The RI State Meet and The New England Championships

It's safe to say there are a lot of great moments that came from the 2015 XC season for the members of the North Kingstown XC team.

Many of the athletes at NK shoot for the stars with lofty goals at the beginning of the year but they also have safe goals as well.  One of those safe goals this year was making the New England Championships.  But with only the top six teams of the 17 in the state race qualifying for the meet  it is never a guarantee a team will make it.

The girls ran first in the state meet having their best showing since 2007 taking the runner up trophy and running the second best combined time an NK team has run in Ponaganset since the course was created in 2003. 

The boys went next.  Having not made the New England meet last year the guys were motivated to do what it takes to get back there.  Although they didn't have their best performance they hung tough and secured their spot with a sixth place finish and by doing so they earned a trip to Thetford, Vermont the site of this year's New England Championships.

     It's Halloween.  Some members of the team gather to enjoy a time out from school and training.

 

Ethan is about to take a shot while Donald Trump, a monkey, a banana, that weird thing on the porch, and others look on

 

                                 Yes, this happened.  We're not sure what to make of it?

 The girl's race at around 1/2 mile.  The NK girls settle into their paces.

400 meters to go Katy brings it home

 

Bethany would be the top NK girls runner on the day with Katy with her.

Lily aiming for the finish

Emma hangs tough with 400 to go

Alania secures the runner up position for NK

Wyndom is next

Caroline rounds out the top seven for the team

Sam makes himself known on the Ponaganset course with his strong fourth place finish and top
                                                           NK runner for the day

Moose moving along in the last 1/2 mile

Mo'Brien blurs the camera with his speed

J.P.!!  The first time in recent memory NK has had two freshman boys in the state meet

                                                     Sam makes his way to the finish

                                                                Sully in his flying 300!

 

?

Issues

Up in Vermont the guys admire a rainbow that formed after the coursewalk for the New England Meet

 

The last time this group saw a rainbow while together was at camp at the start of the season.  Hmmm.... a rainbow at the beginning and end of the season.  If it wasn't so late and I wasn't so tired right now I could probably think of something amazing to say about that

Derek enjoys himself at Eastern Mountain Sports.  The merchandise fell victim to his antics and he was eventually thrown out of the store

In the mall the team let loose and did a little shopping

The team is tired.  Time to get some rest for the race

The next day came soon enough and the girls race was off to a fast start.  The best 200+ kids representing 5 states rush to make the trail and get a good position

The front of the huge pack comes through at 1/4 of a mile into the race

Bethany leads the NK girls

                        Katy and Lily working their way through the crowd early in the race

 

                                                         Emma is right behind them

           We can see Alanah being camouflaged by hair on the right side of the picture

       Wyndom on the course she knows better than anyone on the team as her relatives live nearby

                                      Caroline working her way through the crowd

                                                     The final sprint for Bethany!!!

                                                                   Katy bringing it in

                                                Lily once again is the top RI Freshman runner

                                         Emma battles in the final straightaway

                                                  Alanah secures fifth for the team

                                           Wyndom with another strong finish

Caroline finishes a strong season with a a sprint to the finish

The guys race starts shortly after the girls

 

You can see the front pack of guys.  If you look closely off to the right you can see Sam taking position

Sam runs a good portion of the race in the top three

 

 Nick having a good race

                               You can see Ethan behind the Woodstock runner.  He passed numerous
                                                          runners throughout the race

            Quinn running free and fast.  He would later say that he felt great throughout the race

J.P. and Mo'Brien at this point in the race are looking good but are separated by another runner from a bizarre North team?

    Sully not far back here midway through the race being chased by an employee of Eastern
                                                                 Mountain Sports

      Sam fights all the way to the line with a strong 6th place finish and no other freshman within
                                                                         minutes of him

                     Moose is in good company here taking places down all the way to the line

                                         Ethan is close by with a strong performance

Quinn in full stride

Mo'Brien overcomes foot pain to deliver for the team

Sully brings it in.  They never did catch him

The guys stop for a picture after the race on the beautiful grounds of Thetford Academy

Same picture but with more attitude

The girls pose in the same spot.  Having finished their race an hour before the boys they are a little more bundled up with the cold weather conditions

Sam approaches the stage to receive his well deserved All New England medal

 

The girls capped off the season with an impressive 8th place finish and once again took their place as the number two team in Rhode Island behind the top placed Lasalle Rams.  The guys had the only All New England runner on the day for NK in Sam Toolin and finished in 16th out of the 30 teams in the race which is something the young team can build on moving forward.