Girls' Cross-Country Takes 7th Straight Eastern Mass. Crown

The high school girls’ cross-country team was crowned the Div. 5 Eastern Massachusetts Champions on Saturday for the seventh straight year, after warding off a stiff challenge from the team.

The boys’ team was eighth in a field of 30 teams.

The Generals top female runner, Kerry Phelan, helped split up Weston’s top runners, Olivia Brackett, Charlotte Walmsley and Abigail Pohl on her way to a third place finish at 19:24 on the 5K course at .

“It was awesome to watch,” said Generals coach Steve Sawyer.

The Generals bested Weston by one point – 36-37.

Behind Phelan, were Margaret Blatchford  (6, 19:37) Emily Weigand (7, 19:38) Emily Horgan (8, 19:46) and Claire Pacione (12, 20:02).

All five scorers for were also named Eastern Massachusetts All-stars for finishing in the top 15.

“They all ran very, very well,” Sawyer said. “The girls’ won a very, very close race.”

Sawyer said Weston is “really strong up front.”

The Div. 5 race was one of six eastern Massachusetts championship races in Boston on Saturday.

“That might have been meet of the day on the girls’ side,” Sawyer said.

The girl’s team now moves on to the All-State Championships on Saturday, again at Franklin Park, joining qualifiers Weston and Bishop Feehan versus the top teams from all six divisions.

The boys’ season ended on Saturday.

“There is nothing wrong with eighth place,” Sawyer said, adding that the team is still learning to train and race. The team is “very, very young” after losing “four outstanding seniors” last year, Sawyer said.

Saturday’s scorers in the boys' race were Dan Von Staats (29th, 18:00), Matt Gillis (35, 18:04), Jack Blatchford (38, 18:08), Kevin Rutigliano (53, 18:31) and Michael Allara, (57, 18:35).