As Team Wraps Up Season, Future Looks Bright for Stoughton High Cross Country

The Stoughton High boys' and girls' cross country team competed in its final meet this season, the 2012 MIAA Eastern Mass Division 3 Cross Country Championships in Wrentham this past Saturday. The week before, the teams competed at the MSTCA Invitational, also in Wrentham.

Division 3 Championships

The following information is from Coach Harvey Blonder and Coach Bob Clarke:

For the boys', senior captain Wayne Barnaby took advantage of his last cross country race of his high school career by recording a personal best of 17:43. On the other end of the spectrum, the team's lone freshman Nick Quattrucci also polished off a highly successful season with a personal record (19:24, 4th best for a Stoughton runner).

David Lockhart (18:37), Alec DeNapoli (19:17), Luke Butera (19:57), Jack D'Addieco (20:06) and Jason Marshall (20:12) also ran well.

The Stoughton boys' will have five of its top seven runners next season, losing Barnaby and D'Addieco to graduation, but returning Lockhart, DeNapoli, Butera, Marshall and Quattrucci, among others.

And, on the girls side, Kerry O'Neil led the team (20:35) followed by Amy Kelly (20:57), Shannon Barkey (21:45), Katie Daly (22:01), Susanna Noe (22:38), Carson McGrath (22:43), and Rebekah Medina (24:01).

Like the boys', the Stoughton girls' also return some of their top runners next season. O'Neil, Noe and McGrath will graduate, but Kelly, Barkey, Daly and Medina, among others, will be back.

MSTCA Invitational

The following is from Coach Blonder:

Stoughton had three medal winners at the MSTCA Invitational in Wrentham. The meet served as a preview to the Division 3 Championships, which were held at the same location.

Highest placer was senior Kerry O'Neil (12th) who ran a personal best of 20:01 in the junior/senior Division 1 race. O'Neil's race may have been her finest cross country effort of her high school career. She began running cross country as a sophomore and has made steady progress each season. She also runs indoor and outdoor track and at one point was named most improved athlete three seasons in a row.

Nick Quattrucci (38th) probably had his best performance to date finishing in 11:05  in the 3K to medal in the freshmen boys' Division 1 race.

Amy Kelly (22nd) ran 21:26 to medal in the sophomore girls' Division 1 race.

The first race of the day was the boys' sophomore race. David Lockhart (19:44), Robbie Gair (20:19), Jason Marshall (20:25), Luke Butera (20:35) and Jonathan Oliveira (22:56) were all well off their personal bests and coaches were wondering what was to come. The day brightened with the efforts of Quattrucci and Julia Bobeck (15:00) in the freshmen races.

However, the best was saved for last as our juniors and seniors showed the team how it's done. Senior Captain Wayne Barnaby ran a tough race moving up throughout the 5K to finish with his first sub-18:00 minute (17:53). Wayne was disappointed to be just outside the medals in 57th. Alec DeNapoli (19:02) and Jack D'Addieco (20:17) ran strong races and Sean Ellertson (20:48) and Alex Smith (22:03) capped the boys' day with personal records.

In the girls' junior/senior race Kerry came heart-breakingly close to the 20-minute mark and Katie Daly (22:00), Carson McGrath (23:08) and Rebekah Medina (24:02) all finished well.

In a long season, five boys and four girls should congratulate themselves on competing and finishing every race this season - 13 races in just over 2 months!
Boys: Jack D'Addieco, Nick Quattrucci, David Lockhart, Jason Marshall and Alec DeNapoli; and girls: Katie Daly, Amy Kelly, Carson McGrath and Kerry O'Neil.