Rarely does the 144th finisher in the boys' Division 1 all-state cross-country finals end up as the top headline from the season's top meet, but allow our friends at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette to explain...

It’s one of the most courageous, heart-wrenching finishes you’ll see at any level of sports, from pee-wees to professionals.

Need a little inspiration today? Check out the photos and video of St. John’s High runner Ben Perron and his agonizing final 50 meters or so at Saturday’s State Cross Country Championships in Boston.

Suffering from what was later determined to be severe dehydration, the 16-year-old junior from Southboro fell several times while coming down the home stretch of the 5-kilometer Franklin Park course, crawling on all fours, trying to get up, falling flat on his face, and eventually rolling across the finish line while emotional fans cried, cheered and exhorted him on.

For the record, Perron wound up 144th out of 146 finishers. He was believed to be somewhere in the top 30, and leading the Pioneers’ contingent, before his muscles began failing him. He was seen by his sister grabbing the back of his thighs as he rounded the final turn heading into the home straightaway, and he fell for the first time shortly after that with about 60 meters to go.

What followed was an emotional, gutsy performance that had to be seen to be believed. After stumbling and falling, Perron rolled over and returned shakily to his feet, only to fall backward as though he were drunk. Officials ran over and checked on him from several feet away.

“I don’t remember it perfectly, but I pretty much remember most of it,” said Perron, who continued to crawl on his hands and knees, almost tipping over at one point. “I definitely was conscious the whole time. I knew what was going on.

“I was surprised that I couldn’t even stand up. I kept moving — there wasn’t really a choice. I just kept working.”

Teammate Cam Tieuli, a St. John’s captain, tried to grab his arm and help him up as he came by, but quickly stopped, realizing any assistance would result in disqualification. Another teammate, Dan Zawalich, patted Perron on the back as he passed by to offer encouragement. Perron was still probably 20 meters from the finish line.

Hop over to Telegram.com for the complete article.

What's your take? Should his teammates or other runners have helped him out? Leave you thoughts in our comments section.

Here are the latest MSTCA boys' cross-country rankings through Sept. 28:

Division 1

1. Newton South
2. Amherst-Pelham
3. Brookline
4. St. John's (Shrewsbury)
5. St. John's Prep
6. Nashoba
7. Xaverian
8. Methuen
9. Mansfield
10. Dennis-Yarmouth
11. Newton North
12. Whitman-Hanson
14. Ludlow
14. Lincoln-Sudbury
15. BC High
16. Concord-Carlisle
17. Central Catholic (Lawrence)
18. Franklin
19. Reading
20. North Andover

Division 2

1. Bishop Feehan
2. Whitinsville-Christian
3. Wellesley
4. Oliver Ames
5. Seekonk
6. Hamilton-Wenham
7. Wincester
8. Mohawk Trail
9. Hingham
10. Bromfield
11. Monument Mountain
12. Swamscott
13. Newburyport
14. Hanover
15. Marblehead
16. Pembroke
17. Mt. Greylock
18. Sutton
19. Holliston
20. Hopkinton

As the 2008 fall season goes into full swing, we've invited a handful of local standouts to write about their seasons on our Player Diaries blog.

I'll allow our contributors to introduce themselves:

Abbie Brown, Westwood, Field hockey

So, two years ago, Westwood field hockey wasn't the best team in the state, nor are we now, but we are working our way to tournament again. Last season, we went to the tournament for the first time in nine years which was a big accomplishment for the us. This year we hope to do the same thing and get further than last year. As of right now, the Westwood Wolverines field hockey team is 2-0 from beating Stoughton and Scituate in two nonleague matchups. We still have a long way to go until we make the tourney, but our team is willing to do whatever it is to make it again.

I play field hockey and lacrosse, and run winter track. This past spring my team was the 2008 Division 1 girls' lacrosse state champions.

Mike Savery, Hingham, soccer

My name is Mike Savery and I play midfield for the Hingham boys' soccer team. We were 6-6-6 last year, making the playoffs for the ninth straight time under our coach Ken Carlin. However, our worst season under coach Carlin ended just as horribly, losing to Oliver Ames in the play-in round, 1-0. This year, however, will be much different. We are returning eight starters, and have 15 senior players, myself included. I will be looking to split some time this year on the right side, as we have yet to figure out the winning formation. Along with playing on the soccer team, I am a four year varsity skier, two of those years as captain.

Kara Dunford, Notre Dame Academy, cross country

I'm at senior at Notre Dame Academy in Hingham. I'm running cross country in the fall for the first time. Besides cross country, I am one of the captains of the indoor and outdoor
track teams. I am also editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and I am interested in pursuing a career in Journalism in the future.

Check back on our Player Diaries page for much more from this trio as the season goes on. If you're interested in writing for us, drop us an email with your name, school, sport, and a quick note on why you'd like to contribute.

We're dusting off our Player Diaries blog for the fall season and we're looking for athletes who might be interested in chronicling their seasons on Boston.com.

Last fall, Mansfield football standout Mike McPherson and Ursuline volleyball All-Scholastic Caitlin Burchill kept us updated on their exciting seasons. Now we want you to tell us all about your fall season.

Interested? Drop us an email with your name, sport you play, and a brief bio about yourself. Remember, you don't have to be the team superstar. Heck, if you're the stats keeper and you want to tell the world about how your team is doing, we want you, too.

We'll pick a handful of our favorites to handle the Player Diaries this fall. Hey, it doesn't look bad on a college resume, either.

Charlestown's Omar Aden, Bromfield's Emily Jones, and Ashland's Nicole D'Argento have earned Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year honors for their respective sports.

Aden won for boy's track, Jones for girls' track, and D'Argento for softball. They join Acton-Boxboro's Scott Weismann as those honored for the 2008 spring season.

Here's a bit on each athlete from the press releases distributed by the Gatorade folks:

Omar Aden

The senior distance runner won the mile at the MIAA All-State Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 4:13.83, which ranked as the nation's No. 7 scholastic performance in 2008 at the time of his selection and helped the Townies to the state championship. An Indoor Track All-Scholastic selection as named by The Boston Globe, Aden, who placed fourth in the mile at the National Indoor Scholastic Championships, captured second place in the 1,600-meter run at the New England Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 4:13.19.

Emily Jones

The junior distance runner ran the 2-mile race at the Central Region Meet in 10:27.03, the fastest time in the nation at the time of her selection. A week later, Jones ran the 2-mile in 10:33.30 to win the All-State Meet with the fourth-fastest time in the nation. Also the 2007-08 Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, Jones ran the mile race in 4:59.15 this spring, which ranked as the nation's No. 22 performance in the mile this spring at the time of her selection, and she placed second in the 3,000 meters at the Penn Relays Carnival.

Nicole D'Argento

The junior pitcher started 22-0 with a 0.28 ERA and 288 strikeouts in 147.2 innings this season, leading the Clockers to a 26-0 record entering the Division 2 state semifinals scheduled for June 11. A returning All-Scholastic selection as named by The Boston Globe, D'Argento had produced a .605 batting average, 35 RBI, 33 runs scored and six home runs at the time of her selection. The two-time Tri-Valley League Player of the Year, she concluded her sophomore season of 2007 with a 9-0 record and a 0.00 ERA.

For those curious, the Globe begins collecting high school sports standings for the spring season this Sunday, April 27.

Standings will start appearing in Monday's paper (and online) along with our first batch of in-season top 20 polls, which will update each week from there.

League representatives are reminded to call the Globe between 1 and 6 p.m. Sunday at 617-929-3235, 2860, 2861, or 2862. Our toll-free number is 1-800-232-2860. Standings can also be faxed to 617-929-2670 or e-mailed to hssports@globe.com, but please confirm all fax and e-mail transmissions by calling one of the numbers above.