The Marblehead boys cross country team finished third in the Division 2 state championship at Fort Devens this past weekend. It was only the third boys team from Marblehead to finish top-three over the past 25 years.
Isaac Gross finished second with a time of 16:04. He, also, made history as just the third boy from Marblehead to finish top-five in 25 years.
“This race caps off his senior season – one of the best seasons ever by a runner from Marblehead,” said boys coach Brian Heenan.
Nate Assa and Will Cerrutti ran their best races of the season. Nate finished sixth with a time of 16:13, while Will placed eighth with a time of 16:21.
Gross, Assa, and Cerrutti received medals, while Henrik Adams, Will Cruikshank, Jonah Potach, and Ryan Blestowe rounded out the team’s top seven.
“This senior group led the team to a terrific year in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season,” Heenan said. “That is a testament to their work ethic and leadership.”
On the girls’ side, they finished 18th of 22. Marri O’Connell, once again, led the way for the Magicians with a second-overall finish (18:43).
“It was a difficult week of practice for the young runner, but our greatest triumphs are often born from great adversity… this was the best race of her already-impressive career,” said girls coach Will Herlihy.
As for St. Mary’s, it was its second season being represented by individuals in both races.
For the boys, senior captain Matt Terrien placed 138th with a time of 18:39, while on the other side, freshman Kelsey Kwiatek qualified for the second year in a row and took 38th with a time of 21:04.
“Both of these athletes have been putting in the work year-round since I’ve been coaching them,” said coach Tristan Smith. “If you look up the word consistency in the dictionary, you will see Matt and Kelsey’s names.”