THE MINUTMEN MAKE WAVES AT THE OCEAN STATE INVITATIONAL
Meet Information
Ocean State Invitational
September 23, 2023
Goddard State Park - East Greenwich, RI
RESULTS
EAST GREENWICH, RI - The Minutemen traveled down to Rhode Island on Saturday for the annual Ocean State Invitational. The Invite has become a staple on LHS's calendar for years, as it offers the team the opportunity to test its metal against some of the top high school teams in the region. This year, with tropical storm-like conditions in the forecast, student-athletes needed to come prepared for whatever the weather threw at them. In the Boys Championship Race the powerhouse squad from Union Catholic (NJ) took center stage. The Vikings currently rank as the #2 team in the Northeast, and showed why at Goddard Park, as they scored 100 points to take home the title. LHS's squad improved its average finish by over 40 seconds from last year, and in doing so, earned an 8th place finish overall with 231 points. Union Catholic's girls were perhaps even more impressive in the Championship Race, as they took down the perennial powerhouse squad from Saratoga Springs (NY) with just 32 points. The Lex Girls also made a big jump from last year's performance as a team, and finished with 287 points - 13th overall - in a very deep and talented field.
Highlights from the Freshman Division
The LHS Class of 2027 has shined for The Minutemen throughout the early part of the season. That shine did not wear off in Rhode Island as both the Boys and Girls teams took home the team titles. In the Boys Race, Caleb Ford led the way for LHS. He won the individual title by nearly ten-seconds with a time of 13:37.9. That mark was the fastest run by an LHS freshman boy in recent memory. Next for The Minutemen was Owen Ross (13:46.6) who earned the bronze medal by placing third overall. Alden Hall (14:01.0) was next across the line for his team, as he placed fifth in the team scoring. Hall's training partner Holden Cassity placed seventh in the team scoring with a time of 14:14.4. And Jayden Huang battled his way to an 11th place finish in the team scoring with a time of 14:25.4. All totaled, The Minutemen scored 27 points, which bested BC High's runner up team by 82 points. The Lex Girls were led by a tremendous effort from Callie Glenn. She proved just what kind of fight she has in her, as she battled for the entire final quarter mile of the race to end up with the bronze medal. Her time of 15:36.9 was the best performance by an LHS freshman girl in recent memory as well. Glenn was followed by Erin Ehmann (16:51.9) and Alycia Charest (17:05.9) who placed 10th and 11th respectively. Then the one-two punch of Maite Striuli (17:26.1) and Josie Bettencourt (17:27.3) placed 14th and 15th to seal the victory over second place North Kingstown (RI) with 43 points.
Highlights from the JV Division
LHS's boys hung tough in the JV Race. Led by Henry Finch, who placed fifth overall with a time of 17:50.2, The Minutemen used five sophomores to earn a third place finish in the team competition, as they scored 91 points to overall winner St. Anthony's (NY) 64. Liam Singh was second for LHS, as he set a personal record of 18:07.0 to earn ninth overall. He was followed by Sinan Pervane who continued his stellar week with another PR of 18:32.4 to finish 21st for his team. Next up it was the Ryan twins. Colin was first, as he was just two places behind Pervane - 23rd overall - with a PR of his own (18:33.8). Then it was Sean who placed 33rd overall. His time of 18:45.9 marked the first time he had dipped below the 19-minute barrier in his career. Rounding out the top-seven was junior captain Kabir Gokarn (19:26.1) and senior captain Duncan Maloney (19:30.8). The two finished 59th and 62nd respectively.
On the girls' side, the story was sophomore Thayer DiCerbo. She battled throughout the entire race and came through for her team with a seventh place finish in a personal best time of 21:42.4. She was followed by junior Tanvi Samavedam (22:47.2) who was 10th in the team scoring. Next across the line for LHS was Prachi Aggarwal. The sophomore was 15th in the team scoring, as she finished with a PR of 23:01.6. Junior Lucy Kontos (23:26.1) used a strong final mile to finish 24th in the team scoring for LHS. The all important fifth runner for the Lex Girls was senior captain Sarah Weisberg. The senior managed a time of 23:36.1, which was nearly a minute faster than her previous PR, to place 41st in the team competition. Fellow classmate Sarah Fu (24:26.2) and Izzy Barbesino (24:31.3) rounded out the top-seven.
Highlights from the Varsity Division
While LHS's top-seven boys were preparing for the Championship Race, their next seven were toeing the line against the varsity squads of many of the other schools in attendance. Fellow Middlesex League Liberty Division member Winchester ended up winning the race with 76 points. However, The Minutemen held their own with some tight pack running to finish 13th out of 33 teams with 349 points. After an injury derailed the beginning of his season, senior Owen Lawler finally got to show off the hard work he put in over the summer. He led the way for LHS with a PR of 17:57.4 to place 69th overall. Another PR was turned in by junior James Joseph (17:59.5), as he placed 71st. Sophomore Sam Finch had a solid showing, as he finished 74th overall with a time of 18:04.4. Fellow classmate Will Parker turned in a time of 18:10.4 to place 81st overall. Junior Will Fletcher used a very strong second half of the race to earn the team's fifth spot - 89th overall - in a PR time of 18:17.0. It was then sophomore Owen Kuder (18:25.1) and senior captain Toshio Yuki (18:35.9) who finished sixth and seventh for The Minutemen as the pair placed 107th and 118th respectively.
Highlights from the Championship Division
Saturday was the first time The Minutemen's top-seven had toed the line together so far this season, and they were excited to offer their Bay State competition a glimpse into what they can expect come championship season. When the gun fired, the field was immediately off to a hot start, as the leaders eventually came through the mile in around 4:40 pace. Freshman Patrick Noonan charged after them in the opening stage of the race, while senior captain Joey "The Candy Man" Ryan laid off the fast start. Next for The Minutemen was freshman Trevor Stevens and junior Max Zhang. The two remained stride-for-stride early on as the race unfolded. The final group for LHS was made up of juniors Nathan Cunningham and Zach Barry, and sophomore Colin Smith. Noonan came through the mile in 4:48, while Ryan hung back at a more conservative 4:57. Zhang and Stevens ran right next to each other and past the mile marker in 5:16. Then the trio of Cunningham, Barry, and Smith packed tightly together to split 5:26. During the latter half of the race, The Minutemen to navigated the crowded Goddard Park trails and moved up through the field. Noonan grinded his way through the final mile and crossed the line in 15th place in the team scoring. His time of 15:58.6 established a new high school cross country PR. After running a ferocious second half of the race, Ryan pulled nearly even with Noonan. He placed 17th in the team scoring with a time of 15:59.0. That marks the first time the senior harrier had broken the elusive 16-minute barrier in his career. Stevens was next for The Minutemen. He finished 55th in the team scoring with a PR of 16:51.2. Zhang finished just seconds behind him with a time of 16:56.8 to place 63rd in the team scoring. The all-important fifth runner for LHS came in the form of Cunningham. He charged down the homestretch, and edged Hall (CT) senior Tommy Butler with a new PR of 17:13.0. Barry (17:41.2) came across the finish line next in 115th overall place, while Smith was 127th overall with a time of 17:55.9. In the end, The Minutemen were fifth among Massachusetts schools. However, the young team certainly made a name for themselves on Saturday.
The Lex Girls also looked to put it all together for the first time this season. The team of senior captain Dora Liao, fellow classmate Samara McVey, along with sophomores Meghan Caldera, Sophie "Snacks" Johnson, and Nadia Abdinoor combined with juniors Leontine Meunier and Claire Cunningham certainly made the best out of the worst conditions seen Saturday. Just as the race had gotten under way, the skies finally opened up and the rain began to pickup. Despite this, McVey charge out to lead her team through the mile in 6:03. Liao and Caldera followed in 6:19, while the pack of Abdinoor, Johnson, Meunier, and Cunningham were all between 6:29 and 6:30. Despite Saturday being the first true cross country 5k that McVey had ever raced, onlookers must have thought she was a seasoned veteran the way she navigated the trails. With a final flurry as she finished down the homestretch, the senior crossed the finish line 32nd in the team scoring with a time of 19:46.7. That smashed her PR set earlier this week by over a minute. Next across the line for the Lex Girls was Caldera. The sophomore proved she is returning to the form that made her so successful in her debut campaign last fall, as she finished 57th in the team scoring with a time of 20:39.3. After the top-two, the Lex Girls punched in three straight finishers. Abdinoor (21:03.4), Liao (21:04.7), and Johnson (21:09.1) placed 65th, 66th, and 67th respectively. Another breakout performance came from Meunier. The junior was simply stellar on Saturday as she also bested her previous PR by over a minute with a time of 21:42.7. Cunningham rounded out the top-seven for LHS with a time of 22:43.5.
Up Next
It is a quick turnaround for The Minutemen, as they will head to Arlington this Tuesday, September 26th for their dual meet. The meet - at McClennan Park - is scheduled to tentatively go off at 4:15pm.
Ocean State Invitational
September 23, 2023
Goddard State Park - East Greenwich, RI
RESULTS
EAST GREENWICH, RI - The Minutemen traveled down to Rhode Island on Saturday for the annual Ocean State Invitational. The Invite has become a staple on LHS's calendar for years, as it offers the team the opportunity to test its metal against some of the top high school teams in the region. This year, with tropical storm-like conditions in the forecast, student-athletes needed to come prepared for whatever the weather threw at them. In the Boys Championship Race the powerhouse squad from Union Catholic (NJ) took center stage. The Vikings currently rank as the #2 team in the Northeast, and showed why at Goddard Park, as they scored 100 points to take home the title. LHS's squad improved its average finish by over 40 seconds from last year, and in doing so, earned an 8th place finish overall with 231 points. Union Catholic's girls were perhaps even more impressive in the Championship Race, as they took down the perennial powerhouse squad from Saratoga Springs (NY) with just 32 points. The Lex Girls also made a big jump from last year's performance as a team, and finished with 287 points - 13th overall - in a very deep and talented field.
Highlights from the Freshman Division
The LHS Class of 2027 has shined for The Minutemen throughout the early part of the season. That shine did not wear off in Rhode Island as both the Boys and Girls teams took home the team titles. In the Boys Race, Caleb Ford led the way for LHS. He won the individual title by nearly ten-seconds with a time of 13:37.9. That mark was the fastest run by an LHS freshman boy in recent memory. Next for The Minutemen was Owen Ross (13:46.6) who earned the bronze medal by placing third overall. Alden Hall (14:01.0) was next across the line for his team, as he placed fifth in the team scoring. Hall's training partner Holden Cassity placed seventh in the team scoring with a time of 14:14.4. And Jayden Huang battled his way to an 11th place finish in the team scoring with a time of 14:25.4. All totaled, The Minutemen scored 27 points, which bested BC High's runner up team by 82 points. The Lex Girls were led by a tremendous effort from Callie Glenn. She proved just what kind of fight she has in her, as she battled for the entire final quarter mile of the race to end up with the bronze medal. Her time of 15:36.9 was the best performance by an LHS freshman girl in recent memory as well. Glenn was followed by Erin Ehmann (16:51.9) and Alycia Charest (17:05.9) who placed 10th and 11th respectively. Then the one-two punch of Maite Striuli (17:26.1) and Josie Bettencourt (17:27.3) placed 14th and 15th to seal the victory over second place North Kingstown (RI) with 43 points.
Highlights from the JV Division
LHS's boys hung tough in the JV Race. Led by Henry Finch, who placed fifth overall with a time of 17:50.2, The Minutemen used five sophomores to earn a third place finish in the team competition, as they scored 91 points to overall winner St. Anthony's (NY) 64. Liam Singh was second for LHS, as he set a personal record of 18:07.0 to earn ninth overall. He was followed by Sinan Pervane who continued his stellar week with another PR of 18:32.4 to finish 21st for his team. Next up it was the Ryan twins. Colin was first, as he was just two places behind Pervane - 23rd overall - with a PR of his own (18:33.8). Then it was Sean who placed 33rd overall. His time of 18:45.9 marked the first time he had dipped below the 19-minute barrier in his career. Rounding out the top-seven was junior captain Kabir Gokarn (19:26.1) and senior captain Duncan Maloney (19:30.8). The two finished 59th and 62nd respectively.
On the girls' side, the story was sophomore Thayer DiCerbo. She battled throughout the entire race and came through for her team with a seventh place finish in a personal best time of 21:42.4. She was followed by junior Tanvi Samavedam (22:47.2) who was 10th in the team scoring. Next across the line for LHS was Prachi Aggarwal. The sophomore was 15th in the team scoring, as she finished with a PR of 23:01.6. Junior Lucy Kontos (23:26.1) used a strong final mile to finish 24th in the team scoring for LHS. The all important fifth runner for the Lex Girls was senior captain Sarah Weisberg. The senior managed a time of 23:36.1, which was nearly a minute faster than her previous PR, to place 41st in the team competition. Fellow classmate Sarah Fu (24:26.2) and Izzy Barbesino (24:31.3) rounded out the top-seven.
Highlights from the Varsity Division
While LHS's top-seven boys were preparing for the Championship Race, their next seven were toeing the line against the varsity squads of many of the other schools in attendance. Fellow Middlesex League Liberty Division member Winchester ended up winning the race with 76 points. However, The Minutemen held their own with some tight pack running to finish 13th out of 33 teams with 349 points. After an injury derailed the beginning of his season, senior Owen Lawler finally got to show off the hard work he put in over the summer. He led the way for LHS with a PR of 17:57.4 to place 69th overall. Another PR was turned in by junior James Joseph (17:59.5), as he placed 71st. Sophomore Sam Finch had a solid showing, as he finished 74th overall with a time of 18:04.4. Fellow classmate Will Parker turned in a time of 18:10.4 to place 81st overall. Junior Will Fletcher used a very strong second half of the race to earn the team's fifth spot - 89th overall - in a PR time of 18:17.0. It was then sophomore Owen Kuder (18:25.1) and senior captain Toshio Yuki (18:35.9) who finished sixth and seventh for The Minutemen as the pair placed 107th and 118th respectively.
Highlights from the Championship Division
Saturday was the first time The Minutemen's top-seven had toed the line together so far this season, and they were excited to offer their Bay State competition a glimpse into what they can expect come championship season. When the gun fired, the field was immediately off to a hot start, as the leaders eventually came through the mile in around 4:40 pace. Freshman Patrick Noonan charged after them in the opening stage of the race, while senior captain Joey "The Candy Man" Ryan laid off the fast start. Next for The Minutemen was freshman Trevor Stevens and junior Max Zhang. The two remained stride-for-stride early on as the race unfolded. The final group for LHS was made up of juniors Nathan Cunningham and Zach Barry, and sophomore Colin Smith. Noonan came through the mile in 4:48, while Ryan hung back at a more conservative 4:57. Zhang and Stevens ran right next to each other and past the mile marker in 5:16. Then the trio of Cunningham, Barry, and Smith packed tightly together to split 5:26. During the latter half of the race, The Minutemen to navigated the crowded Goddard Park trails and moved up through the field. Noonan grinded his way through the final mile and crossed the line in 15th place in the team scoring. His time of 15:58.6 established a new high school cross country PR. After running a ferocious second half of the race, Ryan pulled nearly even with Noonan. He placed 17th in the team scoring with a time of 15:59.0. That marks the first time the senior harrier had broken the elusive 16-minute barrier in his career. Stevens was next for The Minutemen. He finished 55th in the team scoring with a PR of 16:51.2. Zhang finished just seconds behind him with a time of 16:56.8 to place 63rd in the team scoring. The all-important fifth runner for LHS came in the form of Cunningham. He charged down the homestretch, and edged Hall (CT) senior Tommy Butler with a new PR of 17:13.0. Barry (17:41.2) came across the finish line next in 115th overall place, while Smith was 127th overall with a time of 17:55.9. In the end, The Minutemen were fifth among Massachusetts schools. However, the young team certainly made a name for themselves on Saturday.
The Lex Girls also looked to put it all together for the first time this season. The team of senior captain Dora Liao, fellow classmate Samara McVey, along with sophomores Meghan Caldera, Sophie "Snacks" Johnson, and Nadia Abdinoor combined with juniors Leontine Meunier and Claire Cunningham certainly made the best out of the worst conditions seen Saturday. Just as the race had gotten under way, the skies finally opened up and the rain began to pickup. Despite this, McVey charge out to lead her team through the mile in 6:03. Liao and Caldera followed in 6:19, while the pack of Abdinoor, Johnson, Meunier, and Cunningham were all between 6:29 and 6:30. Despite Saturday being the first true cross country 5k that McVey had ever raced, onlookers must have thought she was a seasoned veteran the way she navigated the trails. With a final flurry as she finished down the homestretch, the senior crossed the finish line 32nd in the team scoring with a time of 19:46.7. That smashed her PR set earlier this week by over a minute. Next across the line for the Lex Girls was Caldera. The sophomore proved she is returning to the form that made her so successful in her debut campaign last fall, as she finished 57th in the team scoring with a time of 20:39.3. After the top-two, the Lex Girls punched in three straight finishers. Abdinoor (21:03.4), Liao (21:04.7), and Johnson (21:09.1) placed 65th, 66th, and 67th respectively. Another breakout performance came from Meunier. The junior was simply stellar on Saturday as she also bested her previous PR by over a minute with a time of 21:42.7. Cunningham rounded out the top-seven for LHS with a time of 22:43.5.
Up Next
It is a quick turnaround for The Minutemen, as they will head to Arlington this Tuesday, September 26th for their dual meet. The meet - at McClennan Park - is scheduled to tentatively go off at 4:15pm.