Brookline, Feehan Dominate Bay State Invitational
The only difference between yesterday’s MSTCA 16th McIntyre Bay State Invitational’s Div. 1 race at Franklin Park and a dual league meet for Brookline High was the number of runners who got to see, first hand, just how dominant Mike Glennon’s Warrior squad is this season.
The similarity? The finish was a whole lot like a Bay State League dual meet.
Robert Gibson continued his torrid streak by adding his third consecutive invitational victory in recording the fastest time of the day with his 15:49 on the sun-splashed 3.1-mile layout. Teammates David Wilson (15:55) and Michael Burnstein (15:58) finished second and third, respectively, to give Brookline the 1-2-3 sweep. Nashoba’s Anthony Raduazo was two seconds behind Burnstein in fourth (16:00) while Philip Galebach of Medford pushed his way into the top five with his 16:02.
The Warriors finished with 72 points, easily outdistancing a very tough Whitman-Hanson squad (165 points). Nashoba was third with 178 points. Newton South took fourth (236 points) and Mansfield’s 276 points earned the Hornets fifth place.
Brookline’s team title was its third of the season. The Warriors captured both the Amherst and Bowdoin Invitationals in September. "Certainly the first three ran what I expected," said Glennon. "We really had a good day. But if we want to meet our goals, we have to be much tighter as a pack."
The race marked the return of Elliot Lehane to "big meet" racing after missing the first month of the season with a foot injury. Lehane ran conservatively early, passing the mile mark in 40th, and moved up through the pack to finish a strong 15th in 16:29.
Brockton’s Carlos Montrond, who finished 12th in 16:26, bolted through the opening mile in 4:44, but faded soon after and the race became a two-man affair at the front with Nashoba’s Anthony Raduazo (fourth, 16:00) and Wilson pushing the pace. Gibson and Burnstein in fourth and fifth.
Gibson took the lead for good shortly after two miles and Burnstein moved into third with 500 yards remaining.
Bishop Feehan was dominant on both sides, capturing the boys and girls Div. 2 team titles. The Shamrocks’ top-four runners finished within nine seconds of each other in the top 25 to clinch the boys win with 123 points. Bobby McShane (14th, 17:17), Dave Phipps (21st, 17:24.8), John Cook (22nd, 17:26) and Nate Bowditch (23rd, 17:26.6) helped put Bishop Feehan well ahead of second-place Hopedale (136 points) and Hingham (156 points).
Hamilton-Wenham’s Gabe Pacione never heard any split times in the Div. 2 race, but it hardly mattered for the defending Div. 2 state champion. Pacione was clear of the pack by 800 meters and went on to break his personal best on the course with a sizzling 15:56.2. The victory put him well ahead of second-place finisher Colin Ogilvie of Hopedale (16:23.8) and third-place Mike Moverman of Oliver Ames (16:25.7). Swampscott’s Sam Rakoc was fourth in 16:31.3. Bedford’s Jon Gault pushed hard to take fifth (16:33).
Undefeated this season, Pacione used yesterday’s race as a tuneup for next Saturday’s prestigious Brown Invitational. "I decide to go out at the beginning," said Pacione. "I took the lead at 800 meters and kept a decent pace throughout the race."
Pacione feels miles ahead of his fitness from a year ago. Unlike the 2006 season, Pacione has a strong summer of mileage behind him. The previous year, he lacked the conditioning because of a bout with mononucleosis. "I definitely feel I’ve come a long way," he said. "It’s (defending state title) definitely important to me. I want to go all out. This weekend was the first invitational I’ve done all season."
Pacione plans to be on the starting line of the championship race at Brown "I want to see where my training has brought me."
North Andover’s Kirsten Kasper returned to Franklin Park for the first time in two years and came away with an easy 18:26.2 win in the Div. 1 race.. Kasper, who captured the Div. 1 state title two years ago as a freshman, cruised through the first mile with a clear lead in 5:27. By 2 miles, (11:40) she was in complete command and running comfortably.
She wound up five seconds in front of Newton South’s Madeleine Reed of Newton South. Rebecca White of Natick was third (18:31.2), followed by Micaela Lacombe of Groton-Dunstable. Reed’s teammate broke into the top five with her 18:49.4.
For Kasper, who out-dueled Dennis-Yarmouth’s Colleen Wetherbee for her surprised state title victory in 2005, a win at Franklin Park was more than a little satisfying. Kasper was forced to the sidelines last year with a hip injury and was unable to defend her title.
"That’s one of my goals this year," said Kasper. "I want to regain the title."
Kasper admitted she wasn’t too sure where the competition would come from on Saturday, but planned to run her own race from the start, regardless. "I wasn’t sure which runners where there," Kasper said. "I knew (two-time state champion) Jess Barton had graduated.
"I wanted to make sure I got off the line well," she said. "I felt comfortable, but I knew there were a couple of girls right behind me."
Beverly placed four harriers in the top 20 to upset runner-up Haverhill (98 points) and third-place Newton South (129 points) to capture the team title. Led by Beverly O’Connor (sixth, 18:58), Kasey Kluge (ninth, 19:28), Monica Adler (26th, 20:03) and Maddy Wrable (28th, 20:05), Beverly squeaked past Haverhill with 97 points. Haverhill stacked three runners in the top 20 with Christine McNaughton (14th, 19:47), Beth Fullerton (15th, 19:49) and Julie Solimine (16th, 19:32) to make Beverly’s task that much tougher. Jill Alves, who finished 11th in 19:35 paced Whitman-Hanson to fourth place (187 points) and Franklin finished fifth (231 points) behind Kathleen Ryan’s solid 19:52, 17th-place effort.
Bishop Feehan put up just 79 points in the Div. 2 girls race to defeat Hamilton-Wenham (98 points) and Oliver Ames (102 points). Jen Thomas led the way for the Shamrocks, breaking into the top 10 with a sixth-place, 19:31 finish. Katie Barrett was just six seconds back in seventh (19:37).
Oliver Ames’ Jenna Davidner was an easy winner in the Div. 2 race, clocking a swift 18:18, 40 seconds ahead of runner-up Emily Lanois of Hamilton-Wenham (18:58). Davidner’s teammate, Jessica Pickett, sprinted across the finish line for third in 19:04. Lindsey Walsh of Swampscott was fourth (19:08) with Hingham’s Shauna McNiff closing out the top five with her 19:26.
Mansfield’s Shayne Collins had the fastest time of the day in the freshmen boy races, outkicking Brookline’s Christian Sampson, 10:24 to 10:26 for the gold medal in the Div. 1 race on the 1.8-mile course. Dan Zawalish of St. John’s Prep was 40 yards behind Sampson in 10:32 and Newton North’s Ezra Franklin clocked a 10:40 to take fourth place. Matt Henry of Franklin also finished in the top five with his 10:45.
In Div. 2, Jon McKinley of Duxbury held off Marblehead’s Justin Levine for the 10:34 victory. Levine crossed the finish line in 10:40. Dana Dourdeville of Old Rochester was a step back in 10:41 while Hopedale’s Bob Finnegan closed hard to take fourth in 10:42. Bishop Fenwick’s Bill Harrington clinched fifth in 10:45.
North Quincy’s Erica Brady was the class of the freshmen girls. The Red Raiders’ harrier was the lone freshman to break 12:00 on the day, running away with the Div. 1 race in 11:54. Laurie Vinciullo of Hudson was nine seconds back in 12:03 and Lindsey Walsh of Stoughton was a distant third at 12:35. Concord-Carlisle’s Kerry Nix’s 12:37 was good for fourth and Ashley Toland garnered a medal for Tewksbury with her 12:42 performance.
Courtney Godrey of Danvers was the top freshman in Div. 2 after negotiating the course in 12:38 for the easy victory. Amanda Lang of Holliston ran 12:45 for second, 10 seconds of the 12:55 turned in by Pembroke’s Heather Connick. Sacred Heart’s Kelsey Whitaker came across in 12:57 to take fourth and Marblehead’s Claire Denew was fifth with her 13:03.
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