The Bromfield girls cross-country team battled tough race-day conditions and injuries at Saturday’s Midland-Wachusett League Division C championship in Fitchburg to earn second place and two individual all-star performances.
“We kept positive and ran a heck of a race,” wrote Coach Matt Lynde in an email to the Press. He said that heavy rain leading up to and on the day of competition left the course messy. Two races were held ahead of the girls varsity competition as well, making it especially dicey for the feature event. Lynde saw runners slipping in some places, and several athletes from Bromfield and opposing teams fell.
The Trojans also stepped up to the line without two top runners who were out with injuries. “We were a bit short-handed without Cate [Corbett] and Abigail Ames,” wrote Lynde. “It’s a long season and you never want to see injuries at this point. All of the girls have been working so hard and it’s tough to miss these big events.”
Despite the circumstances, the Trojans were prepared to tackle the day head-on. “The team fully understood the picture and the challenge that lay ahead without key runners on the line,” said Lynde.
Sisters Emma and Molly Squire stepped up to lead the team, placing fourth and sixth, respectively, and each earning league-all-star honors, which automatically go to the top 10 finishers in each division. Freshman Emma Squire ran the 5-kilometer course in 21 minutes, 45 seconds, and junior Molly Squire used the second half of the race to pick off runners and maintain her lead over three competitors who closed in on her in the final 200-meters. She finished in 22:36.
Next in for Bromfield was eighth-grader Rosie Bradley, running 23:20 for 11th. Freshmen Isabel Jackson (23:35) and Ally Becker (25:04) rounded out the team score in 12th and 19th respectively. Seventh-grader Gabriella Temps ran 25:37 for 21st, and sophomore Arpi Mirzabegian was 23rd in 26:03.
The team score of 52 points earned the Trojans runner-up status, five points behind the Littleton Tigers with 47 points. Tyngsborough High School was third with 61 points, followed by Hudson High School (97), Murdock High School (125), and Quabbin Regional High School (131).
The girls will spend the weeks leading up to Nov. 13 tending to injuries and preparing for the MIAA Division 3C state championship at Stanley Park in Westfield, where Bromfield will face other schools of similar size to vie for qualification to the All State championship at the Wrentham Developmental Center, Nov. 20.
