WRENTHAM - Paul Hogan hit 2 miles on the Wrentham Developmental Center 3.1-mile course yesterday and thought he was in trouble.
The Burlington senior had a comfortable lead over Pembroke's Christian Stafford in the Div. 4 race at Saturday's MIAA Eastern Mass Cross Country Championships when he felt his breathing start to labor, courtesy of the wind that made it feel much colder than the 46-degree temperature. Hogan's entire body, too, began to feel the effects of the chilly conditions.
One can only imagine how fast the UMass-Lowell-bound harrier would have run in optimal conditions. Hogan pushed through the chill over the final mile and sprinted across the finish line with a shocking new course record of 15 minutes, 8.6 seconds to make himself the favorite for next Saturday's Div. 2 State meet on the Gardner Golf Course in Central Mass.
Hogan turned the anticipated showdown against Pembroke's Christian Stafford (second, 15:24.1) into a runaway. He passed the first mile in a scalding 4:41 and hit the 2 mile in 9:50 on the way to the dominating victory.
"I felt comfortable the first two miles," said Hogan. "I didn't expect that time. I just wanted to win. It got so cold at the end. The record is just the cherry on top."
Pembroke easily defeated its team title with 39 points. The Titans' John Valeri was third in 15:45.7 and Dighton-Rehoboth's Ty Enos nailed down third in 15:59.9. Medfield's Sean Robertson rounded out the top five with his 16:00.1.
The Div. 5 race was the most exciting of the afternoon as Old Rochester's Mike Wyman and Newburyport's Nick Carleo locked horns in a wicked duel at the front. The pair were still together with 150 meters left and Wyman was able to get the edge as he tour around the final corner 50 meters from the finish line. Wyman crossed the finish line in 15:27 and Carleo was three steps back in15:28.7. Swampscott's Matt Mahoney was a strong third in 15:39.3.
Wyman had Carleo's kick in the back of his mind through a 4:55 first mile and 10:05 at 2. "I just wanted to win," he said. "Me and Nick race all the time and I knew he had a good kick. The last mile was quick. I just wanted to save it to the end. I'm really focused on track. I'm more of a track runner than cross country runner."
There was no drama in the team battle as Newburyport's squad averaged 16:28 to win with 47 points. Hamilton-Wenham took second with 66 points and Seekonk posted 115 points for third.West Bridgewater's Adam Petti and Scott McClusky of Coyle-Cassidy were stride for stride early in the Div. 6 race, but Petti was in the clear at the halfway point en route to a controlled 16:03victory. McCluskey held on for second in 16:28.2 and Cameron Holley of Manchester Essex streaked across the finish line in 16:34.1 in third.
Manchester Essex put up 46 points to to just edge out Coyle-Cassidy's 53 points.
West Bridgewater's Adam Petti and Scott McClusky of Coyle-Cassidy were stride for stride early in the Div. 6 race, but Petti was in the clear at the halfway point en route to a controlled 16:03victory. McCluskey held on for second in 16:28.2 and Cameron Holley of Manchester Essex streaked across the finish line in 16:34.1 in third.
Manchester Essex put up 46 points to to just edge out Coyle-Cassidy's 53 points.
There was a cluster through a slowish 5:07 first mile that played into Petti's wheelhouse of finishing fast. "I was going to go out at what they (the pack) were running and it turned out to be a good pace," said Petti. "I just kept kept pushing and was able to get a good lead. I knew they would be close behind me. I'm going to see how I stack up against even tougher competition (at states)."