Boys' cross-country
Players of the Year
Victor Gras, Belmont
 DIVISION 1 |
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Gras was the most dominant runner in Massachusetts this season. His time of 15 minutes 52.44 seconds at the Division 1 state championship topped all other runners. Brockton's Keith Gill finished second, 10 seconds behind Gras. At the EMass championship, Gras finished a minute in front of the pack. At the Footlocker Northeast Regional Championships, he placed second, three seconds behind the winner. Earlier, Gras traveled to Raleigh, N.C., where he finished fourth in the Great American Cross-Country Festival. At the Manhattan College Invitational, a race that attracts some of the best school runners in the country, he won in a record time of 15:17. He never lost a dual meet in his sophomore, junior, or senior years. |
Christian Guliano, Bishop Feehan
DIVISION 2 |
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Guliano put off moving to Florida so that he could continue to race. After his family moved a month before the season's end, Guliano stayed with friends and should have no reason to regret his decision. In the EMass Division 3 championship, Guliano trailed teammate Pat Benson until blazing past him in the final 100 yards for the win in 16 minutes, 42 seconds. At the state championships, Guliano's second-place (17:02) finish lifted the Shamrocks to the Division 2 title. Only Bromfield's Nick Parker outran him. As a freshman, he won both the Bay State and the Brown Invitationals. Guliano joined his family in Florida the day after the season ended and will be missed by his team next season. |
Coaches of the Year
John Barry, Brockton
DIVISION 1 |
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Barry couldn't have asked for much more in his first season as coach of the Boxers. Brockton finished 13-0, won the Big 3 Championship, and placed second at both the EMass and Division 1 state championships. The Boxers claimed 119 overall points at the state championship at Northfield Mountain, narrowly missing first-place St. John's Prep (112). Barry emphasized the importance of the team and credits assistant coach Brian Hoffman for his hard work. Barry coached track for five seasons at Walpole High School. He is a graduate of Somerville High School in New Jersey (1985), where he ran cross-country and track, and Boston College (1990). His hobbies include running and hiking. |
Bob L'Homme, Bishop Feehan
DIVISION 2 |
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At the EMass Division 3 championship, Shamrocks Christian Guliano and Pat Benson finished 1-2. Despite having the top two finishers, Bishop Feehan (65) was edged by Sandwich (54) for the win. One week later, Bishop Feehan bounced back to win the Division 2 state championship. Bishop Feehan (83) beat Sandwich (115) by 32 points to take the title. L'Homme's girls' team also won, marking the first time in state history the same school captured both the boys' and girls' championships in the same year. L'Homme has been coaching cross-country for 10 years and has a career record of 93-9. He graduated from Bishop Feehan in 1977 and Bridgewater State in 1981. He was the Globe's girls' coach of the year last fall. |
The All-Scholastics
Khalid Abdi, Brockton
SENIOR |
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A second-time All-Scholastic, Abdi followed up his junior campaign with an equally impressive senior year. Abdi, a three-time Big 3 Conference All-Star, along with fellow All-Scholastic and teammate Keith Gill, led Brockton to a 13-0 season and the Big 3 championship. His 15-minute-43-second time at the EMass Division 1 championship was good for second place. At the states, Abdi finished fourth in 16:06. Brockton's second-place finish at Northfield Mountain was the school's highest finish ever at the states. Abdi also runs indoor and outdoor track and plays soccer. |
Chris Barnicle, Newton North
JUNIOR |
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Barnicle had one of this year's best seasons. Only a junior, he placed 10th at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Championships and captured the EMass Division 1 championship (15:36.45). At the state championship, Barnicle placed third (16:03.62). He led the Tigers to the Bay State League title. Barnicle first turned heads in 2001 when he captured the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Championships freshman race. He has shown consistent improvement during his high school career, placing 13th at the state championship as a freshman, seventh as a sophomore, and third as a junior. He is a three-time cross-country All-Scholastic. Barnicle also runs indoor and outdoor track and was the state two-mile champion in the spring. |
Pat Benson, Bishop Feehan
SENIOR |
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Benson was the Eastern Athletic Conference champion with a time of 16 minutes 23 seconds. Benson also finished second at both the EMass Division 3 championship (16:46.31) and the Bay State Invitational (16:14.72). He finished sixth in the Varsity 1 race at the Brown Invitational (15:59) and 12th at the state championship (17:28.19). Alongside teammate Christian Guiliano, Benson gave Bishop Feehan one the state's best 1-2 punches. In addition to both indoor and outdoor track, both of which he captains, Benson played soccer through his junior year. He is an honor roll student interested in the fine arts and plans to study engineering in college. |
Ryan Coons, St. John's
SENIOR |
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Coons served as the Eagles captain as they captured this year's state championship. Coons and teammate Aaron Wheeler led St. John's Prep to the surprise victory at the Northfield Mountain Recreation Center. The Eagles finished with 112 points, edging Brockton and Wachusett, who were tied with 119 points. Coons finished 14th at the EMass Division 1 championships with a time of 16 minutes 31.38 seconds. He is also a member of the National Honor Society and competes in indoor and outdoor track. He has been accepted early decision to Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. |
Ian Crotty, B-R
JUNIOR |
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Crotty's 10th-place finish at the EMass Division 1 championships made him the first Bridgewater-Raynham runner in four years to qualify for the state championship. There, Crotty finished 21st with a time of 17 minutes 5.04 seconds. He was Bridgewater-Raynham's top runner in only his second year in cross-country. As a sophomore, Crotty was the No. 2 runner while the Trojans captured the Old Colony League title with an 8-0 league record. He also plays soccer, basketball, and skis. He is a member of the Modern World Affairs Club and hopes to run in college. |
Erik Donohoe, Masconomet
SENIOR |
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Donohoe was named Cape Ann League Runner of the Year for his great season. After winning the Division 2 race at the Catholic Memorial Invitational (16:22.88), Donohoe returned to Franklin Park and placed third at the EMass Division 2 championship with a time of 16 minutes 20.26 seconds. He capped his season with a ninth-place finish at the state championships with a time of 16:33. Donohoe is an accomplished student and member of the National Honor Society. He also runs indoor and outdoor track and enjoys skiing and surfing. Donohoe is undecided on his plans for college. |
Brian Gagnon, Lowell
JUNIOR |
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Gangon finished fifth at the EMass Division 1 championships with a time of 16 minutes 14.72 seconds. The Lowell junior also had second-place finishes in the Division 1 race at the Catholic Memorial Invitational (16:25.17) and the Merrimack Valley Conference meet. At the Manhattan Invitational, Gagnon finished 15th and at the Bay State Invitational he was 14th in the Large School race in 16:42.97. In addition to cross-country, he runs both indoor and outdoor track. Gagnon holds the school record in the 800 meters with a time of 1:57.6, a time he ran last spring as a sophomore. Gagnon should only improve next year as a senior. |
Keith Gill, Brockton
SENIOR |
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Gill led the Boxers to a second-place finish at both the EMass Division 1 championships and the Division 1 state championships. At the states, Gill finished second with a time of 16 minutes 2 seconds over the challenging Northfield Recreation Center course. His EMass time was 15:46, which was good for third place. Gill also won the Large School race at the Bay State Invitational (15:56.48) and finished 31st at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Championships. As a junior, he finished first at the State Coaches Invitational. Gill also runs indoor and outdoor track. He is looking at Brown, Boston College, Duke, and Providence College. |
Brian Holmquest, Marshfield
SENIOR |
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Holmquest followed up his fifth-place finish at the EMass Division 2 hampionship race (16:62.76) with a 16-minute-59.69-second finish (good for 16th) at the state championships in Northfield. Holmquest won the South Shore Principals Invitational and his team placed third. He is also an accomplished track runner, serving as the Hornets' captain for both the indoor and outdoor squads. He is a four-time Old Colony cross-country All-Star and has four other All-Star selections. Holmquest is ranked at the top of his class of 350 and is the recipient of the Harvard Book Award. |
Brandon McKinnon, Methuen
SENIOR |
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McKinnon was this year's Merrimack Valley Conference Runner of the Year. He had first-place finishes at both the Catholic Memorial Invitational (Division 1 in 16:20.59) and the MVC meet. McKinnon's seventh-place finish at the EMass Division 1 championship (16.22.36) led his team to the title. At the state championship in Northfield, McKinnon's 16-minute-45.38-second time (13th overall) led Methuen to a fifth-place finish. He led the Rangers to two consecutive undefeated seasons. McKinnon also runs indoor and outdoor track and enjoys snowboarding. He is considering UMass-Lowell, Keene State, and UMass-Amherst. |
Paul Morris, Lexington
JUNIOR |
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A junior, Morris paced the Lexington team this year and once again earned Middlesex League All-Star honors. He finished fourth at the EMass Division 1 championships (at Franklin Park) with a time of 16 minutes 3.99 seconds, leading the Minutemen to an impressive fifth-place finish. At the Division 1 state championship at Northfield Mountain Recreation Center, Morris finished seventh in 16:27.33. Overall, Lexington finished the event in eighth with 202 total points. His best two-mile time was 9:48. Morris also runs indoor and outdoor track for Lexington. |
Payton Preston, D-Y
JUNIOR |
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Once again Dennis-Yarmouth has produced an outstanding runner. Preston led the Dolphins to an undefeated season in the Atlantic Coast League and was selected as the league's MVP. He finished fourth at the Division 1 race for grades 11-12 at the State Coaches Invitational (16:55.11) and the EMass Division 2 championship (16:35.62). His 17:03.26 finish at the Division 1 state championship in Northfield was good for 19th. Preston also runs both indoor and outdoor track, where he was the Atlantic Coast League champion at 2 miles. He is a sports fan and enjoys watching hockey and basketball. Preston has not decided about college but is considering UMass-Amherst. |
Rex Radloff, Dedham
JUNIOR |
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Radloff captured this year's EMass Division 4 title with a time of 16 minutes 45.99 seconds. With Radloff leading the charge, the Marauders finished 10th overall with 300 total points. Radloff was third at the Division 2 state championship with a time of 17:03.37. He was edged by Bromfield's Nick Parker and Bishop Feehan's Christian Guliano. Radloff finished 10 seconds out of first place and half a second out of second place. Dedham was 11-1 and Radloff again earned Bay State Conference All-Star honors. With his strong championship-race season, Radloff established himself as the area runner to keep an eye on next fall. |
Connor Westfall, H-W
SENIOR |
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Westfall makes his second straight All-Scholastic appearance after another fantastic fall for the Generals. He finished second in Division 4 at the Eastern Mass. championship at Franklin Park in 16:52.76. The following weekend at the Northfield Recreation Center, Westfall took fifth place in Division 2 in 17:14.46. He also participates in indoor and outdoor track. Last fall he was the Cape Ann League Runner of the Year while finishing third in Division 2 at the Bay State Invitational, second at the Brown Invitational, second at the EMass championships and sixth at the state meet. He is a three-time CAL cross-country All-Star. |
Aaron Wheeler, St. John's
SENIOR |
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Wheeler served as captain for the Eagles in their state championship season. Wheeler finished 10th at the states in 16 minutes 35.34 seconds. After they missed the event last year, the Eagles' win came as a surprise to many. At the EMass Division 1 championship, Wheeler placed sixth with a time of 16:18.03 seconds. Wheeler was also named the Catholic Conference MVP. He was a member of St. John's Prep 4 x 800 state championship relay team this past spring and earned Catholic Conference All-Star and All-Scholastic honors. He has narrowed his college options to Colgate, Boston College, and Connecticut College. |
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The All-Scholastic boys' cross-country team was selected by the school sports staff. Selection is limited to MIAA schools that compete in EMass leagues. Text by Jeff Schaible. Photos by Kathleen Johnson.
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