To say this had been a long time coming would be a vast understatement.
The Danvers High boys cross country team finally captured its long-awaited first state championship on Saturday, topping the field at Fort Devens in the Division 2 race with 92 points.
“We thought about this every single day for the last 365 days, ever since we finished second by one point last year (to Wakefield),” said senior captain Sean Moore. “Our goal this year was to win it all; that was all we thought about. To be able to finally accomplish it is amazing.”
“Sean’s right,” added Will Conklin, a junior and fellow captain. “We literally went to bed every night thinking about this. We talked about it as a team on every run. This was the goal. It’s crazy to think now that all the hard work we put in has finally paid off.”
The Falcons placed three runners in the top 12 finishers and four among the best 22 to finish ahead of both second place Ludlow (95 points) and Northeastern Conference rival Marblehead (146 points) in third.
“We knew going in that we had a chance, but the reality was that the boys could have run the race of their lives and come in third,” said head coach Jeff Bartlett. “Sometimes things go haywire in a cross country race. So our focus was only on our own efforts and races, and they boys had a great mindset going in. It’s been great to see their progression over the years.”
Moore led the way individually for the Blue-and-White, finishing fourth overall in 16:10.90. That’s up six spots from last year’s state championships and three spots higher than his finish a week prior at the Division 2 Meet.
“I went a little slower and tried to pick guys off from the back,” said Moore. “I knew I had it in me; I just had to put it all together.
“Over the last mile or so, it was great hearing Coach Bartlett yell out to us, ‘You guys are wining! You guys are winning!’ It was definitely a big energy boost.”
Junior Jonathan Rooney (16:24.51) and Will Conklin (16:30.07) took 10th and 12th place, respectively.
“To win this state championship is everything I could’ve thought of and more,” said Rooney. “We were literally crying when we heard our names announced as the winners. All that training and bonding and working out, it really all paid off when we won it. That friendship and team bonding that we share really put us over the top, I believe.”
“I just pushed everything I had in me,” he said. “Coach was yelling, ‘Hold on, fight until the end!’ and it happened.” I think I perform best when the pressure’s on, anyway.”
Junior Charles Garlin (16:54.07) added a 22nd place showing for the Blue-and-White, with the team’s third captain, senior Will Dumont, placing 69th (17:43.96).
“Will Dumont actually lost one of his shoes at one point and still ran a strong race,” said Bartlett. “Sean had a great race up front, and Will and JJ, they were right where they needed to be. Charlie ran the race of his life, too, and beat some really good runners.”
Cooper Guttadauro (134th, 18:36.7) and Lukas Venezia (171st, 19:21.31) of the Falcons helped displace runners from other teams.
“Our goal all year has been to train and practice like a team that can win a state championship, with our focus being on the process,” said Bartlett. “They did that, and to earn the championship is icing on the cake.”