La Salle RI Boys, Champlain Valley VT Girls Capture Titles

By Mary Albl of DyeStat 

MANCHESTER, CT — Gavin Sherry’s infatuation for Wickham Park runs deep. It started when he was a middle-schooler watching the big boys run the at the varsity level. The Conard High CT sophomore hoped to someday be there. Sherry has studied the 5,000-meter course in Manchester. He knows the high and the lows. His knowledge of Wickham is near textbook perfection.  

“This course is magical,” Sherry said. “Every time I step on the green grass, it’s like the whole feeling just changes, it’s awesome.” 

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Saturday afternoon at the New England High School Cross Country Championships, he used his expertise to his advantage, churning out another gritty and gallant performance, winning in a time of 15 minutes, 30 seconds. 

“That was unlike any race this season,” Sherry said. “There’s a whole amazing group of guys that are here today. We took it out really quick. My mentality was just stick with the group. I knew that I could be there with everyone … this was a gutsy one today.” 

Sherry, along with in-state rival Robbie Cozean of Xavier, mixed it up early creating a fast pace for the lead pack. Sherry, who led a tight race after the mile marker, surged up the legendary “Green Monster” – a steady and deceivingly steep hill that will make or break runners – around 2 miles.  

“I love this course. It’s so much fun, and that hill, I think it really brings out the worst in everyone, kind of. I don’t know if they (other runners) anticipated the Green Monster,” Sherry said.   

The Green Monster brought out the best in Sherry once again as he created a big enough gap between himself and the others to hold on for the victory. 

“He’s definitely mentally tough,” Xavier’s Cozean said of Sherry. “I’m just blown away with how tough he is. He really works the hills.” 

Cozean and La Salle’s RI Jack McLoughlin battled it out for runner-up honors as Cozean finished second (15:34) and McLoughlin was third (15:35). Lisandro Berry-Gaviria of Mt. Ararat ME was fourth (15:42). 

McLoughlin helped guide the Rams to a repeat title as they scored an impressive 89 points. Bishop Hendricken RI was second with 138 points. 

“The big goal was to get the team win,” McLoughlin said. “Individually, I just wanted to stay as close as I could to those guys, Gavin and Robbie, two very good athletes.” 

La Salle, ranked No. 6 in the country, is in a good position to place well at the Nike Cross Northeast Regionals in three weeks and qualify for NXN. 

“We are all just focused on the main goal of NXR in a few weeks,” he said. “We just want to run good there so we have the opportunity to go out to Oregon.” 

Falmouth’s Matson wins title

What a difference a year makes. After finishing third at the New England Championships in 2018, Sofie Matson of Falmouth ME has been unstoppable this fall. The junior’s growth and development was on full display Saturday at Wickham Park as she took down defending champion Kate Wiser of Pomperaug CT, winning the girls New England title in 17:52.

“I looked at the seed times, I knew I definitely had a chance,” Matson said. “It’s definitely really exciting.”

Matson said she didn’t have the best start as she got boxed in, but played some catch up, as her and Wiser traded spots for a majority of the 5,000-meter race. It wasn’t until about 600 meters left, when she took the lead for good. Matson, who ran the fifth-fastest time for a female at Wickham, said she is the first female from her school to win a New England title.

“It’s such a big deal,” Matson said. 

Greenwich’s Mari Noble, who had a breakout race a week ago, winning the CT State Open, was able to stay with them and pass Wiser out of the wood section of the course and capture second place in a personal-best time of 17:57. Wiser was third in 18:09.

“I was feeling really good today,” Noble said. “(I) tried to close the gap a little bit but Sofie is an amazing runner, she did so good today.”

Noble, who will gear up to race at Foot Locker Northeast Regionals, along with Matson on Nov. 30 at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, said going under 18 minutes was something she was hoping to accomplish this season.

“It means everything,” she said. “It was my goal that I made at the end of last season, so I’m just really thrilled that I got to do that today.”

Champlain Valley Union VT defended their team title, winning with 142 points. Champlain Valley was led by Alicia Veronneau’s 10th-place finish. The Red Raiders placed three runners in the top 30. 

“We base our whole season around trying to be prepared for these end of season championship races,” head coach Scott Bliss said. 

Bliss said the team was delayed yesterday coming to Connecticut by an hour due to an ice storm. He said the team was prepared. 

“We’re always trying to put them in situations where we’re going to be challenged,” Bliss said.