It’s not like we expected anything different.
The 14th annual Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational once again lived up to the hype — and then some — on Saturday night. With a nor’easter looming on Sunday, meet organizers combined all three divisions (Small, Medium, and Large Schools) into one massive showcase at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds, drawing more than 4,500 athletes and well over twice that number of spectators.
All were given a treat.
You want fast? We know runners are all about stats. How about these? Thirty-nine girls broke 19 minutes — and 31 boys dipped under 16! It felt like a nor’easter of its own swept across the Fairgrounds’ lightning-quick five-kilometer course.
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ARE YOU SERIOUS?
We knew the Large School girls’ race could be something special. We knew it could be epic. We were right. It was exactly that — and it proved to be the highlight of the night.
In the first of six varsity races that capped the meet, Westford Academy’s Abby Hennessy and defending champion Greta Hammer of Needham obliterated the course record of 17:40.1, set by Hammer just last year. Hennessy pulled away from her rival with about a mile remaining and cruised to a triumphant 16:43.0 — a time that currently ranks No. 13 in the nation. Fighting desperately to break the 17-minute barrier, Hammer came up just short but still clocked an equally impressive 17:00.40. Not to be forgotten, Hennessy’s teammate Emily Wedlake also dipped under 18, placing third in 17:51.90.
THREE’S A CHARM…SO FAR
You know you’re at a different level when you can’t even remember how many times you’ve won a race. After her dominating victory in the Medium School race, we asked Whitinsville Christian’s Emily Flagg if this was her third straight Twilight title. Her answer? She wasn’t quite sure. When you win nearly every time you step on the starting line, that kind of memory loss is understandable.
In case you’re wondering, the answer to our question was yes.
The Crusaders’ gifted junior captured the Small/Medium School race as a ninth-grader in 2023 and again last year. Her latest effort — a PR of 17:17.50 — earned her a third consecutive title by nearly 40 seconds. Canton’s Lauren Raffetto secured the runner-up spot, coming in strong with a time of 17:52.40. Not too far off her pace was Northampton’s Mairead O’Neal in third at 17:59.10. Yep, you guessed it, both joined the PR Parade. In particular, O’Neal’s performance caught our eye. Last year she was 32nd in the Small/Medium School race at 19:53.8. Her best of the season was 19:17.2 from the Frank Kelley Invitational. It’s safe to say someone made the most of their summer training.
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE
“I just kept going and kept pushing. I realized I could do it, so it was good.”
Those were the words of Monument’s Amelia Desilets, who struck gold in the Small School race. Desilets held back early and didn’t take over the lead until the third mile. From there, she took command and won by nearly 100 meters with an all-time best of 17:55.20.
She was followed by a pair of underclassmen — Norwell sophomore Katherine Murray placed second in 18:11.30, and Millis freshman Emma Genovese claimed third in 18:17.90.
CROWD SUPPORT
Liam Hartmann admitted the crowd lining the course was a big motivator in his performance in the Large School race. Even better was the spot where his Brookline team was stationed, a little more than a half-mile from the finish line.
“That was huge, especially with our team located with 1K to go,” he said. “When I ran past them, it motivated me to move. Every time I passed our team, they were yelling to pass people. It was great team support and motivation for us.”
Using that energy, Hartmann combined his talent with his teammates’ encouragement to outpace a very strong field and claim the individual title with a personal best of 15:04.8. Finishing second and third were Natick’s John Bianchi (15:10.90) and Brookline’s Theo Butty (15:15.00), respectively.
Seventeen runners in the field broke 16 minutes, including three from Brookline. Ibrahim Abdel-Dayem placed 16th with a time of 15:58. Unsurprisingly, the Warriors captured the team title with 64 points—18 more than second-place Natick.
HOME COOKIN’
Silas Gartner didn’t have to go far to compete on Saturday—he lives just a short distance from the Barnstable venue. As usual, the Falmouth senior didn’t hesitate to take charge in the Medium School race, blazing out to a 4:45 opening split. While his lead shrank over the next two miles, he still crossed the line comfortably ahead of the chase pack, claiming victory with a personal best of 15:14.0.
Amherst-Pelham’s Calvin Miller took silver, and Weston’s Matthew Fitzgibbon finished third in 15:42.20.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
In one of the closest races of the day, Parker Charter’s Nathaniel Henshaw held off Frontier’s Evan Hedlund to win the Small School race. Henshaw was timed in 15:41.90, a mere eight tenths of a second ahead of his rival. Hopedale freshman Quinn Cook was third with a time of 15:57.60.
Bay State Running will continue to add to this story.
(Photos by Byron Flagg)
