WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. – When she arrived at Bowdoin Park for the time this weekend for Nike Cross Regional Northeast (NXR-NE), Greta Hammer admitted the challenging 5K didn’t necessarily intimidate her as it would most. She’s been this route before, competing at similar courses at the Manchester Invitational earlier in the season and the divisional state meet at Northfield Mountain two weeks ago.
The typical anxiety that goes with competing at a meet of this level, one where the region’s best are battling it out with hopes of qualifying for the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) on Dec. 7, was also in check.
“I was nervous, but the race was kind of more for fun,” Hammer admitted. “We already did the state meet and the pressure was off.”
The recent Division 1 titlist went to NXR-NE with a clear head and abundance of talent. And in typical fashion, she put forth her best effort on a cool and sunny afternoon on Saturday, taking runner-up honors in 18 minutes, 22.3 seconds. No one was touching defending champion Paige Sheppard of Union Catholic (NJ) on this day as she led from gun-to-wire, cruising to a winning time of 18:05.9.
For Hammer, her silver-medal performance had extra meaning when she crossed the line ahead of nearly 230 runners that answered the gun. It also earned her a trip to Portland, Ore., for NXN. The top two teams and top five individuals punch their tickets out west.
“I am so happy that I qualified and I’m able to go,” she said. “I am so excited.”
With Paige doing the pace-setting from the onset, Hammer nestled herself in a bunched-up lead pack at the beginning. At the crest of first incline about 800 meters into the race, the Union Catholic sophomore broke from her rivals and started to increase her cushion on the long , uphill climb to the race’s midway point. In third place at the base of that hill, Hammer moved into second around the 2K mark and never relinquished her position.
“I wasn’t really sure on what the field would be like,” she said. “I went out kind of in the pack. I kind of felt it out and realized I could go somewhat with the leaders. I tried to stick with the leaders the whole time.”
Hammer will not set her sights on NXN, held at the Glendoveer Golf Club, a moderately-challenging, multi-looped course in Portland. She’ll be among 22 clubs/teams from nine regions and an additional 50 individuals.
“I don’t know what it’s going to be like,” she said. “I am just going to go out there and try and give it my all and see where that gets me.”
As a team, MA had three teams in the top 10 with Lexington (sixth, 204 points), Needham (eighth, 272 points) and Weymouth (10th, 327 points). A total of 28 teams were in the field. Lexington’s Janie Conrad (17th, 19:14.3), Lexington’s Meghan Caldera (56th, 20:06.0), Alycia Charest (57th, 20:06.8), Weymouth’s Emma Daley (33rd, 19:41.9), Weymouth’s Isabella Galusha (54th, 20:01.8), Needham’s Madison Roach (80th, 20:22.2), Lexington’s Callie Glenn (84th, 20:26.0), Needham’s Taylor Partridge (85th, 20:26.5), Lexington’s Ella Tyson (89th, 20:31.9), Weymouth’s Gracie Richard (91st, 20:34.3), and Weymouth’s Kate Carnes (96th, 20:37.8) cracked the top 100.
Weymouth’s Emma Daley coming down the homestretch of Saturday’s race.
