2025 Division 1 Cross Country Sectional Championships: Billerica Girls, Concord-Carlisle Boys Repeat; Winchester Girls Make History

Two schools repeated as sectional champions, and another earned the first championship in program history, and there was one repeat winner among the six individual champions in the Division 1 Cross Country Sectional Championships at the Wrentham Development Center’s 5k course.

The top seven teams, plus the top 10 individual runners not on any of those teams, qualified for the Division 1 State Championship meet on Saturday, November 15 at Devens. In addition, two wild card teams were chosen based on the cumulative times of their five best finishers.

Here is a recap, in the order the races were run:

Division 1C Boys

Led by Landon Sarney’s runner-up finish, Oliver Ames High School took home its first sectional title since 2021. The Tigers finished with 60 points to edge out runner-up Reading Memorial High School (64).

Sean Finnegan of Hopkinton High School won the individual race in 15 minutes, 29.9 seconds, just beating Sarney (15:34) across the line. Sahil Gandhi of Billerica Memorial High School (15:46) was third, followed by Anthony Malakidis of North Attleborough High School (15:50) and Tim Connolly of Reading (15:55.7).

Devon McStowe added a sixth-place finish (16:03.2) to help Oliver Ames to victory. Also scoring for the Tigers were Lawrence Dear (13th, 16:28.5), Colin Donahue (18th, 16:42.2) and Douglas Smith (21st, 16:47.6).

Rounding out the top 10 individuals were Alex Pinnix of Sharon High School (16:14.3), Michael Upton of Catholic Memorial School (16:14.9), Shane Leslie of Billerica (16:16.7) and Matthew Fitzgibbons of Hopkinton (16:19.6).

Hopkinton was third as a team (116), followed by Catholic Memorial (153), Plymouth South High School (163), Billerica (204) and Mansfield High School (257).

Division 1C Girls

Billerica Memorial High School placed five runners in the top eight in a dominant performance to repeat as sectional champion.

Kyla Breslin of Central Catholic High School won the individual race in 18 minutes, 19.7 seconds. But close behind was Billerica’s Kylie Donahue, whose 18:28.1 finish led a surge of Billerica runners across the line.

Maya Niles (fourth, 18:50.3) and Hartlie Siegal (fifth, 19:00.02) were next for the Indians, who also placed Evelyn Wesling in seventh (19:13.1) and Caitlyn Donahue in eighth (19:15.4).

Notre Dame Academy (Hingham) was the next closest team to Billerica with 73 points, led by Claire Sullivan in ninth place (19:23).

Clare Hall of Westborough High School placed third (18:37.8), and Rangers teammate Regan Kittredge took 10th (19.24.4). Sophie Shaw of Bishop Feehan High School was sixth overall (19:12), helping the Shamrocks to third place as a team (94 points).

Central Catholic was fourth in the standings (156), followed by Milton High School (166), Oliver Ames High School (188), and Hopkinton High School (250).

Division 1B Boys

Concord-Carlisle High School placed two runners in the top four and three in the top eight to make it back-to-back sectional championships.

Natick High School’s John Bianchi won the race in 15 minutes, 51.6 seconds and Redhawks teammate Declan Hava was third (16.01.8). But C-C had the runner-up in Joey Bodenrader (15:57.2) and Brendan Quinn was fourth (16:03.7). Add in Jackson Misek in eighth (16:06.1) and the Patriots were on their way to a team score of 44, comfortably ahead of Natick (70).

Charles MacDonald (11th, 16:17.2) and Braeden Quayle (19th, 16:31.3) locked up the championship for the Patriots.

Natick placed two others in the top 10 - Callum Doyle in seventh (16:05) and Freddie Van der Velden in ninth (16:06.3), but it wasn’t enough to catch Concord-Carlisle.

Jason Provost of Beverly High School was fifth overall (16:03.7) and Stephen Green of Algonquin Regional High School sixth (16:04.2). Noah Geiger of Belmont High School rounded out the individual top 10.

Arlington High School placed third as a team (133), followed by North Andover High School (172), Wellesley High School (207), Xaverian Brothers High School (209) and Belmont (221).    

Division 1B Girls

Winchester High School placed four runners in the top 10 and narrowly held on for the first sectional championship in program history.

Maria Chopas of Concord-Carlisle High School was the individual champion in 18 minutes, 37.4 seconds. The Patriots finished in second place with 49 team points as depth proved crucial for Winchester (46 points).

Millie McDonald was third (19:00.6) and Julia Ramsey fourth (19:03.7) for the Red and Black, who rounded out the team victory with Chloe Chan in seventh (19:24.3) and Caroline Lanz in ninth (19:31.4).

Wellesley High School’s Emma Tuxbury was runner-up (18:56.4) and Maddie Tuxbury placed sixth (19:20.5). Mia McCusker of Chelmsford High School took fifth overall (19:16.4), Concord-Carlisle’s Emma Kjaersgaard was eighth (19:26.9), and Maddy McGillicuddy of North Quincy High School 10th (19:34.1).

Wellesley took third as a team (116), followed by North Quincy (153), Algonquin Regional High School (160), Arlington High School (173), and North Andover High School (200).

Division 1A Boys

Greg McGrath of Boston College High School repeated as individual champion, and Brookline High School returned to the top of the podium for the first time since back-to-back wins in 2021 and ‘22.

McGrath finished in a time of 15 minutes, 23.1 seconds, giving the Eagles three consecutive individual titles overall. He cruised to victory over runner-up Landon Zoss of Andover High School (15:39.1), with Patrick Noonan of Lexington High School third (15:42.3).

That lead pack was followed by Brookline teammates Theodore Butty in fourth (15:42.3) and Liam Hartmann in fifth (15:57.8), helping the Warriors to 56 team points and an easy win over Lexington (90) and the rest of the field. Harry Flint finished eighth (16:03.7), Ibrahim Adbel-Dayem was 10th (16:06.9) and Aiden Vandor 29th (16:36.8).

Jack McIntosh of the Saint John’s Preparatory School placed sixth (15:59), followed by Thomas Dewitt of Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (16:02.1). Colin Kurtz of BC High was ninth (16:04.7).

St. John’s Prep (122) was third in the team standings, followed by Cambridge (132), BC High (162), Newton South High School (186) and Newton North High School (194).

Division 1A Girls

Lexington High School placed four runners in the top 10 and brought home the school’s first sectional championship since 2019.

With 41 points, Lexington easily outdistanced runner-up Westford Academy, which had the individual champion as Abigail Hennessy crossed the line in 17 minutes, 6.3 seconds. Defending sectional and state champion Greta Hammer of Needham High School was second (17:40.4).

Janie Conrad led Lexington’s surge in third place overall (18:14.7), with teammate Ella Tyson in fifth (18:38.8). Alycia Charest (eighth, 18:50.9) and Erin Ehmann (ninth, 18:55.1) rounded out the scoring for Lexington.

Westford Academy’s Emily Wedlake placed fourth overall (18:24.1). Other top 10 finishers were Esty Dudnik of Newton North High School (sixth, 18:39.2), Madison Roach of Needham (seventh, 18:50.7), and Daria Lamakina of Framingham High School (10th, 18:55.4).

Rounding out the top seven teams were Newton North (95), Needham (100), Wachusett Regional High School (157), Weymouth High School (173) and Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (212).