EAST FALMOUTH - Some may look at Pembroke's request to move up to the Div. 1 varisty boys' race at Saturday's Twilight Cross Country Invitational as somewhat cocky - an upward move by team so good that Div. 2 competition just doesn't offer a challenge.
The reality, though, is that Greg Zopatti's crew simply wanted to test itself against teams it may never have the chance to compete against other. To absolutely no one's surprise, the Titans were more than up to the task as they tore through the competition and took the team title, courtesy of four runners in the top 25. The depth on the Titan squad was impressive as they also finished second place in the Division 2 Varsity Race.
The race up front was the most engrossing of the evening as King Philip's Owen Gonser and Pembroke's Christian Stafford tussled through the shadows over the last mile and a half. Gonser, who finished second in 2012 to Weymouth's Nolan Parsley, surged ahead of Stafford for the daylight he needed at the finish to win with a sizzling 15:11.71. Stafford was a step back in 15:12.54 over the fast 3.1-mile Barnstable Fairgrounds layout.
Stafford was pleased with his effort in dogging Gonser and believes the Titans are right on target to defend their Div. 2 state title. "He went at a mile and a half and I slowly caught up to him," said Stafford. "He had an amazing finish. It was so close. I wanted to go out fast and stay in the top three or five. We've run against each other before.
"It was definitely a change running in Div. 1. It was challenging. We're really looking to step it up as a team. We wanted to show that we're not just some Div. 2 team. We can obviously compete at the Div. 1 level too. I'm looking forward to divisionals now."
Gonser was happy to get the win after the sprint-finish loss to Parsley. The roles were reversed this time around against Stafford.
"I wanted to go out fast," Gonser said. "That's been my plan all season. Christian caught up to me, but I was able to beat him at the end. He's such a great competitor and a great friend. I like to go out there, get the lead and see what I can do. It worked well tonight. That's probably the best race I've ever had."
Perfect conditions were the menu for the more than 3,000 runners in the third annual event. The Titans were easy winners with 68 points and used the meet as a momentum builder they hope will culmunate in November with another state title on the Gardner Golf Course.
There was plenty of firepower behind Stafford. John Valeri was a strong seventh in 15:48.63 and Lucas Tocher clinched a medal with his 16:10.44 for 16th. Alex Bowler also finished with a swift time, nailing down 21st with a 16:13.8.
Burlington's Paul Hogan broke the course record after pressing ahead of Old Rochester's Mike Wyman with a 1,000 meters remaining in the Div. 2 race. Hogan broke the tape in 15:11.26 and Wyman was right on his heels at 15:16.72. Swampscott's Matt Mahoney was third in 15:19.65.
Hogan planted himself on Wyman's shoulder through 2 miles (9:50) before surging into the lead.
"This wasn't like a lot of other race," he said. "It was a really fast start and I didn't want to get boxed in. I went out really hard. I'm very happy I won. It felt different (racing at night). You can't really pace yourself because the darkness makes you feel like you're going faster."
Abbie McNulty followed up her victory at the Ocean State Invitational by crushing the Div. 1 field in a course-record time of 17:08.7. The Bishop Feehan standout left the competition behind at the start and finished more than 300 meters ahead of runnerup Sydney Clary of Lincoln-Sudbury. Clary crossed the finish line in 18:13. North Quincy's Emily Bryson had the best race of her high school career in taking third in 18:20.27.
McNulty was happy with the record and still believes she will be challenged over the next month. "I never underplay anything," she said. " I never go into a meet thinking I got this. I'm always in competitive mode. I don't want to sell myself short. The pain of regret is worse than physical pain.
"This is my first big race in Massachusetts," McNulty. "I wanted to go out hard but at a pace I knew I could hold to the end. I didn't want to go out in a killer first mile. It was a little faster than I wanted but not too bad. If there was someone with me the last mile I could have gone a little faster."
Marblehead's Janaya Randall was an easy winner in the Div. 2 race in 18:23.30. Nauset's Coralea Geraniotis was second in 18:39.06 and Renee Capps of Narragansett clinchede third in 18:42.16.
"I let a couple of girls go ahead of me," said Randall. "The pace was really comfortable. I love racing at night. You stay in a zone. I'd like to be top 10 in the state."
