Massachusetts State Meet

11/20/99 at Northfield MA
Hilly and challenging-Sunny, 50's-60's, calm

Gloucester boys wins sixth; Flanagan dominates girls again 

by Steve Vaitones ( a Gloucester alumnus)

The slogan for this year's Gloucester HS XC squad was "we will conquer the
mountain" and they did just that in winning their sixth consecutive state
Division I Championship meet today. 

The Northfield Mountain course, where the championship rotates every third
year, is known as a hilly course but the traditional route had to be
altered due to a road wash-out. 
The start begins with about 100 meters flat and then steadily acends the
mountain. This year, the climb lasted about a half mile, followed by a
short steep down and then a gently rolling and downhill run through 2 1/2
miles where it passes behind the chutes for a finishing loop of 1/2 mile+
which includes a pair of short challenging ups-and-downs which separate any
pretenders to the crowns. 
Thus, the revised course was less spectator friendly except for the
well-conditioned runner. The course was well marked, monitored, and the
Western Mass. Officials Association did an outstanding officiating job. 

"I found a $10 bill near my car this morning and I hoped it was a good
omen," noted Gloucester coach Dave Dunsky, and his luck was indeed a
premonition. "The boys ran well, and if Eric Smith (ankle injury during
the week) had run like he did last week, we could have got the all-time low
score record (36 by St.John's Prep)." Unlike a number of other schools,
Gloucester did not make a special trip out prior to the meet to view the
course, but the team's and race's #1 man had been here as a freshman.

Individual winner Tristan Colangelo didn't seem to find the course as hard
as the pre-race buzz had built it. "I was amazed that the start went so
easily. A large group was together up the hill, which went by quickly.
When we broke at the top, it wound up being most of the same pack as last
week. The rest of the course was like Ravenswood (his undulating home
course). (Matt) Emmond made a move with about 1/2 mile to go, knowing what
happened last week (Colangelo won with a finishing kick). I made it back
up on the final downhill, and was still full of run after the finish. Next
week is where I'll have to let it all out." 

As in prior years, the future still looks bright for the Fishermen, as only
two of the top 7 are seniors. Their 47 points gave them the day's largest
winning margin, as St.John's-Shrewsbury (70) and St.John's Prep-Danvers
(86) gave chase.

The Boys Division II race was won by Neal Graves of Mohawk in 16:23, some
20 seconds faster than he won the Western MA meet the previous week. As in
Division I, the winning team wore the same colors as the individual, with
Mohawk taking King Philip (Wrentham) by 70-76.

Girls Division II began the day, and Shalane Flanagan of Marblehead
continued her skein of fall victories on her way to next week's Footlocker
qualifier. The first to and up the opening hill, she was never challenged
and her 17:54 was almost a full minute over Molly Landreth of Newburyport.
Landreth was still withing shouting distance at 2 miles, but was herself in
a commanding second at that point; she had 37 seconds over 3rd at the end.
Hamilton-Wenham took team honors (109) over Newburyport (123) and Belmont
(124), the latter hurt by their 5th with a 100th place overall (w/o
displacement).

Girls Division I found Nashoba's Katie Polizzotto first to the tape in
19:04; with the teams, Barnstable unseated defending champ Amherst by 2
points, 126-128, with Brookline 3rd at 153.

Steve Vaitones (Gloucester HS alum from an era when the team was not nearly as good)
[email protected]