Christian Johannesen races to the finish line, taking first for the Bromfield team. The team placed fourth overall in Division 3C. (Photo by Adam Wool)
The Bromfield girls cross-country team is the 2023 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 3C champion, crushing opponents Lenox Memorial and Mount Greylock with 49 points to their 101 and 130, respectively, at the Northfield Mountain Recreation Area on Saturday, Nov. 11.
Led by junior Evelyn Wool, who came in third overall, the girls’ win was attributed by coach Matt Lynde to their quiet confidence going into the race. The boys team came in fourth with 110 points, led by sophomore Christian Johannesen, who came in 18th overall.
Sunshine and crisp fall temperatures made the second showing at Northfield Mountain far more pleasant than the rainy and windy race on Oct. 21 at the Dick Atkinson Invitational. Last Saturday, Bromfield raced up the mountain against more than 20 schools comprising nearly 350 runners in the MIAA Division 3C sectional meet to decide which teams will move forward to the state competition.
“We had a gutty performance from runners one through seven on one of the most challenging cross-country courses in the state,” said Lynde. “Every single one of our top five runners beat their counterparts on Saturday.” Junior Evelyn Wool continues to prove she is one of the top runners in the state, according to Lynde, beating her course record by 40 seconds. Sophomore Rosie Bradley finished seventh overall and 30 seconds faster than her previous course time, and junior Isabel Jackson finished ninth and over a minute faster than her course best. Junior Emma Squire took 14th place and joined her teammates on the medal stand after shaving a full minute from her prior course time. Eighth-grader Abby Wool not only finished the race 80 seconds faster than her previous effort, but she also earned a personal record.
Boys coach Marisa Steele was proud of sophomore Christian Johannesen. She said: “It was good to see Christian pick up the slack for the team as we sat [senior] Jack [Stahl] out this week to give him extra time to recover from a recent injury. I was happy that we were able to stay close to Lenox and Mount Greylock in the team standings without Jack racing.”
Sophomore Rosie Bradley (left) and junior Evelyn Wool race up the hill at the start of the Division 3C race in Northfield. Evelyn finished third overall in 3C, first for the Bromfield team with Rosie coming in second for the team and seventh overall. (Photo by Kate Wool)
Both teams qualified for the Division 3 state meet to be held Saturday, Nov. 18, at Willard Park in Devens. Said coach Steele, “I’m looking forward to next week as we should be more competitive with all of our top guys back in the lineup.” Lynde expressed similar sentiments of excitement in preparation for the last meet of the season saying, “The challenge this week will only be tougher as we compete against all of the top schools in Division 3.”
For the girls, teams to beat in the division include Hamilton-Wenham and Weston, winners of the 3B and 3A divisions, respectively. The boys will have serious competition in their own 3C Division from Parker Charter, Lenox, and Mount Greylock and from the 3A and 3B champs, Hamilton-Wenham and Weston.
2023 MIAA Division 3C championships
Bromfield girls (top 5 finishers)
- Evelyn Wool (19 minutes, 29.64 seconds), third place
- Rosie Bradley (20:48.15), seventh
- Isabel Jackson (20:56:39), ninth
- Emma Squire (21:27.78), 14th
- Abby Wool (22:03.95), 25th
Bromfield boys (top 5 finishers)
- Christian Johannesen (17:58.46), 18th place
- Ben McWaters (18:07.17), 20th
- Harrison Binnick (18:15.92), 22nd
- Liam Kemeza (18:17.31), 23rd
- Charlie Gowel (18:38:65), 27th
Julie Gowel is a cross-country team parent.
