Despite enjoying success as a freshman during the 2025-26 track season, Carly Gill doesn’t want to place high expectations on herself in her first year of cross country. It’s all about enjoying the experience, continuing to improve and seeing where the season takes her.
It would be safe to say that the state’s newest star is enjoying what’s happening so far.
A week after posting the fastest time of the day with her victory at the Injury Fund Carnival, the Eagles sophomore was back in the winner’s circle Saturday at the Highland Park Invitational in Attleboro. Gill captured the featured Steve Newman Varsity Girls’ Race, navigating the moderately challenging five-kilometer course in 19 minutes, 20.17 seconds.
The Barrington standout, who last year competed on the school’s soccer team, took a patient approach. She held back in the early stages, letting eventual runner-up Charlotte Behnke, a Haddam Killingworth (CT) senior, set the pace for more than half of the race. Gill moved to the front with a little more than a mile remaining.
“I was trying to let (Behnke) determine pace,” she said. “I wasn’t trying to push too much. I felt pretty good and then decided to take the lead.”
Behnke finished the race in 19:39.81. Placing third was Toll Gate’s Mea Ayotte, who was timed in 20:10.73.
Barrington was visible up front throughout the day. The Eagles snagged top honors in five of the six races that took place under cloudless skies and 80-degree temperatures.
In the Steve Newman Varsity Boys’ Race, senior Brooks Mello claimed the individual title with a time of 16:00.38. Mello and junior teammate Ryan Hurlock ran together early in the race, trailing Hopedale (MA)’s Quinn Cook. The Red Raider senior held about a three-second lead on the duo at the two-mile mark.
Mello took his first and only lead with about 800 meters remaining. He admitted having Hurlock by his side was a benefit, particularly during the second half of the race.
“Especially the second half of the race, Ryan and I were pushing each other. He helped me a ton,” Mello said. “Just having him on my shoulder made me want to keep up with him. I really tried to push going into the hills, the last 800 (meters) and 1,000 (meters). I think pushing up those hills kind of allowed me to push hard and jump into the lead. Once I turned the corner and saw the finish line, it’s definitely a lot easier to have the end in sight.”
Cook held on to second, crossing the line in 16:00.38. Hurlock settled for third at 16:19.04. Finishing fourth was Barrington’s Colby Napolitano with a time of 16:35.21. Teamwise, the Eagles manufactured just 33 points to take the crown. Hopedale was a distant second with 60 points. Haddam-Killingworth was third with 99 points.
In the Freshmen Races, Barrington’ Finn Evans won the boys’ race in 10:28.12, while the Eagles’ tandem of Sarah Clegg and Elizabeth Van Hull went 1-2 with Clegg establishing a new meet record of 12:13.52., Van Hull was timed in 12:31.35. Clegg’s effort broke the previous meet mark of 12:15.10 by former Pilgrim all-stater Keaney Bayha from 2021.
Barrington swept the top three spots in the Open boys’ race. Junior Noah Chapman was the race in 11:21.12. Ben Valdez, a sophomore, was second with a time of 11:26.13. Senior Hugh Adams completed the 1-2-3 sweep, clocking 11::44.76 for third.
