Hopkinton's Shelby Aarden wasn't familiar with the 2.5-mile course at Saturday's Big Wave Cross Country Invitational so the senior harrier told herself she'd stay with the pack and let the race place itself out. Only then would she make a strong move to the front.
So much for pre-race strategy.
Aarden's plan lasted just about 400 meters as she took the lead on the Apponequet High layout in Lakeville and ran away with the junior/senior title in 15 minutes, 28.75 seconds. Hopkinton's No. 1 harrier finished more than 100 yards in front of Bridgewater-Raynham's Molly Desrochers (16:12.72) and teammate Mary Paule Monks (16:19.61). The Hillers placed four runners in the top 10 to take the team title with 31 points to edge Bridgewater-Raynham (39 points) and Old Rochester (73 points). Molly Hawkins was fourth for Hopkinton in 16:30.85 and Jenise Madden clinched 10th with a 16:54.15.
Aarden, who was eighth last season in the Div. 1 race at the state meet, had little trouble navigating the grassy thoroughfares and trails. "It's my first year running here and I was going to go out easy and see how everyone else was doing," she said. "It was a little scary not knowing the course."
Hopkinton head coach Brian Hall can already see the pack improvement just two weeks into the season. The Hillers easily handled a strong Holliston team in their Tri Valley League opener, 18-45. Hopkinton dominated with all seven runners finishing in front of Holliston's No. 2 harrier.
"It's very early and we didn't know what to expect," said Hall. "I think our pack is coming. We'd like to make a run at the top five (teams in Div. 1). That win over Holliston was a big one."
Evan Park ran with the pack longer than Aarden and when he made his bid for the lead it sealed up a win alongside his Hopkinton teammate in the junior/senior race. Park ran with Seekonk's Alex Lanzi and Nick Accardi through a 5:17 first mile before pulling ahead and winning by 12 seconds in 13:28.59. Lanzi sprinted hard to take second in 13:40.26 and Accardi was five seconds back in 13:45.57. Seekonk (41 points) took the team title in front of Hopkinton (73 points) and Taunton (78 points).
Park was hoping to be in the mix up front and admitted the win was a nice surprise. "This is the first year I've ever been here," he said. "I didn't expect to be this high up. It's a surprise. I'm happy with the way I ran."
Bridgewater-Raynham sophomore Caroline Sarro made her first invitational a good one as the soccer transplant put daylight between herself and Dennis-Yarmouth freshman Sydney McCann to win the freshman/sophomore event in 16:19.45. McCann checked in in 16:22.47. Bridgewater-Raynham's Devin Burns was third in 16:35.01.
After passing the mile in 6:12, the race became a two-runner affair between Sarro and McCann. Sarro pushed ahead at a mile and a half and outkicked the tenacious Dolphin harrier. "I started off pretty fast," said Sarro. "My B-R friends were in the pack with me. I took the lead and I was really tired. I was afraid she (McCann) was going to pass me. I asked someone how far she was from me and she said 50 yards."
Plymouth South's Drew Mahoney improved on his sixth-place finish of a year ago to win the freshman/sophomore race in a sprint finish with Jimmy Jordan of Marshfield. The Rams put their first five runners in the top 12 to capture the team competition with 30 points .
Mahoney was running for the win at the gun. "I definitely wanted to win it this year," he said. "That's what I was aiming for. I started top pick it up a little more after the mile and took the lead at a mile and a half. I felt confident in my kick. I had a lot left when I turned the last corner. I knew I definitely wanted to make a move coming out of the woods at the track.