Bob McIntyre Twilight Cross Country Meet

October 22, 2011 @ Barnstable Fairgrounds in Falmouth, MA

Click here for results

from Steven:

The MSTCA Bob McIntyre Twilight Cross Country Meet is the only meet run in the dark on the East Coast and only one of two run in the country with the other in California.

Running in the first Annual edition of this meet was being part of the start of history.

There were over 1400 kids involved in this meet.

This meet was just so cool.  Running in twlight added so much to the excitement and the the loop that they repeated 3 times was positioned so that you could see the runners many times during each race.  I was able to get to 10 different points on the course with just a little running so the kids got a huge crowd support boost and the fans get to see the races unfold.

This meet was also the best meet in terms of quality teams and individuals to be run in this state so far this year.  Seven teams ranked in the top 20 in Ma. competed in the varsity race as a complete teams and 6 other teams ranked in the top 20 had individuals run this race making this a better field than some of the upcoming Division championships.  This was also the only race this year that will combine teams and individuals from the two State Divisions.  In Ma our state meets are divided into D. I and D. II and all other invites follow this divide.

The twilight meet combined both divisions into one super race.

As a coach I have been to invitationals in 6 states and have seen a lot of exciting meets.   This MSTCA twilight meet was the most exciting cross country invitational that I have been to by far in terms of environment.   The course was a lit mile loop through the Barnstable County Fair Grounds that was lined with spectators the entire way and often so deep that it was difficult to get a complete view.  The crowd was very loud, supportive with many cow bells ringing.  It was moving to be in the crowd and every one of our kids said that they loved the experience.  Our 9th grade girls ran at 4:50 and because of the cloud cover the lights were already on.  Our sophomore runners ran in twlight conditions at 6:20 , our JV girls followed right after and our varsity ran at 7:20.

The path of the course was lit enough for the runners to see the entire way while running in what seemed like truly twilight conditions.   There were places on the course that it was difficult from the sidelines to make out who the runners were until they were right next to us because of the lighting, but the runners told me that they could see fine the entire way.

The race distance according to the meet director and two officials was slightly over 5K at 3.14 miles.

Our kids performances matched their excitement.  We had a great day as a team and this is the perfect way to spring into the post season.  We ran well enough in the varsity race to look like a top 5 team in the State.  With the effort at this meet we can try for even more than that.  We have won past division championships with a team average like this.  When you get a team average under 20:00 you are a pretty good team.  This year Div. I has a lot of parity, but an effort like this should make the top 4 and into All State.  We are a better team right now than our team that placed 3rd in Div. I last year and 7th at All State.  This race gave our girls even more confidence and was a real lift for us in a season that is already going well.  Our girls in the sophmore race all ran varsity caliber races and add to our depth going into the All State meet.  We include 10 girls on our Ea. Ma. and All State rosters and these girls ran like they belong on a state meet team.

The Ea. Ma. division meet will not have a field this packed with talent so this was a great way to ready for the  post season.

Team Standings:

21 Teams    181 Racers

1. Bishop Feehan  38  (ranked #1 team in Ma. regardless of division and also D. II #1)

2. Newton South  84  (D. I #7)   19:57 team average

3. Dennis-Yarmouth  130 (D. II #6)

4. Needham  163  (D. I #12)

5. Shrewsbury  169 (D. I #9)

6. Ursuline  198

7. N. Attleborough  223

8. Brookline  260

9. Notre Dame   260  (D. I #13)

10. Sandwich  265

11. Somerset  (D. I #12)

Ten more teams.   

Other ranked teams that ran individuals:  Weston (D. II #2)  Sutton (D. II #5)   Coyle & Cassidy ( D. II # 9)  Hopkinton  (D. II #15)  Hingham (D. II # 18)

NSXC results  Top 25 in each race received medals.  In the varsity race the MSTCA split the divisions medals in the shoot.  They scored the two divisions as one combined race, but gave seperate medals as per division.  So Anna and Lucrecia  got the 2nd and 3rd medals in D. I and our top 5 all scored in the top 25.

9th grade race  (92 finishers)  2.14 miles

21st medal  Julia Lee  14:44 

23rd medal Louisa Kimmell  14:52 

34 Ariel Neumann 15:33 

51 Amy Gilbert  16:25 

63 Audrey Hooker  16:58 

Sophomore race  91 finishers   3.14

20th medal Naomi Eisenberg  21:21 

22nd medal Leda Olia  21:30 

23rd medal  Sara Wang  21:36 

35 Leah Jacobson 22:33  

54 Noa Shneorson 23:54 

65 Kim Ly 24:46 

74 Lindsey Woo  25:14 

JV Race  126 finishers  3.14 miles

44.  Leah Abercrombie  24:22

112. Irene Clifford   29:17 

Varsity Race   181 finishers  3.14 miles

7. Anna Rhatigan  19:05  

12. Lucrecia Aguilar  19:32 

15. Anna Laurence  19Z:48 

39. Emily Caggiano  20:39  

40. Hannah Friedman 20:40 

63. Maraglit Glassgow  21:21 

69. Laura Cotter  21:32