The Bromfield girls cross-country team ended its season with an eighth-place finish among 25 schools at the Central Mass. Division 2 Championships Saturday, Nov. 12, at the 3.1-mile course at Gardner Municipal Golf Course. Seven girls participated for Bromfield: senior Eva Tsun Tsun Xue; tenth-graders Sage McFarland and Mckenzie Curtis; ninth-grader McClain; and eighth-graders Phoebe Corona, Hannah Beckmen, and Helena Justicz. Ninth-grader Tessa McClain placed ninth with a time of 20:48 minutes and is headed to the state meet at Gardner Saturday, Nov. 19.
Coincidentally, the race was won by a Parker Charter School runner who lives in Harvard: Phoebe von Conta, who won with a time of 19:25.5. She and two other runners from Harvard are headed to the states (for more, see “Three Parker School runners from Harvard headed to states” below). Parker was the second-place team at the meet.
At the boys Division 2 meet, the boys cross-country team placed 14th out of 31 teams with 392 points. Bromfield’s average time for the 3.1-mile course was 19:37 minutes.
The Bromfield boys entered eight runners: seniors Will Day, Paul Chapman, and Tristan Cronin; juniors Luke Jones, Zachary Sclar, and Tucker Banios; sophomore Cormac Day; and freshman Will Squire.
In an email, boys coach Marisa Steele told the Press that the cross-country route at Gardner Municipal Golf Course is “one of the toughest courses in the state. It generally takes a couple of races there before a runner is comfortable tackling its hills.” She added, “Although we didn’t fare well in the team standings, the early exposure to the challenging course will certainly pay off over the next several years for my younger runners.”
Senior and captain Will Day had the best time among the boys, placing 23rd out of 220 runners with a time of 17:54 minutes. He was just short of qualifying for the Massachusett state cross-country meet by six-tenths of a second.
Parker Charter School junior Phoebe von Conta of Still River Road races to a first place finish in the District Final with a time of 19:25.5. (Courtesy photo)
“Will ran a very smart race,” said Steele. “He had such a great season and I’m so proud of all he has achieved. It really is a testimony to his hard work and consistent training.”
The Central Mass. Division 2 championship race was the last of the season for both teams.
Three Parker School runners from Harvard headed to states
Harvard resident and Parker Charter School junior Phoebe von Conta won the girls Central Mass. Division 2 cross-country race Nov. 12, repeating her 2015 victory with a time of 19:25.5. Harvard resident Meaghan Mitchell, also a junior at Parker, finished 63rd; she was battling an injury.
Nico Agosta, a Parker junior, placed fourth in the boys Division 2 race with a time of 16:59:00.
All three runners are headed to the Division 2 state championship at Gardner Municipal Golf Course Saturday, Nov. 19.
Hannah LoChiatto is a Bromfield senior.
