WRENTHAM — Senior co-captain and Cape Ann League Runner of the Year for the Kinney Division, Aidan Nadeau, accomplished the goal he had set out to complete two years ago when he joined the NRHS Cross Country program: He is now the CAL Open Champion.

On a drizzly, wet afternoon in Wrentham, Nadeau and his teammates took on the rest of the Cape Ann League best on a fast, but tactically challenging, 5k course.

“We knew going into the race that Aidan would have a lot of runners trying to out-duel him,” said Head Coach Ryan Spinney. “The hope was that he would be right at the front through two miles and then he would push it all the way in and see if anyone would respond. He did exactly what he hoped he would do and absolutely earned this wonderful and memorable victory. It is a testament to his dedication, hard work and how far he has come as a tough racer.”

AIDAN NADEAU won the CAL Open Championship Meet. (Courtesy Photo)

Boys’ team finishes 9th overall in League Championship

Open Meet

The NR Boys Cross Country team took 9th overall with a team score of 190 points in the league championship meet. Newburyport took home the team title with a score of 27 points as they had their 7 runners in the top 14 in the race. Following Nadeau, the second Hornet to cross the line was Junior Nick Fabrizio, who took 31st overall in a time of 18:27.0. Senior Co-Captain Anthony Petrosino and Junior Rocco Tammaro finished 47th and 51st respectively in times of 19:40.2 and 19:48.8.

Junior Ben Meier took 60th overall in a time of 20:42.6, Sophomore Dylan Zecher finished 64th in a time of 21:25.2 and Junior Shane Hanson who placed 67th in a time of 22:25.8.

“We had a strong performance despite what the team score may dictate,” said Spinney. “We had a few personal bests and all fought hard throughout the race. Very proud of this group.”

In the JV race, the Hornets had 4 competitors as Junior Matthew Lombardo was the top Hornet with a 63rd place finish in a time of 23:38.9. Following right behind him was Freshman Michael Mahoney (65th, 23:46.9) and Sophomore Brendan Rooney (66th, 23:48.8). Freshman David Wyatt capped off the Hornet competitors, as he placed 75th in a time of 26:20.3.

Butler Fights for 4th, Hornets Take 9th in team competition

Junior co-captain Annalise Butler had her best race in her young career as she improved by nearly a full minute in the 5k as she took home 4th overall in the Cape Ann League Open Championship with a time of 19:42.5. Butler had set her sights on a top 15 finish earlier in the year but through her hard work and consistent training, she was able to soar much higher than just top 15.

“Annalise has just been a machine this fall,” said Spinney. “She has gotten so much stronger and learned to race so much more intelligently in the last few months. You can tell by the smile on her face when she is running because she knows she has another gear and isn’t afraid to use it. She absolutely became a league favorite with her race today.”

Following Butler, the Hornets finished 9th overall in the team competition with a score of 188 points. Pentucket was the champion with a score of 37 points. Freshman Hayden MacLellan was the second Hornet to finish as she took 35th overall in a time of 23:08.5. Senior Co-Captain Nicole Steinmeyer (42nd, 23:57.0), Sophomore Allison Koenig (53rd, 26:17.0), Sophomore Stella DaSilva (54th, 26:36.2), Senior Co-Captain Abigail McLaughlin (60th, 28:49) and Senior Riley Cullen (62nd, 29:22.8) rounded out the Hornet competitors in the Varsity race.

“Similar to the boys race, the team score doesn’t tell the full story. So many girls had their best races of the season and we competed very hard as a team. Could not be prouder of this group and their efforts,” said Spinney.

In the JV race, the Hornets had two competitors: Senior Kaila Griffin (41st, 29:33.9) and Sadhana Gopinath (51st, 33:13.8) and they ran very strong season bests for the 5k distance.

The Hornets’ top seven runners for both squads now move to the State Divisional level as they will compete in the Division 2B race at Gardner Golf Course on Saturday, November 13.