The boys and girls cross-country teams won the Midland-Wachusett C League championships in a landslide victory Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Pierce Tree Farm in Lunenburg. Running through fields of Christmas trees on an unseasonably warm and sunny day was a welcome reprieve from the deluge of rain and gusty winds the runners faced the previous weekend at the Dick Atkinson Invitational.
From left: Sophomore Rosie Bradley, (placing second), juniors Evelyn Wool (first), and Isabel Jackson (third) sweep the top three finishes for Bromfield, Saturday, Oct 28. (Photos by Kate Wool)
The boys, led by freshman Ben McWaters, scored 26 points while the girls, led by junior Evelyn Wool, scored 27 points in wins that surprised no one, least of all the coaches. The boys finished far ahead of runners-up Littleton and Lunenburg, which finished with 42 and 95 points, respectively. The girls beat their Hudson rivals by 18 points and Lunenburg by 56 points.
This is the third consecutive championship for the boys and second for the girls. “The boys did what I asked them to do: Get as many guys in the top 10 as possible,” said boys coach Marisa Steele. “Our top six all finished in the top 10—that’s the most we have ever had.”
Girls coach Matt Lynde also expressed his pride in the team’s results. “Saturday represents a culmination of the hard work and determination these teams put in all year,” said Lynde. He noted the achievements of his middle-school runners, who took second place at the Central Mass. cross-country championship on Tuesday, Oct. 24, and of the junior varsity runners, who finished in the top 10 at the JV Mid-Wach meet on Thursday, Oct. 26.
Front row, from left: Arpi Mirzabegian, Ruby Farough, Isabel Jackson, Abigail Ames, Gabriella Temps, Christina Kekis, and Helen Holzmann. Back row: Shea Van Cleef, Christian Johannesen, Tighe Crowley, Ralph Adams, Demetrios Kekis, Ben McWaters, Yaxi Li, Cole Maddalone, Liam Kemeza, Charlie Gowel, Harrison Binnick, Jack Stahl, Diesel Whitten, Gretchen Day, Evelyn Wool, Rosie Bradley, Emma Squire, Vivienne Cogan, Piper Candon.
While the wins were cause for celebration, both coaches are looking forward to the upcoming sectional and then state competitions. “The competition statewide on the boys side is extremely tough this year,” said Steele. “Parker Charter and Weston appear to be the leaders at this time, but then there are at least five teams (including Bromfield) that have a chance of breaking into the top three. It will come down to a bit of luck and which team wants it more.”
Both teams will have the opportunity to take on the Northfield Mountain Recreation Area again, hopefully without the dreadful weather, at the sectional championships Saturday, Nov. 11. The season comes to a close Saturday, Nov. 18, at the state meet at Willard Park, Devens.
Julie Gowel is a cross-country team parent.
Midland-Wachusett C League championship results
Bromfield girls (top 5 finishers)
- Evelyn Wool (19 minutes, 55.95 seconds), first place
- Rosie Bradley (20:40.5), second
- Isabel Jackson (21:25.16), third
- Emma Squire (21:41.16), sixth
- Helen Holzmann (23:51.42), 16th
Bromfield boys (top 5 finishers)
- Ben McWaters (17:11.49), second
- Jack Stahl (17:32.4), fourth
- Harrison Binnick (18:05.51), fifth
- Christian Johannesen (18:20.83), seventh
- Charlie Gowel (18:45.51), eighth
