Bromfield cross-country finished its dual Midland-Wachusett C League meets for the season undefeated in double wins against Hudson on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at McCurdy Track.
Junior Evelyn Wool led the girls, coming in first for their 20-35 triumph, and freshman Ben McWaters crossed first for the boys in their 20-41 win. The meet was also a chance to celebrate the outgoing seniors on both teams. Large cut-outs of the seniors’ heads dotted the course in what girls coach Matt Lynde called a “bittersweet” meet.
“We are watching the final days of four amazing seniors that have all left their mark over the years,” said Lynde. “Hudson was the strongest team the Bromfield girls have seen all season. They only had five runners, but they gave us a challenge. Nonetheless, we still finished ahead, scoring the first three runners.”
On Saturday, Oct. 14, the teams ran in the Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational held at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in Falmouth. The light rain only added more glow to the course lit entirely with twinkle lights. Whether it was the ambience of running through colorfully illuminated barns, the cheers of spectators spread out along the entire course, or the extensive training and dedication the runners have committed to this season, personal records (PRs) abounded.
Bromfield varsity girls Evelyn Wool (center left, #4647), Rosie Bradley (center center), and Isabel Jackson (center back right) get ready to start the MSTCA Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational (large school). (Photo by Adam Wool)
Bromfield competed in the large school competition and had impressive showings in multiple races. On the boys side, the sophomore 5-kilometer team, made up of three sophomores and two freshmen, came in third place out of 15 teams, scoring 77 points. Coach Marisa Steele boasted about the placement as the two teams that tied for first place were “perennial powerhouses” Concord-Carlisle and Brookline, with 72 points each. “All five of our runners placed in the top 25, each earning a medal for their performances. [Freshman] Ben McWaters came across first for our team with a time of 17 minutes. Freshman Charlie Gowel had a huge race, shattering his previous personal best by almost two minutes while [sophomores] Harrison Binnick, Christian Johannesen, and Liam Kemeza all recorded their personal bests on the course as well.”
The freshman boys 2.1-mile team, made up of two ninth-graders and three eighth-graders, came in fourth out of 14 teams, with Shea Van Cleef crossing first for Bromfield and earning a medal for his 22nd-place finish. Senior Jack Stahl finished the varsity boys 5K race in a remarkable time of 16 minutes and 56.8 seconds, and sophomore Cole Maddalone finished fourth in the novice 2.1-mile race.
Steele noted that Bromfield’s team has a low spread of 42 seconds. This means that the gap in times between each of the top six runners is short, giving great depth to their overall performance. Looking forward to the championship meets in November, Steele believes her team will surprise the competition, whose spread between their third and fifth runners is usually much higher.
For the girls, coach Matt Lynde was thrilled with his team’s performance. “We broke in our new celebratory toy, the PR gong, many times,” he said. “Twilight has always been a very friendly course to the Bromfield girls teams over the years, but I don’t think I have seen this many records fall ever on a single day. We had 14 runners in four different races. The girls left the Cape Cod Fairgrounds with eight medals, seven PRs, and 14 season best runs.”
In the varsity girls 5K race, all three runners ran PRs, with junior Evelyn Wool finishing in third place; sophomore Rosie Bradley in 16th place, beating her PR by roughly 70 seconds; and junior Isabel Jackson beating her previous PR by 90 seconds. Junior Emma Squire took first place in the junior varsity girls 5K with a season best time.
All three runners in the freshman girls 2.1-mile race finished in the top 20, with eighth-graders Abby Wool, Vivienne Cogan, and Piper Candon coming in seventh, 14th and 19th, respectively. In the sophomore girls 5K, sophomore Helen Holzmann and freshman Gabriella Temps medaled in 14th and 15th place.
Both teams will compete in the Dick Atkinson Invitational to be held at the Northfield Mountain Recreation Area in Northfield on Saturday, Oct. 21.
Julie Gowel is a boys cross-country team parent.
Results vs. Hudson
Bromfield girls (top 5 finishers)
- Evelyn Wool (20 minutes, 48.6 seconds), first place
- Rosie Bradley (20:50.1), second
- Isabel Jackson (20:53), third
- Emma Squire (21:19.8), fifth
- Abby Wool (23:24.3), ninth
Bromfield boys (top 5 finishers)
- Ben McWaters (17:32.3), second
- Jack Stahl (17:47.5), third
- Christian Johannesen (17:52.1), fourth
- Harrison Binnick (18:23.9), fifth
- Liam Kemeza (18:49.5), fifth
Twilight Invitational results
Varsity girls 5K
- Evelyn Wool (18:27), third
- Rosie Bradley (18:59.8), 16th
- Isabel Jackson (19:41), 31st
Junior varsity girls 5K
- Emma Squire (20:21.7), first
- Ruby Farough (23:07.7), 40th
- Arpi Mirzabegian (24:25.1), 78th
- Ally Becker (25:17.6), 102nd
- Camille Bradley (25:33.3), 108th
Sophomore girls 5K
- Helen Holzmann (22:42.2), 14th
- Gabriella Temps (22:46:2), 15th
- Christina Kekis (23:41.7), 29th
Freshman girls 2.1-mile
- Abby Wool (14:17.5), seventh
- Vivienne Cogan (15:11.3), 14th
- Piper Candon (15:20.5), 19th
Varsity boys 5K
- Jack Stahl (16:56.8), 52nd
- Diesel Whitten (19:45.8), 153rd
Junior varsity boys 5K
- Tighe Crowley (18:43.2), 51st
- Demetrios Kekis (19:07.1), 59th
Sophomore boys 5K
- Ben McWaters (17:00), fifth
- Charlie Gowel (17:14), 14th
- Harrison Binnick (17:29.4), 22nd
- Christian Johannesen (17:35.3), 23rd
- Liam Kemeza (17:38), 25th
Freshman boys 2.1-mile
- Shea Van Cleef (12:15.7), 22nd
- Holden Terwilliger (12:34.4), 29th
- Bode Lee-Feinberg (12:51.4), 32nd
- Kai Kemeza (12:51.4), 36th
- Cole Dandridge (13:07.3), 46th
Novice 2.1-mile
- Cole Maddalone (13:14.3), fourth
- Yaxi Li (15:28.1), 28th
- Ralph Adams (15:36.6), 29th
