Tanners' XC Set to Tear Up Course at All-States

Both Peabody High cross-country squads have qualified for team competition at All-States and head down to Franklin Park Saturday morning.

The girls squad put in a third place finish at the Eastern Mass. Division I Cross-Country Championships last Saturday while junior Catarina Rocha won the whole event for the second year in a row.

Rocha was the only representative of her team to compete at All-States last year and finished the 2.9 miles of the Gardner Municipal Golf Course in second at 16:42, just 6 seconds behind Lincoln-Sudbury senior Andrea Keklak.

The Lady Tanners will be represented Saturday on the 5K course by Rocha, Lauren Barrett, Sam Allen, Sarah May, Sydney May, Julia Merchant, Gabby D'Avolio, Christina Shea and Shannon Walsh.

The boys' squad, led by senior Nick Christensen who similarly outdid the field last Saturday, finished fourth as a team at EMass. Christensen finished third the year before and is competing in his second All-State Meet.

At Gardner last year, he clocked in a third place finish at 14:21, while Evan Braz (who graduated last year) was the only other Tanner to qualify and turned in a 20th place finish at 14:54.

The boys will be represented Saturday at Franklin Park by Christensen, Drew Fossa, T.J. D'Amato, Anthony Tedescucci, Ben Braz, Cody Picardy, Manny Vieira, Matthew Faulkner and Richie Fournier.

The girls' Division I race is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. while the boys' Division I race will be at 12:30 p.m.