Red Raider Depth Is Winning Edge In 28-31 Girls’ Cross-Country Win

By: Tom Moran Jr.
Published: 10/26/12

There’s no finish like a good finish and the Barnstable High girls’ cross-country team will certainly attest to that after the Red Raiders topped local rival Pope John Paul II, 28-31, in the regular-season finale for both teams at Hathaway’s Pond on Tuesday.

The victory was the second straight for the Red Raiders and boosted their 2012 record to 5-4.

The win did not come easily as the visiting Lions claimed three of the first four finishes but, as has been the case all season long, the ability of the Red Raiders to finish runners in bunches provided them with the winning edge.

Pope John Paul II’s Kianna Chevalier ran away from the rest of the field to take first place, completing her run around the 2.9-mile HP course in a time of 22:27.

Nicole Neville gave the second-place points to the Red Raiders when she came across the finish line in a time of 23:32 and that finish and those points loomed even larger when the Lions took both third and fourth place.

PJP’s Kathleen Mason took third place with her time of 23:38 and teammate Mary Joan Rezendes followed her home, taking fourth place with a time of 23:41.

The Lions’ lead disappeared under an avalanche of red and white as the Red Raiders finished the next eight runners to wrap up the nonleague win.

Danielle Curtin (fifth place in a personal-best time of 23:44), Claire Deely (sixth place, 24:08), Maggie McNulty (seventh place in a personal-best time of 24:24) and Alicia Pierozzi (eighth place, 24:56) led Barnstable’s closing charge and put the Red Raiders in position to claim the ‘W’.

Had the Lions taken ninth and 10th places, the Red Raiders would have found themselves on the long end of a 27-28 score but that did not happen as the wave of Barnstable runners crossing the finish line continued.

Barnstable’s Heather Lewis finished ninth in a time of 25:17 and teammates Halee Murphy (10th place, 25:18), Liz Silva (11th place, 25:27) and Mariange Wurfbain (12th place, 27:16) followed her across the finish line to ensure that the points the Lions did get would not change the outcome of the meet.

For all four Barnstable runners, their times in the regular-season finale were personal bests.

Rounding out the field for the Pope John Paul II harriers were Emily Canzono (13th place, 27:23), Chloe Clougher (14th place, 31:25), Emily Bean (15th place, 31:26) and Mary Grace Bean (16th place, 31:28).

The Red Raiders will run their final race of the season on Tuesday when they host the Old Colony League championship meet at Hathaway’s Pond.

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