once, I freaked out but I skied alright, so that was OK. But that doesn’t mean I’m ever going to leave my star behind again.”

-On the bus ride to the mountain, Seifer listens to an odd combination of songs on his iPod. “I listen to Phil Collins, followed by Nickelback, then the Gladiator soundtrack, then “The Lion King” soundtrack,” Seifer said. “When I heard [the playlist] the first time, I thought, ‘Hey, this could work.’ There is an up and down to it. It pumps you up then brings you back down.”

Juliet Ryan-Davis/Cross Country, Track

-While warming up for races at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury, Ryan-Davis runs through an open bus stop. To her, it seems “like a portal.” She has taught the routine to freshmen, meaning unsuspecting bus riders can sometimes get a surprise. “It’s funny when there are people waiting at the stop and suddenly a group of teenage girls goes darting through them,” Ryan-Davis said.

-At the line, Ryan-Davis jumps four times, does high knees in place six times and then shakes her legs out.

-On race days, Ryan-Davis wears an orange sock on her right foot and a blue sock on her left.

Niki Sholemson/Soccer

-At the start of the game, Sholemson and senior Sam Tye walk on to the field together, tap the insides of one foot together, then the outside, then center and finally, pound fists.

-On corner kicks, Sholemson taps her foot against the goal posts before lining up.

Maddie Willert/Cross Country, Track

-Before each race, Willert listens to one artist in particular to get her “pumped up.” However, instead of opting for rap or hard rock, the junior runner gets amped up by bobbing her head to teen pop duo Aly and AJ.

-Willert has the same drink before every race she runs: Smart Water. After almost fainting during one preseason workout, Willert started drinking the electrolyte-filled beverage, only to adopt it as part of her pre-race routine.

-The junior only runs races in blue and orange socks, a custom she attributes to “school spirit” and an overwhelming habit.