results from Charles Butterfield
- Division
1
- Boys - Wachusetts Reg 84 (Oliver Ames 93). Belmont
jr Victor Gras 15:53 (Ian Marcus 15:58)
- Girls - Amherst Reg 58. Oliver Ames sr Sara Powell
18:10.
- Division
2
- Boys - East Bridgewater 57. Arch Williams sr
Sean Quigley 15:57.
- Girls - Bromfield 85. Bromfield sr Ari Lambie
17:23.
Story by John Carroll
Mass State Cross Country Champs – Sat. Nov. 16th, 2002
Franklin Park, Boston, MA - 5k course
Cold (35 degrees) windy, occasional light rain.
Course had unsure footing due to heavy Friday rain.
GIRLS
The girls races were runaways.
Div. I – Oliver Ames’ Sara Powell took the
lead before she crossed the field (300 yards) and never was threatened.
Powell was 4th in this race last year, and added another xc title to the
Powell family legacy. Amber Sayer (Amherst Reg.), who
had not raced in five weeks, worked hard, but could not get any closer
than 50 meters. Powells’ time was 18:09 with Sayer 29 seconds behind
her.
Amherst Regional left no doubt about which team would
win. They placed 2-3-10-29-37. Amherst’s 58 pts. Topped Oliver Ames’
79 pts.
Div. II – Ari Lambie (Bromfield/Harvard) was the
star of the day as she defended her D-II title. She, like Powell, dominated
her race. Taking the lead from the start she blistered the Franklin Park
course with the third fastest time ever. (Only Shalane Flanagan has run
faster.) Her race did not seem to be slowed by the tough conditions. Her
17:22.9 clocking in the cold, and unsure footing was faster that Natasha
Roetter (Lexington) ran on this same course on a good day last year. Last
week Lambie just missed the Central Mass course record held by Bromfield
grad Lynn Jennings ’77. Today she showed everyon why she is one
of the best in the east.
Lambie’s first place was the anchor for her Bromfield
team as they won the D-II title with 85 pts. Bromfield’s young team
(a couple of eigth graders) will be tough next year.
BOYS
The boys races were close and very competitive.
Div. I – Belmont’s Victor Gras won his first
state title as he helf the lead all the way. The rest of the D-I field
could not close the gap as Gras won in 15:53.1, the fastest boys time
of the day. He held off Amherst Regional’s Ian Marcus who ran 15:57.1.
Central Mass Wachusett Regional nosed out Oliver Ames for the title. Wachusett
placed 6-9 to anchor an 84 pt. Total, just ahead of O.A.’s 94.
Div. II – This race was a thriller as Southwick-Tolland’s
Andy Pitts and Archbishop Williams (Braintree) Sean Quigley battled stride
for stride the last 1000 meters. In the last 50 yards, with Pitts barely
leading there was some contact, a push, and some impeeding the runner.
Pitts and Quigley finished dead heated, with Pitts gettting DQ’d
after the race. So Quigley was declared the winner with the second (or
third) fastest boys time of the day.
Defending team champ East Bridgewater held off the Bromfield boys to with
57 to 89. Est Bridgewater pushed runners in at 10-15-17-22-30 overall.
NOTE: Lambie was very impressive. She runs effortlessly, destroying the
field. She should be a BIG factor in Foot Locker Northeast (I pick her
to win) and then run very, very well at Nationals. Powell will be a factor
in FL also.
DyeStat Massachusetts
|
