2025 Division 3 Cross Country Sectional Championships: Greater Lowell, Hampshire Sweep; Parker Charter Boys Keep Running

Two schools not only swept to both Boys and Girls championships, but also earned the first titles in school history for either gender. Another school added more gold to its recent dynasty, and one more returned to the top of the podium for the first time in four years.

Among the individual races, there was one repeat champion and five new runners with first-place medals.

The top seven teams, plus the top 10 individual runners not on any of those teams, qualified for the Division 3 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 3C Boys

Parker Charter Essential School’s dominance of the sectional continued with both three straight individual and team championships, as well as the fourth in the five years of the statewide format for both.

Nathaniel Henshaw became Parker’s third consecutive individual champion, winning in a time of 16 minutes, 11.39 seconds. He also helped the Panthers to a solid team score of 36, joined in the top 10 by Jeff Johnson in fifth place (16:43.9), Cypress Lance in eighth (16:58.95), and Zephyr Schermerhorn in 10th (17:10.65). Danny Garrison completed the team scoring for Parker, finishing 12th overall (17:11.0).

Ben McWaters of Bromfield School (16:17.33) was the individual runner-up ahead of the Hopedale Jr/Sr. High School tandem of Quinn Cook (16:24.22) and Ben Stone (16:40.68).

Benjamin Harwood of Lenox Memorial High School was sixth (16:44.56), Jake Leone of Ayer Shirley Regional High School seventh (16:49.08), and Finnegan Voisin of Mount Greylock Regional School ninth (17:05.53).

Bromfield (86) edged out Mount Greylock (90) in the team standings. Hopedale (109) was fourth, followed by Lenox (121), Innovation Academy Charter (209), and Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School (215).

Division 3C Girls

Mount Greylock Regional School unseated two-time defending champion Bromfield School and took home its first sectional championship since 2021.

Meanwhile, Emma Genovese of Millis High School was in control throughout and cruised to the individual championship in a time of 19 minutes, 18.59 seconds.

Mount Greylock’s top finishers were Bridget Holland and Riley Mae Dickinson, who were fractions apart (20:55.91 and 20:55.96, respectively) in taking ninth and 10th place overall. Teammates Cornelia Swabey (12th, 21:04.96) and Ani KoaMaya (14th, 21:33.62) capped the Mounties’ team score of 53.

For Bromfield (81), the push for a three-peat fell short, despite a fourth place from Rosie Bradley (19:57.26) and an eighth from Abby Wool (20:48.9). Lenox Memorial High School (83) was close behind in third, led by Nora Schoeny in sixth place (20:40.37).

Sutton High School (150) took fourth behind the 2-3 finish of Annabella Lamoreaux (19:40.02) and Vivien Bregman (19:50.81). Carver High School’s Hazel Butterworth was fifth (20:24.24) and Teagan Richards of Hopedale Jr/Sr. High School seventh (20:40.67).

Parker Charter Essentials School was fifth (151), followed by Frontier Regional School (200) and Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School (201).

Division 3B Boys

In one of the closest team battles of the entire sectional weekend, Hampshire Regional High School squeezed out a narrow win over Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School.

Oscar Schiff finished seventh overall (17 minutes 5.88 seconds) and Owen Cubi was 10th to help the Raiders to a team score of 77, just ahead of Hamilton-Wenham’s 80. The sectional championship was Hampshire’s first.

In the individual race, the Frontier Regional School duo of Evan Hedlund and Luke Howard led the pack. Hedlund was the winner in 16:20.59, followed by runner-up Howard in 16:31.93. Matthew Pilon of Lunenburg High School was third (16:42.81).

Also scoring for Hampshire were Augustus Niswonger (20th place, 18.08.28) and Aidan Conklin (21st, 18:12.16).

Hamilton-Wenham’s effort was led by Cole Regan in fourth place (16:53.43) and Seth Glidden in ninth (17:21.1). Also finishing in the top 10 were Maxwell Thompson of Littleton High School (fifth, 16:57.22), 2024 state champion Everett Pacheco of Monument Mountain Regional High School (sixth, 17:00.53), and Sokari Jenkins of Gardner High School (eighth, 17:14.91).

Littleton (107) was third in the team standings, followed by Frontier (170), Carver High School (195), Gardner (197), and Amesbury High School (205).

Division 3B Girls

The same scene played out in the Girls race as Hampshire Regional High School outpointed Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School and the rest of the field.

Hamilton-Wenham was strong at the front as Grace Rich was the winner in 19 minutes, 24.71 seconds, followed by Generals teammate Asa Labell (19:27.66). Talia Labell added an eighth place (20:44.74).

But Hampshire’s depth was key as Kathleen Barry placed fourth (20:04.82) and Brooke Hockenberry 10th (20:54.07), helping the Raiders to a team score of 54 compared with Hamilton-Wenham’s 73. Hockenberry was closely followed by Ada Corner (11th, 20:55.37) and Charlotte Niswonger (12th, 21:04.50) to seal the win.

Olivia Coronella of Lunenburg High School was third (19:33.45) and Tallulah Clifford of Sturgis Charter School East fourth (20:22.4), followed by the Tyngsborough High School tandem of Isabella Duarte (fifth, 20:35.49) and Lucy Balcius (sixth, 20:37.93). Haley Jezowski of Amesbury High School placed ninth (20:46.67).

Advanced Math and Science Charter School was third (86), followed by Sturgis East (100), Lunenburg (146), Monument Mountain Regional High School (162) and Tyngsborough (174).

Division 3A Boys

Maurice King Jr. gave Greater Lowell Technical High School its second individual victory in three years, and the Gryphons also secured the first team championship in program history.

King crossed the line in 16 minutes, 34.41 seconds as Greater Lowell scored 50 points to outlast East Bridgewater High School (72) and the rest of the pack.

Matthew Guerin was seventh overall (17:23.88) for the Gryphons, Anthony Beaudoin took 11th (17:30.84), and Jesus Andrades was 12th (17:32.34).

Coleman McCarthy of East Bridgewater was the closest competitor to King, finishing in 16:47.94. Rounding out the top 10 individuals were Cohen Zahn of Pittsfield High School (third, 16:58.1), Tommy Rhuda of East Bridgewater (fourth, 17:06.96), Cassidy McBee of Triton Regional High School (fifth, 17:10.94), John Doherty of Norwell High School (sixth, 17:18.84), Omar Eltersly of Southeastern Regional Vo-Tech High School (eighth, 17:25.32), Julian Ehlke of Hudson High School (ninth, 17:27), and Ben Levesque of East Bridgewater (10th, 17:29.8).

Pentucket Regional High School was third as a team (173), just ahead of Hudson (174) and Triton (175). Belchertown High School was sixth (207) and Quabbin Regional High School seventh (239).

Division 3A Girls

Greater Lowell Technical School completed the sweep thanks to a strong pack of three Gryphons across the line in the top 10.

Katherine Murray of Norwell High School repeated as wave champion in a time of 18 minutes, 59.79 seconds, with Clippers teammate Audrey Birtwell next in 19:35.04.

But after Gabrielle Holdsworth of East Bridgewater High School in third (20:15.99), the wave of Greater Lowell runners featured Teagan Galvagni (20:16.31), Lillian Zurkus (20:18.66) and Audrey Yann (20:34.1) in 4-5-6, respectively. Add in Hannah Levesque in 16th (20.56.45) and Greater Lowell scored 57 points to clear Norwell (77) and Sandwich High School (78).

Also in the top 10 were Mia Jaworski of Triton Regional High School (seventh, 20:34.29), Jaylyn Albano of Seekonk High School (eighth, 20:37.75), Susan Wisniewski of Pentucket Regional High School (ninth, 20:40.72), and Grace Smith of Sandwich (10th, 20:41.1).

Old Rochester Regional High School placed fourth (119), followed by Abington High School (150), Norfolk Country Agricultural High School (165) and East Bridgewater (238).