If you’re checking out the results of the MIAA Division 2 State Championships, don’t be misled by what the clock says at the finish line.
The numbers don’t tell the whole story — not when multiple Division 2A, 2B, and 2C teams were competing at Northfield Mountain, a course that can make even the most seasoned runner look like a wounded dog by the time they reach the finish. Case in point: The first kilometer is a steady uphill grind — no doubt made even tougher by early rainfall before the meet’s start.
So while the times may have been slower than those from other divisions, the competition was fierce — and in a few cases, downright historic.
Historic, because of what the boys and girls of the Boston Public Schools co-op team accomplished. Drawing athletes from Latin Academy, O’Bryant, East Boston, Charlestown and others, BPS made history in the Division 2A meet by sweeping the competition in the final two races of the day.
With all five of its scorers crossing the line before its closest rival’s fourth runner, BPS captured the boys’ race with a decisive 46–80 victory over second-place Walpole. Pack mentality wins races like these, and BPS certainly put on a clinic in that regard. Just 26 seconds separated their first through fifth finishers.
Junior Brandon Spiess led the quintet by placing third in 17:10.64. He was followed by juniors Adam Kramer (fifth, 17:12.70) and Khalid Jama (tenth, 17:22.42), senior Ryan Collins (11th, 17:24.41), and Nathaniel Hiff (18th, 17:36.88). Taking individual honors was Longmeadow’s Ethan Halpern, who clocked a solid 16:46.22 on the challenging 5K course.
On the girls’ side, it was a much closer affair, with BPS tallying 74 points to earn the banner — 15 ahead of runner-up Marblehead. In the tightest race of the meet, junior Sara Blanco of BPS edged Canton’s Lauren Raffetto for the individual win. Blanco crossed the line in 19:38.16, just 0.77 seconds ahead of Raffetto. Rounding out the scoring for BPS were Anjuli Claire Szydlo (tenth, 20:30.17), Neve Flynn (12th, 20:40.00), Maya Friedmann (23rd, 21:39.50), and Maddy Lemay (32nd, 21:59.61).
Twin Power Leads Whitinsville Christian To Girls’ 2C Victory
Two runners at the meet dipped under 19 minutes at Northfield Mountain — both from the same team, and both from the same household. As predicted, twin sisters Emily and Abby Flagg of Whitinsville Christian finished 1–2 in the Division 2C girls’ race. Emily captured her third straight crown with a time of 18:30.73, while Abby secured second in 18:54.43. The Crusaders’ duo were more than a minute ahead of the next closest competitor.
Whitinsville Christian captured the team title, defeating Bishop Fenwick, 74-91. The Crusaders’ Inez Smith also cracked the top 10, placing ninth overall in 20:57.90.
Parker Captures Div. 2C Boys’ Crown, Weston Takes Top Team Honors
Talk about a breakthrough season. Last year as a sophomore, Oakmont’s Chayse Parker placed 29th in the Div. 3A race. On Saturday, Parker broke the tape as the Div. 2C champion, clocking a strong 16:59.4. He had to hold off a hard-charging pack, with Whitinsville Christian’s Benjamin Barron (second, 17:01.21) and Dedham’s Townsend Roussin (third, 17:01.35) finishing just steps behind.
Matt Fitzgibbon led Weston to the team title, placing fourth overall in 17:22.10. With just a 59-second gap between its first and fifth runners, the Wildcats edged Dedham for the championship, 88–101.
Back-To-Back For Gartner In Boys’ Div 2B, Groton-Dunstable Dominates Team Race
Silas Gartner gave evidence that a defense of last year’s Meet of Champions title could be a formality this weekend. Gartner claimed his second straight Division 2B crown with an impressive 16:11.63 at Northfield — the fastest time of the day — finishing roughly 100 meters ahead of runner-up Andrew Kosiba of Groton-Dunstable (16:28.93).
Kosiba helped lead the Crusaders to a dominant team victory. With all five scoring runners across the line before any other team’s third, Groton-Dunstable cruised to a 59–138 win over Amherst-Pelham. Greyson Duane added a seventh-place finish for the champions in 17:05.13.
Downin Prevails In Girls’ Div. 2B, Amherst-Pelham Claims Tight Team Battle
Tri Valley League champion Lucy Downin broke the tape in the Div. 2B girls’ race. The Holliston freshman was timed in 19:19.3. Northampton’s Malread O’Neal finished second at 19:24.61.
With a gap of just over a 1:03 spread between its scoring runners, Amherst Pelham captured the team title with a 79-86 decision over Northampton. Junior Ella Austin led the charge for A-P, taking 11th overall withn a time of 21:26.0. Right on her heels were teammates Genevieve Dole (12th, 21:27.36) and Lilly Pope (14th, 21:33.93).
