The Saint Anthony’s boys’ cross country team participated in the Ocean State XC Invitational, on Saturday, September 23rd, 2017, in Warwick, Rhode Island. At Goddard Memorial State Park, the Varsity and JV teams competed in a 5K race, while the freshmen ran a 4K.
All three teams had a strong showing in the heavily populated and competitive races. In a single race, the number of runners could range from around a hundred to over 450. The freshmen team placed 7th of 22 teams, JV placed 5th of 37 teams, and the Varsity team placed 7th of 15 teams in the Championship race, the most elite race of the day.
The standout runner of the meet was undoubtedly senior Mason Gatewood. Gatewood finished less than a second short of first place with a truly impressive time of 15:32. Other notable racers include juniors Brendan Dearie, Hunter Vierling, and Michael Barbaro Barnett.
The 5K course at Goddard Memorial State Park is a favorite of many cross country runners for its limited hills and beautiful views of Greenwich Bay. Though the team only visits once a year, most are fairly comfortable and successful during this race. “The course is a pretty fast one with only one major hill,” said Gatewood. “I ran there last year and we went over it the day before so that helped a lot.”
Despite months of summer training, it is still fairly early in the Cross Country season and many hold high hopes for upcoming races. “One of my big goals for the remainder of the season is to make it to Nationals in Oregon,” said Gatewood.
About The Author:
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Cate Cappelmann Cate is a senior at St. Anthony’s and a runner in Cross Country, Winter Track, and Spring Track. This is her first year writing for the Friar Scoreboard, and she is also a writer for the school newspaper, The Paduan. |
