Cross country hopeful after MASCAC Championships

By Taylor Kimmell Sports Editor

The Framingham State women's and men's cross country teams placed second and fifth, respectively, at the MASCAC Championship meet Oct. 31 at Fort Devens.

Head Coach Mark Johnson said the course was relatively flat, but a steep, sandy hill challenged both teams. The men encountered it four times and the women once, causing runners to slow down and making it difficult to maintain their pace.

Johnson said the teams entered the championship with the mantra, “Believe in yourself, believe in your training, and race for place.”

The women's team earned 63 points with a total time of 1:47:51.57, securing the highest finish in program history. It was the first time the women’s team placed higher than third at the conference championship.

Johnson said the second-place finish and conference runner-up trophy made it “a really special day.”

Captain Kate Buban, a senior, led the Rams in the 5K with a time of 19:43.75. She said she did not expect to finish third but was determined to hold her position, which ended up earning her a spot on the MASCAC All-Conference team. Framingham focused on “racing for place at MASCACs rather than time,” she said.

Buban added the result showed the program “has the opportunity to achieve great things” and said she was proud of her teammates' preparation and effort.

Captain Grace Avery, a junior, finished 12th in 21:23.16.

Freshmen Sydney Youde and Caprial Dibartolomeo placed 13th in 21:27.29 and 17th in 21:41.48, respectively. Senior Camille Graffeo rounded out the top five, finishing 33rd in 23:35.89.

Freshman Abigail Woodbury placed 39th in 24:31.96, followed by senior Justinne Quinanola in 44th at 25:05.07 and Captain Norah Russell, a senior, in 49th at 27:44.93.

Sophomores Ellen Child, Angelica Miranda-Chong, and Mia McCluckey finished 50th (27:56.23), 53rd (29:44.29), and 54th (30:47.77), respectively.

The men's team finished fifth with 121 points and a total time of 2:31:00.73.

Johnson praised the team's “effort and resilience,” noting that running the hill four times was “no small task.” Although he said the Rams hoped to finish ahead of another team or two, he was proud of their work ethic and looked forward to seeing them compete at NCAA Regionals.

Junior Aaron Corlette led the Rams, placing 15th in the 8K in 28:45.05.

He said the hill was especially difficult when runners were fatigued, but credited the team's preparation and effort.

“We put in the work at practice and left it all out there during the race,” he said.

Junior Vincent Gauthier finished 17th in 28:45.85, followed by Captain Ayden Giombetti, a senior, in 25th in 29:52.73.

Sophomore Jeremy Gale placed 42nd in 31:31.30, while freshmen Joseph Lawson and Jameson Miranda finished 44th in 32:05.80 and 45th in 32:28.90. Sophomore Liam Devaney rounded out the team in 58th in 34:58.91.

Gauthier said the meet proved tough for the men’s team, with the “flow-altering hill” on each lap challenging the Rams’ runners. He said this obstacle turned “the race into a mental battle that everyone had to meet at an individual level on the day. Some were prepared for that, others weren’t. That’s how it goes in cross country, and there’s nothing wrong with that. … At this point, all we can do is take these lessons in stride and regroup for the next opportunity.”

Both teams will compete at the NCAA Regional Meet at Bates College Nov. 14.

Johnson described the regional squads as “a good mix of veterans and rookies.”

The men's roster includes Corlette, Gauthier, Giombetti, Lawson, Gale, Devaney, and freshman David Lopez. The women's team will be led by Buban and Avery, alongside Youde, Dibartolomeo, Woodbury, Toth, and Quinanola.

“These are two of the strongest teams we've ever brought to regionals,” Johnson said, adding he expects “a great day for the Rams at Bates.”

Gauthier said the course at Bates will be “flatter than a Kansas highway.” That coupled with the field of 40-and-change teams, many of which will be incredibly tough opponents like “MIT, who are former national champions and who have won this meet for five consecutive years,” will make this one of, if not “the fastest, meet we have ever competed in as a program. “We’ve had a lot of hard courses this year, from the hills of Fitchburg to the hairpin turns of WNE, so it’s been a tough mental season. However, all this hard racing has had some great effects on our bodies. “We did our key workout for Regionals prep yesterday, and collectively, after finally hitting the track for a fast workout, we’re very confident approaching next weekend, and I think many of us are expecting to be hitting some major personal bests. From there, it’s all about the mental game and staying fresh and healthy, because there's nothing more we can do to squeeze any more fitness out. We just have to do the right things for a few more days and have fun come race day,” he added.

Avery said the women's team is continuing to prepare for the NCAA meet and is “excited to compete and finish the season off strong.”

She added, “I'm so proud of this team and what we've accomplished this season!”