The RIIL State Cross-Country Championships took center stage on Saturday afternoon.
Our two team champions may have been similar in overall talent, but the numbers tell very different stories. One program had the depth to field two squads capable of finishing among the top six. The other relied on a lean roster—just enough to fill out its varsity lineup, with only three ninth-graders waiting in the wings should anyone falter.
Indiviually, two new faces were fitted with the laurel wreath. One captured his school’s first-ever crown by the slimmest of margins — a single stride. The other dominated the field, leading her team to its third straight state title.
Here’s a recap.
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GIRLS’ RACE
We get it. We’re not always going to be right — or even close — when we preview a meet that always delivers its share of surprises. We predicted this one would come down to the wire between Cumberland and La Salle, with single digits separating the champion from the runner-up.
But let’s be honest, we’re sure few predicted what unfolded at Ponaganset this weekend, when the two powerhouses went head-to-head on the Chieftains’ Covered Bridge Trail.
Except, maybe, the Clippers.
Head coach Kerrie Carpenter and her talented harriers were in it from the gun with all their scorers up among the top 15 at the mile mark. It never changed from there with Cumberland scoring a low 26 points, less than half the 54 points scored by the runner-up Rams.
Leading the way for Cumberland was CC Ludwig, who claimed the indivdual title with a big-time PR of 18 minutes, 17.27 seconds.
“It’s surreal, honestly,” Carpenter said. “It’s extra special to have the individual champion and the team champion. That’s what make cross country so magical. You can have so many combinations. Different victories and success. It’s really, really excitinng and special for us today — absolutely.”
Like she did during last year’s win, Carpenter sat out some key varsity members to have them fresh and ready to perform at the states. Two of those rested runners — Charli McCue and Anna Bianchi — stepped up big on Saturday, placing third and 12th, respectively. McCue clocked a personal-best 18:50.71, while Bianchi crossed the line in 19:13.85, also a PR. The remaining scorers were Gabby Stoothoff (sixth, 18:57.91) and Natalie Crawford (ninth, 19:07.47).
“We try to keep our eyes on the integrity of the long-term goal, which is state championships and beyond, if we can,” Carpenter said. “I do have a small roster, so having three freshmen on my team today. I lost my one and three seniors from last year. I have to really take care of them. Charli McCue was sick last week. She had a virus. I had another one out with a little bit of a hip flitch. We were rehabbing. There was really no trick to it; other than saving their bodies.”
Ludwig, a runner-up at the Class A meet and a third-place finisher at last year’s states, took an agressive approach in her race strategy. She pushed the pace up front shortly after the gun was fired, passed through her opening mile in 5:53 and won by nearly 30 seconds with St. Raphael’s Mackenzie Lickert taking the runner-up spot in 18:44.97.
“I kind of wanted to make it my race, and do my own thing,” Ludwig said. “I didn’t want to sit behind someone because I knew I was capable of a lot so I kind of went out there and just like gave it my all. I knew I could do it.”
Also finishing among the top were North Kingstown teammates Abbie Tighe (fourth, 18:54.91) and Abby O’Neil (fifth, 18:55.25), and the La Salle trio of Alyssa Parenteau (seventh, 19:03.70), Sabrina Ghamrawi (eighth, 19:06.53) and Olivia Wahlberg (tenth, 19:08.32).
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BOYS’ RACE
Legendary Hendricken coach Jim Doyle has overseen more than his share of championship-caliber teams during his three decades at the helm of the Hawks. But this year’s squad — which captured Saturday’s state meet with a commanding 30–94 victory over second-place North Kingstown — might rank among his best.
In their latest triumph, the Hawks claimed their fifth straight and 29th overall team title. Their five scoring runners all finished among the top 12 and were separated by just 1 minute, 16 seconds. Even more impressively, the gap between their No. 2 and No. 5 finishers was a mere 37 seconds.
“They are one of the best teams. We had 2018 and 2009,” said Doyle, making reference to squad that won state crowns and also qualified for the Nike Cross Nationals with a top two finish at the regionals. “This team is right up there with those guys. The thing about this team is they’re young. Our JV team — our supporting cast — was amazing last week at the JV State Meet. Any one of those guys could have been on the line today. It’s an amazing team.”
Flynn, David Hayes (third, 15:29.01), Fred Russell (fifth, 15:57.82), Shepherd Butler (eighth, 16:03.38), Brayden Seraichyk (13th, 16:34.28) and Oliver Redmond (17th, 16:36.95) scored for the Hawks.
In the battle for individual honors, Portsmouth’s Sean Gray outdueled Hendricken’s Colby Flynn down the stretch to take the title in a PR of 15:16.18, just .41 ahead of Flynn.
The race started off tactical with Gray, Flynn, and defending champion Marshall Vernon (fourth, 15:30.62) among a crowded lead pack that also included a slew of Hendricken runners.
‘We went through the first mile very slow,” Gray said. “It was a tactcial race. We came through in 4:54. Last year we came through in 4:42. It was completely different from last year. I was expecting a little more help up front. The way the first 400 and 600 meters went out, it ended up being a lot slower and settling into a slower pace than I would have preferred.”
Gray and Flynn broke from pack with about 1K to go. The two runner engaged in an all-out sprint just before entering the football field for the final stretch.
“This race was really just grit and determination through that last 200 (meters),” Gray said.
Roundinng out the top 10 were Portsmouth’s Patrick Orbon (sixth, 16:00.81), Barrington’s Colby Napolitano (seventh, 16:03.36), North Kingstown’s Gavin Shipperley (ninth, 16:20.37) and Providence Country Day’s Leo Woodman (tenth, 16:25.29).
