Division II State Championships, 10/31/2020
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Boys Team 2020
Girls Team 2020
Coaches Sandu, Walker, Irving
The long awaited 2020 Cross Country Division Championships is in the books! After a season of nervously checking each Covid email to see if this was the one that would end our season, the MVXC team made it to the last weekend in October happy and HEALTHY! The day dawned cold, but messages of encouragement from alumni warmed the hearts of coaches and athletes alike. One alumni was thrilled to hear that 4 pairs of her retired spikes and flats would be covering the rugged Derryfield course this year on new feet. That’s giving back! Another alumni sent me a photo of the course - I had no idea that the course was covered in snow. I should have expected it...2020!
After navigating the blockade of the food drive at school, all 16 athletes arrived on time and ready to go. We arrived right on time, and quickly snagged a spot in the middle, away from our usual spot, but a spot that had been cleared by a Division 1 team. We checked out our own private porta potty, and then quickly hit the trail for a last minute course walk/warm-up. Just an hour after arriving it was time to race!
The start of the girls race was very interesting, with 4 waves started by starting pistol 10 seconds apart. It made an interesting dynamic, as you were never quite sure who was in front of whom, since it depended on which wave the runner started in. Pretty quickly it was apparent that the NHCC preview was spot-on (and how could it not be, considering it’s author), and Sophia was solidly in control of third place in the race. She held the position all the way to the finish line, finishing as the 5th fastest runner of the day across all divisions. This marks the third straight Meet of Champions qualifier for Sophia, with one year to go. No MVXC runner has ever qualified all 4 years. Next across the line was Carlie, just a few seconds ahead of Samantha. Just a bit behind Samantha was Victoria, who actually placed as the second runner for MV on the day, as she started in wave 3, 20 seconds down. She also ran a huge PR of a minute - on a tough course in snowy, slippery conditions. Wow! Not far behind the pack of three was MacNeill, crossing as our 5th runner and sealing the point total. Liz, with yet another PR, and Alyssa finished off the racing for MV. Overall, it was a very good day for the girls - we raced well, and more than anything we actually had the opportunity to race. The girls also beat three teams on the day, placing 13th out of 16 teams competing. While the season is over for most of the team, Sophia will be racing next weekend at MOC’s in Nashua.
Within a couple minutes, the four starting waves of the boys race had integrated together and the MV pack of Marshall, Oliver and Elisha had formed once again. Jostling for position up towards the front of the race was Ethan who had his sights set on one of the five individual MOC-qualifier spots. Maintaining his position as the fifth MV runner for the entire race, Mark demonstrated his determination to overcome a season-long injury with a strong run. The last two MV spots were a battle between Trevor and Jack. Both boys ran arguably their best races of the season with Jack earning a shiny new PR (don’t forget it, Jack) and Trevor running his second fastest time ever. Jack, who had been battling a nagging injury, finished as MV’s 6th runner with Trevor closing out the top 7. Though it was harder to maintain a tight pack in a big race like this, the tenacious trio sprinted hard to the snowy finish line with Marshall as our #2 runner, Oliver as our #3, and senior Elisha as our #4. Only 26 seconds separated them which made for an exciting finish. The boys team earned a solid 11th place, bettering their placement from last year by one spot. The major highlight of the day came from senior Ethan. Qualifying for the Meet of Champions was a bit different this year as the top 5 schools qualify and then the next five individuals that are not part of those qualifying schools make it as well. As soon as the results were posted, Coach Irving did the calculations and it looked like Ethan had snagged the final spot. However, no one fully trusted the science teacher’s math abilities, so we had to hold off on our excitement. As soon as we heard “Ethan Dodenhoff of Merrimack Valley” over the speakers, the team erupted in cheer, making for a perfect happy ending to a fantastic day (and to Ethan’s MV cross country career). The team left Derryfield Park in high spirits thanks to tough and inspiring performances from everyone.
