During the course of a season, often just one race can make a difference; just one race can increase that confidence to a higher level.
For Owen Gonser, that race occurred on Oct. 19 at the Bob McIntyre Twilight Invitational. The King Phillip senior captured the Division I race that night with a time in the low 15-minute range.
“That was my first race that I could run fast,” said Gonser, who was timed in a personal best of 15:11 for the 5K event. “I realized that I could run fast and that the training had worked. At that point, I was just excited that everything was working and I could go on to bigger and better goals.”
One of those bigger and better goals for the Warrior standout is an individual title at next weekend’s MIAA All State Finals. Competing in the Eastern Mass. Division 3 Championships on Saturday, Gonser further showed why that goal may not be too far-fetched.
The King Phillip runner sizzled through an opening mile of 4:41 en route to a strong time of 15:27.2 on the grounds of the Wrentham Developmental Center. He was far ahead of second-place finisher, Oliver Ames senior Dan Moverman, who secured second at 16:13.5. North Attleboro senior Ian Flanagan was third in 16:15.9. The fast, first mile for Gonser was not by accident.
“I love to go out fast. It’s kind of my trademark,” he said. “I like to base myself on that. Usually you have a little trouble on that second mile. I didn’t have as much trouble on that second mile as I thought I would have today. It was a great race. I felt good throughout.”
Gonser, who placed 12th at last year’s All State meet, will have plenty of competition at Saturday’s championship, held at the Gardner Municpal Golf Course. Among the talented field of runners capable of running sub 15:30 are Newton North senior teammates Mike Schlichting and Gabe Montague, Lowell senior Johnny Abraham, Lincoln-Sudbury senior Joshua Kerber, Billerica junior PJ Garmon and North Middlesex junior Chris Skelly to name a few.
Gonser admits he’s not holding back at Gardner.
“I think I am just going to stick to the plan,” he said. “I always go out fast. It’s something I kind of like to do. There are so many good kids in Division I. I won’t be alone. It’s going to be a lot of work.”
In the team competition it was Concord-Carlisle over Bishop Feehan, 103-138. Zach Munn, a senior, was 12th overall at 16:37.50 to lead the Patriots.
Lincoln-Sudbury’s Kerber took the lead for good with a half-mile remaining in the Div. 2 race and won with a time of 15:33.6. He held off Billerica’s Garmon, who took the runner-up slot with a 15:38.11 clocking. Kerber was in a tight pack of eight runners that went through the second mile around 10:15. At that point, the Lincoln-Sudbury harrier was starting to put together a strategy for the final mile.
“I just want to stay (in the pack) and keep the leaders in sight,” he said. “I just believed in myself, which is probably the most important thing and then I just started kicking it in and people started falling back.”
Kerber felt the final half mile was the right time to make his move to the finish.
“I was really confident at that point,” he said. “I build up my confidence after I stay behind the leaders…My training has paid off and I was pretty confident.”
Junior teammates Dan Romano and Mike Duggan of Mansfield placed third and fourth, respectively, with times of 15:42.60 and 15:45.80. The Hornets easily captured the team plaque, defeating Lincoln-Sudbury, 61-106.
In another exciting race, Newton North’s Schlichting won the first major meet of his career by taking the Div. 1 title with a time of 15:29.9. Lowell’s Abraham (second, 15:32.4) and Newton’s Montague (third, 15:40.8) followed him across the line.
Just a week earlier, Schlichting was second to Montague on the same Wrentham course at the MSTCA Coaches Invitational where he ran 15:37 to his teammate’s winning time of 15:30. Much like he did at the Coaches meet with Montague, Schlichting made his final surge with less than a quarter-mile left on the second to last turn to the finish.
“We were kicking it in then so I pretty much followed that exactly,” he said. “I know Abraham is quick and it just would have been whose got more at the end with 300-meters remaining. When we took that turn, it’s a classic place to kick. That’s where you got to go. “
Lowell, last year’s Div. 1 state champion, looked strong in taking the team crown. The Red Raiders combined for an average time of 16:09 for their five scoring runners to beat Peabody, 75-94. In the girls’ race, Lowell also went home with the title.
“We don’t think many teams have done this before where the program, the boys and the girls win, which speaks volumes about the commitments that the kids have,” said coach Phil Maia. “We are very happy with the way the kids ran. I thought they were prepared mentally and physically and they take pride in what they do.”
Maia looked at Cambridge Rindge (fourth, 135 points) and Peabody as his team’s toughest challengers.
“(Cambridge) has been very good. They have five very good runners,” he said. “Peabody was a little bit worrisome because they are more like us. They got a smart and more consistent back pack fourth and fifth runner. All and all, I thought the kids ran well.”
Maia is confident on his team’s chances to shine at next week’s All State meet.
“We should be ready to go,” he said
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