BOYS AND GIRLS RETURN TO FRANKLIN PARK; BOTH LAND ON THE PODIUM AT CM INVITE
Meet Information
62nd Annual Catholic Memorial Invitational
October 14, 2023
Franklin Park - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - For the first time since 2019 the Lexington High School Boys and Girls teams competed at Franklin Park. The site of the 1992 IAAF World Cross Country Championships had been the traditional home of the MIAA Divisional and All-State Championships for decades. However, since the decision was made to move those meets back in 2012, high school teams outside of the Catholic League seldom get to compete on the most storied course in New England. For the last 10 years, the annual Catholic Memorial Invitational has been the exception to that rule. And, while the meet nearly disbanded after the COVID-19 pandemic drove numbers down to just a handful of teams toeing the line, the 2023 edition was the highest attended race in 35 years, as teams from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Connecticut battled in Beantown.
While the Lex Girls were missing a few key student-athletes due to the PSATs, the seven runners that lined up for LHS made the most of their opportunities against some of the top talent in New England. The race went out in a blistering pace, which pulled senior Samara McVey through the mile in a brisk 6:14. She was followed a few meters behind by freshman Callie Glenn (6:20), and then the pack of senior captain Dora Liao, sophomore Sophie "Snacks" Johnson, junior Leontine Meunier, and freshmen Alycia Charest and Josie Bettencourt. As the race unfolded the Lex Girls moved up through the field, and were able to pick off a number of athletes who suffered after the hard opening mile. The breakout performer of the meet for LHS was undoubtedly Callie Glenn. The freshman sensation has been steadily moving up through the team's depth chart throughout the season, but Saturday she proved that she was capable of leading her teammates against top competition. Glenn (20:00.4) crossed the line with a PR of nearly 30 seconds to place 13th overall. McVey showed true grit throughout the latter half of the race and battled her way to a 15th place finish with a time of 20:15.0. Senior captain Dora Liao turned in a time of 21:13.9 to place 32nd overall. Not to be overlooked, Charest took a massive leap forward herself as Championship Season approaches. She crossed the line fourth for her team, 35th overall, in a new PR of 21:19.8. Snacks Johnson was able to come through for her team as she has all season when it mattered most. The sophomore harrier was the all important fifth finisher in a time of 21:23.7. That time earned her 38th overall, and with that landed the Lex Girls in third place in the team scoring with 114 points. Marshfield took home the title with 74 points, while Bedford (NH) was second with 93 points. Along with the top five, Bettencourt turned in a big performance of her own. She finished with a PR of 21:53.0 to place 53rd. Right behind her was Meunier, who returned to form with a time of 21:58.8 to place 54th overall.
Just as was the case for the Lex Girls, the PSATs had a pair of LHS's top boys not able to toe the line on Saturday. Despite that, The Minutemen proved that they are ready to compete with anyone as they placed second on Saturday with 108 points, just one point behind Coe-Brown Northwood Academy (NH). The race turned into a barn-burner from the moment the gun was fired. Bishop Guertin (NH) junior Matthew Giardina ran his opening half-mile in a sizzling 2:15, which dragged the top pack through a 4:41 opening mile. While the leaders were burning up the trail, The Minutemen laid off the hot pace in the early phases of the race. They were 10th as a team through 1.5k, but moved up to fourth by the 3k mark, before they finished in second place. LHS's one-two punch of senior captain Joey "The Candyman" Ryan and freshman phenom Patrick Noonan ran a tactically sound race as they came through the 1.5k split in 29th and 30th, running stride-for-stride. By 3k, they had moved up to just outside the top-10, and continued to charge through the latter half of the race. In the end, Ryan pulled away in the final stretch, and outlasted Coe-Brown's top runner for fifth place overall with a time of 16:10.8. Noonan was just behind in 16:14.9 with a seventh place finish. The story was the exact same for freshmen Caleb Ford and Trevor Stevens. They went through 1.5k in 53rd and 54th place respectfully, and drove through the field together to place 22nd and 23rd overall. Ford's time of 16:53.2 and Stevens' 16:54.0 gave LHS three of the four sub-17 performances by underclassmen on the day. Junior James Joseph was fifth across the line for The Minutemen, 66th overall, with a time of 18:04.9. He was followed by a hard charging Owen Lawler. The senior crossed the line in 77th place with a time of 18:14.2. Sophomore Will Parker was the final finisher on the day for LHS. He ran 18:34.8 to place 89th overall.
Up Next
After a week off from Middlesex League action, it is once again rivalry week as The Minutemen will square off against archrival Reading. On the boys' side, the Rockets have won two of the last three dual meets against The Minutemen, however, LHS bested them last year by a score of 22-37 at home. This year's meet will be held on the trails of the Reading Town Forrest. The meet will begin this Tuesday, October 17th at 4:15pm.
62nd Annual Catholic Memorial Invitational
October 14, 2023
Franklin Park - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - For the first time since 2019 the Lexington High School Boys and Girls teams competed at Franklin Park. The site of the 1992 IAAF World Cross Country Championships had been the traditional home of the MIAA Divisional and All-State Championships for decades. However, since the decision was made to move those meets back in 2012, high school teams outside of the Catholic League seldom get to compete on the most storied course in New England. For the last 10 years, the annual Catholic Memorial Invitational has been the exception to that rule. And, while the meet nearly disbanded after the COVID-19 pandemic drove numbers down to just a handful of teams toeing the line, the 2023 edition was the highest attended race in 35 years, as teams from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Connecticut battled in Beantown.
While the Lex Girls were missing a few key student-athletes due to the PSATs, the seven runners that lined up for LHS made the most of their opportunities against some of the top talent in New England. The race went out in a blistering pace, which pulled senior Samara McVey through the mile in a brisk 6:14. She was followed a few meters behind by freshman Callie Glenn (6:20), and then the pack of senior captain Dora Liao, sophomore Sophie "Snacks" Johnson, junior Leontine Meunier, and freshmen Alycia Charest and Josie Bettencourt. As the race unfolded the Lex Girls moved up through the field, and were able to pick off a number of athletes who suffered after the hard opening mile. The breakout performer of the meet for LHS was undoubtedly Callie Glenn. The freshman sensation has been steadily moving up through the team's depth chart throughout the season, but Saturday she proved that she was capable of leading her teammates against top competition. Glenn (20:00.4) crossed the line with a PR of nearly 30 seconds to place 13th overall. McVey showed true grit throughout the latter half of the race and battled her way to a 15th place finish with a time of 20:15.0. Senior captain Dora Liao turned in a time of 21:13.9 to place 32nd overall. Not to be overlooked, Charest took a massive leap forward herself as Championship Season approaches. She crossed the line fourth for her team, 35th overall, in a new PR of 21:19.8. Snacks Johnson was able to come through for her team as she has all season when it mattered most. The sophomore harrier was the all important fifth finisher in a time of 21:23.7. That time earned her 38th overall, and with that landed the Lex Girls in third place in the team scoring with 114 points. Marshfield took home the title with 74 points, while Bedford (NH) was second with 93 points. Along with the top five, Bettencourt turned in a big performance of her own. She finished with a PR of 21:53.0 to place 53rd. Right behind her was Meunier, who returned to form with a time of 21:58.8 to place 54th overall.
Just as was the case for the Lex Girls, the PSATs had a pair of LHS's top boys not able to toe the line on Saturday. Despite that, The Minutemen proved that they are ready to compete with anyone as they placed second on Saturday with 108 points, just one point behind Coe-Brown Northwood Academy (NH). The race turned into a barn-burner from the moment the gun was fired. Bishop Guertin (NH) junior Matthew Giardina ran his opening half-mile in a sizzling 2:15, which dragged the top pack through a 4:41 opening mile. While the leaders were burning up the trail, The Minutemen laid off the hot pace in the early phases of the race. They were 10th as a team through 1.5k, but moved up to fourth by the 3k mark, before they finished in second place. LHS's one-two punch of senior captain Joey "The Candyman" Ryan and freshman phenom Patrick Noonan ran a tactically sound race as they came through the 1.5k split in 29th and 30th, running stride-for-stride. By 3k, they had moved up to just outside the top-10, and continued to charge through the latter half of the race. In the end, Ryan pulled away in the final stretch, and outlasted Coe-Brown's top runner for fifth place overall with a time of 16:10.8. Noonan was just behind in 16:14.9 with a seventh place finish. The story was the exact same for freshmen Caleb Ford and Trevor Stevens. They went through 1.5k in 53rd and 54th place respectfully, and drove through the field together to place 22nd and 23rd overall. Ford's time of 16:53.2 and Stevens' 16:54.0 gave LHS three of the four sub-17 performances by underclassmen on the day. Junior James Joseph was fifth across the line for The Minutemen, 66th overall, with a time of 18:04.9. He was followed by a hard charging Owen Lawler. The senior crossed the line in 77th place with a time of 18:14.2. Sophomore Will Parker was the final finisher on the day for LHS. He ran 18:34.8 to place 89th overall.
Up Next
After a week off from Middlesex League action, it is once again rivalry week as The Minutemen will square off against archrival Reading. On the boys' side, the Rockets have won two of the last three dual meets against The Minutemen, however, LHS bested them last year by a score of 22-37 at home. This year's meet will be held on the trails of the Reading Town Forrest. The meet will begin this Tuesday, October 17th at 4:15pm.