HISTORIC DAY FOR THE BAYSTATE AT ALL-STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Meet Information
MIAA Division 1 All-State Championships
November 21, 2021
Wrentham Developmental Center - Wrentham, MA
RESULTS
WRENTHAM, MA - After a pair of stellar performances last weekend at the Divisional Championships, The LHS Boys and Girls teams were back in Wrentham for the All-State Championships on Saturday for what turned out to be one of the deepest fields in state history. The MIAA's realignment of all sports meant that instead of a Division 1 and Division 2 All-State Champion - as has been the case for decades - there would now be three All-State Champions crowned. Many expected this to create a watered down field, but the athletes did not get the message. On the Boys side, 28 athletes broke the 16-minute barrier, with Uxbridge High School junior Aidan Ross smashing the course record - 15:05.19 set a week ago by Framingham's Sam Burgess - with a time of 14:47.11 to win the Division 3 title by nearly a minute. In addition to a course record, it was the fastest 5k time since at least 1995 run by a Massachusetts athlete in a State Championship Meet. The Girls side was highlighted by the ladies from Holliston High School who dominated the Division 2 race - and every team in the state for that matter - by scoring a ridiculous 30 points. They were led by sophomore Carmen Luisi's 17:45.21, which was the fastest time across all Divisions, and their team's average time by their top five runners (18:30) was over 40 seconds faster than any other team in the state.
The Division 1 Championships was won by the boys from Saint John's Prep, as they got their revenge against Brookline after falling to them a week ago at the Division 1A Championships. Prep successfully defended their 2019 State Title (no State Championship was competed last year due to COVID-19) by scoring 97 points to win on Saturday. In the Girls race it was Marshfield who won their first ever Girls XC State Title by scoring 126 points. Even after besting their efforts from the Divisional Championships, LHS Boys and Girls were only able to manage 13th and 14th respectively in the Division 1 Championships.
In the final race of his LHS XC career, senior captain Evan Eberle led the way for The Minutemen. He ran a personal best time of 16:26.86 to finish 50th overall. Fellow classmate and captain Graham Bracken followed up his great performance at Divisionals with another PR of 16:38.50 to finish 76th. Senior Thomas Lane continued his comeback season with another big time PR of 16:44.05. He crossed the line in 85th place overall. Not far behind - and running another PR for LHS - was sophomore Glenn Burscu. His time of 16:46.69 was enough for 89th place. As he did last week, senior captain Ollie DiCerbo gutted through the second half of the Wrentham course to round out the top five for The Minutemen. DiCerbo finished in 109th place with a time of 16:52.33. Along with the top five, junior Antonio Lopez turned in another PR of 17:11.82, crossing the line in 139th place. Senior captain Noah Quadri was 151st in a time personal best time of 17:20.55.
Final Boys Team Scores (Top 10)
1. St. John's Prep - 97
2. Brookline - 111
3. Acton-Boxborough - 142
4. Oliver Ames - 212
5. B.C. High - 236
6. Westford Academy - 265
7. Newton North - 270
8. Catholic Memorial - 270
9. Reading - 276
10. Concord-Carlisle - 280
13. Lexington - 298
After carving her name into the record books last week, senior captain Clara Fu (18:56.74) capped off her XC career with the second fastest performance at the Wrentham Developmental Center by an LHS girl - behind only her own time from the Divisional meet last week - to finish 18th overall in a loaded field. Junior Mirra Payson waited until her team needed her the most to turn in her best race of her career. Payson crossed the finish line in 19:17.21, which is #6 all-time at Wrentham for LHS. That time was enough for 36th on Saturday. Fellow classmate Uma Sanker turned in a PR of her own by running 19:49.01 to finish 77th overall. Proving why she was awarded the 2021 Most Improved Award at the team's banquet, junior Jasmine Sun knocked off another 17 seconds from her time at Divisionals. Sun finished 137th overall in 20:42.14. The all important fifth runner for The Minutemen was freshmen Brett Castro, who powered her way to a PR of her own - 20:50.07 - to place 145th. Not to be left out of the fun, senior captain Camelia Atassi (21:13.79) and freshmen Claire Cunningham (21:15.61) both turned in PRs and finished 158th and 160th respectively.
Final Girls Team Scores (Top 10)
1. Marshfield - 126
2. Weymouth - 147
3. Wellesley - 201
4. Brookline - 205
5. North Andover - 217
6. Oliver Ames - 230
7. Newton North - 256
8. Bishop Feehan - 257
9. Concord-Carlisle - 260
10. Hopkinton - 278
14. Lexington - 324
With the 2021 LHS XC coming to a close it is important to look back an appreciate all the team has accomplished. Neither of these teams were highly ranked, or stacked with the level of talent of recent LHS teams. However, this team showed an ability to rise to the challenge when the money was on the table. Both teams successfully qualified for All-States for the ninth straight year by turning in their best times of the season at Divisionals. And then raised their level even further against the Bay State's best at All-States. Five seniors finished off their LHS Cross Country careers on Saturday, and a debt of gratitude is owed to each of them for carrying this program through some of its most difficult times over the last two COVID plagued years. Their dedication to maintain the culture of this program was essential to the teams' successes this season. Another special shoutout goes to first year LHS Assistant Coach Corey Coogan, who quickly became a part of the LHS XC family and helped guide the boys and girls teams from the first day he stepped foot in town. Most importantly thank you to each and every athlete who showed up every day and gave it their all. That is was this program has always been about, and we look forward to continuing the tradition this year on the track and next fall on the trails.
Up Next
A select few athletes will head to Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, New York next weekend for the Nike Cross Regionals. The Minutemen will have individual athletes competing in both the Boys and Girls Open Races. The first race is set to go off at 10:00am on Saturday, November 27th.
MIAA Division 1 All-State Championships
November 21, 2021
Wrentham Developmental Center - Wrentham, MA
RESULTS
WRENTHAM, MA - After a pair of stellar performances last weekend at the Divisional Championships, The LHS Boys and Girls teams were back in Wrentham for the All-State Championships on Saturday for what turned out to be one of the deepest fields in state history. The MIAA's realignment of all sports meant that instead of a Division 1 and Division 2 All-State Champion - as has been the case for decades - there would now be three All-State Champions crowned. Many expected this to create a watered down field, but the athletes did not get the message. On the Boys side, 28 athletes broke the 16-minute barrier, with Uxbridge High School junior Aidan Ross smashing the course record - 15:05.19 set a week ago by Framingham's Sam Burgess - with a time of 14:47.11 to win the Division 3 title by nearly a minute. In addition to a course record, it was the fastest 5k time since at least 1995 run by a Massachusetts athlete in a State Championship Meet. The Girls side was highlighted by the ladies from Holliston High School who dominated the Division 2 race - and every team in the state for that matter - by scoring a ridiculous 30 points. They were led by sophomore Carmen Luisi's 17:45.21, which was the fastest time across all Divisions, and their team's average time by their top five runners (18:30) was over 40 seconds faster than any other team in the state.
The Division 1 Championships was won by the boys from Saint John's Prep, as they got their revenge against Brookline after falling to them a week ago at the Division 1A Championships. Prep successfully defended their 2019 State Title (no State Championship was competed last year due to COVID-19) by scoring 97 points to win on Saturday. In the Girls race it was Marshfield who won their first ever Girls XC State Title by scoring 126 points. Even after besting their efforts from the Divisional Championships, LHS Boys and Girls were only able to manage 13th and 14th respectively in the Division 1 Championships.
In the final race of his LHS XC career, senior captain Evan Eberle led the way for The Minutemen. He ran a personal best time of 16:26.86 to finish 50th overall. Fellow classmate and captain Graham Bracken followed up his great performance at Divisionals with another PR of 16:38.50 to finish 76th. Senior Thomas Lane continued his comeback season with another big time PR of 16:44.05. He crossed the line in 85th place overall. Not far behind - and running another PR for LHS - was sophomore Glenn Burscu. His time of 16:46.69 was enough for 89th place. As he did last week, senior captain Ollie DiCerbo gutted through the second half of the Wrentham course to round out the top five for The Minutemen. DiCerbo finished in 109th place with a time of 16:52.33. Along with the top five, junior Antonio Lopez turned in another PR of 17:11.82, crossing the line in 139th place. Senior captain Noah Quadri was 151st in a time personal best time of 17:20.55.
Final Boys Team Scores (Top 10)
1. St. John's Prep - 97
2. Brookline - 111
3. Acton-Boxborough - 142
4. Oliver Ames - 212
5. B.C. High - 236
6. Westford Academy - 265
7. Newton North - 270
8. Catholic Memorial - 270
9. Reading - 276
10. Concord-Carlisle - 280
13. Lexington - 298
After carving her name into the record books last week, senior captain Clara Fu (18:56.74) capped off her XC career with the second fastest performance at the Wrentham Developmental Center by an LHS girl - behind only her own time from the Divisional meet last week - to finish 18th overall in a loaded field. Junior Mirra Payson waited until her team needed her the most to turn in her best race of her career. Payson crossed the finish line in 19:17.21, which is #6 all-time at Wrentham for LHS. That time was enough for 36th on Saturday. Fellow classmate Uma Sanker turned in a PR of her own by running 19:49.01 to finish 77th overall. Proving why she was awarded the 2021 Most Improved Award at the team's banquet, junior Jasmine Sun knocked off another 17 seconds from her time at Divisionals. Sun finished 137th overall in 20:42.14. The all important fifth runner for The Minutemen was freshmen Brett Castro, who powered her way to a PR of her own - 20:50.07 - to place 145th. Not to be left out of the fun, senior captain Camelia Atassi (21:13.79) and freshmen Claire Cunningham (21:15.61) both turned in PRs and finished 158th and 160th respectively.
Final Girls Team Scores (Top 10)
1. Marshfield - 126
2. Weymouth - 147
3. Wellesley - 201
4. Brookline - 205
5. North Andover - 217
6. Oliver Ames - 230
7. Newton North - 256
8. Bishop Feehan - 257
9. Concord-Carlisle - 260
10. Hopkinton - 278
14. Lexington - 324
With the 2021 LHS XC coming to a close it is important to look back an appreciate all the team has accomplished. Neither of these teams were highly ranked, or stacked with the level of talent of recent LHS teams. However, this team showed an ability to rise to the challenge when the money was on the table. Both teams successfully qualified for All-States for the ninth straight year by turning in their best times of the season at Divisionals. And then raised their level even further against the Bay State's best at All-States. Five seniors finished off their LHS Cross Country careers on Saturday, and a debt of gratitude is owed to each of them for carrying this program through some of its most difficult times over the last two COVID plagued years. Their dedication to maintain the culture of this program was essential to the teams' successes this season. Another special shoutout goes to first year LHS Assistant Coach Corey Coogan, who quickly became a part of the LHS XC family and helped guide the boys and girls teams from the first day he stepped foot in town. Most importantly thank you to each and every athlete who showed up every day and gave it their all. That is was this program has always been about, and we look forward to continuing the tradition this year on the track and next fall on the trails.
Up Next
A select few athletes will head to Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, New York next weekend for the Nike Cross Regionals. The Minutemen will have individual athletes competing in both the Boys and Girls Open Races. The first race is set to go off at 10:00am on Saturday, November 27th.