Warriors take fourth overall in annual showcase
THE WMHS girls’ cross country team came in fourth overall at the Middlesex League meet with 141 points and had an impressive showing among the 12 M.L. teams in attendance. (Donna Larsson File Photo)
WOBURN — The Wakefield Memorial High girls’ cross country team was crowned the champion in the Middlesex League Freedom division this fall and has been the champion the past four years. On Monday afternoon in the Middlesex League championships, the Warriors were tops among the M.L. Freedom division teams once again.
Wakefield came in fourth overall in the team scoring and was the top finisher among the squads in its division as it had an impressive showing among its peers from both the M.L. Freedom and Liberty divisions in the annual showcase at the Woburn Country Club.
The Warriors scored 141 points as a team and beat out M.L. Freedom division rivals Watertown (fifth, 155 points), Burlington (ninth, 229 points), Wilmington (10th, 235 points), Melrose (11th, 240 points) and Stoneham (12th, 321 points).
Only M.L. Liberty division powers Lexington, Woburn and Reading finished above Wakefield in the team scoring. They had 33 points, 53 points and 124 points, respectively.
Belmont, Arlington and Winchester round out the league as they took sixth, seventh and eighth with 182 points, 185 points and 201 points.
Wakefield’s top finisher was senior co-captain Emily Hammond. Hammond placed 12th overall as she clocked in at 16:07.70 in the 2.5 mile course. Hammond medaled with her 12th place showing.
Next for the Warriors was senior co-captain Lauren Sallade. Sallade secured 21st overall in a time of 16:27.80.
Both Hammond and Sallade beat out Burlington senior Alex Demeo who finished 25th at 16:45.50.
Wakefield’s next three runners finished pretty close to another. Sophomores Abigail Harrington and Jordan Stackhouse came in 34th and 35th overall with times of 17:21.30 and 17:21.90, while junior Reilly McNamara claimed 39th place at 17:32.40.
Catherine Urbano, a junior, was Wakefield’s sixth runner as she timed in at 19:29.30 for 74th place.
Senior Joanna Hammond was the Warriors’ seventh runner in the varsity race. She clocked in at 19:35.40 for 75th place among the 83 runners that completed the Girls’ Varsity race.
“(The) varsity team ran great,” said Coach Karen Barrett. “We finished fourth overall which was impressive since we were missing Sara Custodio. I was very proud of the team’s effort at the league meet.”
In the Girls’ JV race, Wakefield had four runners entered.
Emily Heil, a sophomore, finished 40th in a time of 19:42.80 over the 2.5 mile course.
Sam Ross and Marissa Pesce, both juniors, came in 83rd and 108th overall as they posted times of 21:36.40 and 23:08.00.
Kubra Umit, a senior, clocked in at 25:11.90 for 127th place among the 140 runners entered in the race.
The Warriors had two runners entered in the Freshman Girls’ Race which was 1.3 miles long. Gillian Russell captured fifth place in a time of 8:26.10 and Sarah Filleul finished in 53rd place among the 57 runners entered as she clocked in at 12:25.80.
Russell medaled with her fifth place performance. She passed 10 girls in the last half mile to get the fifth place.
Wakefield will now get ready for the Eastern Mass Div. 4 meet which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Wrentham Developmental Center.
