North Andover’s Ryan Connolly was just about unbeatable this past cross country season.
He isn’t headed to run for athletic power Clemson for nothing.
After a brilliant senior season, the North Andover High senior is our Eagle-Tribune boys cross country Athlete of the Year.
Connolly’s senior resume is brilliant. He repeated as Merrimack Valley Conference Meet champion with a 15:51 over Chelsmford’s rugged 3.1-mile course.
He followed that by winning the Division 1B championship with a 15:12.7, crushing the No. 2 finisher by more than seven seconds. That led the Scarlet Knights to their first divisional team state title in 41 years.
Connolly was also undefeated in the dual meet season, finished second in the Frank Kelley Invitational (15.37.0) and third at the Catholic Memorial Invitational (16:17.9) and Bay State Division 1 Invitational (16:37.6). He placed 14th at All-States (15:56.5).
Connolly was named an All-Scholastic and All-MVC first team.
These honors are nothing new for Connolly. He was an Eagle-Tribune All-Star last fall, after moving up from the team’s No. 4 runner as a sophomore. He was also an Eagle-Tribune track All-Star in the 2-mile last spring after finished second at Division 2s (9:17.19) and seventh at All-States (school-record 9:17.01).
Connolly — who will next run for Clemson University — has firmly earned his spot alongside former North Andover greats like Darryl Varney (‘10) and Alex Kramer (‘09).