MSTCA Twilight Invitational results, 10/10/26

No time for an elaborate writeup, in the interest of getting the results out expeditiously they're linked below. In summary, the teams performed very well in nearly ideal conditions for fast racing. The pattern that emerged over and over was a quick first mile, typical of a large invitational race environment where it's imperative to establish position without going too far over the physiological edge, followed by a consistent rhythm the rest of the way. Wayland athletes steered their way through the wreckage of competitors who overdid it early on, passing rather than being passed as the race progressed. The medal haul of two, both going to the Hopps household, is the lowest for Wayland in some years but this is a reflection of how competitive the meet was across the board as the top runners on this year's team compare favorably to past editions at all levels. 

overall results

splits and times for WHS athletes

 

MSTCA Twilight Invitational, 10/10/26

live results

Meet Site: Cape Cod Fairgrounds, 1220 Nathan Ellis Hwy (rt. 151), East Falmouth, MA 02536

Bus Time: 2:30 PM. Arrive at the school a bit before this time so that we can be on the road promptly, it's a long ride!

Meet Schedule and lineups:

5:15 pm Novice Coed – none

5:45 pm Freshman Girls – none

6:05 pm Freshman Boys – 2.1 miles (17) Atchison, E. Hopps, P. Sondey, Stack, Thomas, Vukson

6:25 pm Sophomore Girls – 5K (28) Brown, Hage  

6:55 pm Sophomore Boys – 5K (25) Ciccarelli*, Conley, Jorgensen, LeBaron, McLaughlin, Ricci, Versteeg

7:20 pm Junior Varsity Girls – 5K (28) Davids, Jay, Wang

7:50 pm Junior Varsity Boys – 5K (25) Spence

8:15 pm Varsity Small School Girls – none

8:45 pm Varsity Small School Boys – none

9:10 pm Varsity Medium School Girls – 5K (26) Miller, Robertson

9:40 pm Varsity Medium School Boys –5K (22) Baker, Foley, Hopper, B. Hopps, Migdal, D. Sondey, Young

Note: the top seven times on the 5k course will receive credit towards a varsity letter

* TBA

The time in parentheses after each race is the cutoff for that race. Athletes who don't make the cutoff won't be recorded in the official results. The coaching staff will get finishing times for all WHS athletes reagardess of whether or not the cutoff time is reached.

Course Map:

• The main loop of the course is indicated by the blue line on the map. The novice and 9th grade races run this loop twice, the 5k races cover the loop three times. The red line on the map is where the course passes by the start area after the first loop of the race; the yellow line is the final run to the finish.

• Part of the loop is paved, which may influence your spike element length choice. Check the course loop beforehand.

• The loop passes through multiple barns and stables. 

• The starting line is a mix of grass and sand, and can best be described as "crowded." The most people from one team that will be allowed to stand side by side on the starting line is two, others will have to line up behind them when there are more than two people from Wayland entered in a given race.

Meet Information:

• meet information sheet from MSTCA

• Weather forecast: 6 PM: partly cloudy, high 50s, 7 PM mid 50s, 9 PM low 50s. Winds light and variable.

• The top 25 finishers in each race win medals. Medals will be given out in the finish chute.

• All warmup and cool down runs must be done on the fairgrounds, athletes aren't permitted to run on the roads near the fairgrounds. 

• MSTCA will be using chip timing. Athletes who are not competing and are by the finish line should not be wearing their bib with tag because it can be picked up by the transmitter. This will cause issues in recording places. 

• Be sure to leave enough time before your race (ideally 10-12 minutes) to get to the starting line. Meet management has requested that athletes go around the back of the finish chute to access the starting line area, rather than cutting across the course in front of the finish line. Refer to the course map to see what I'm talking about.  

• There will be two tents staffed by athletic trainers, one near the finish line and the other near the barns on the upper reaches of the course loop.

What to bring (IMPORTANT):

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• full set of warmup clothes including: long sleeved shirt, pants, windbreaker, gloves, hat. You might want to bring a dry set of clothes to wear for the trip home.
• water bottle
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)
• folding chair
• blanket to lie on inside or next to the team tent
• flashlight/headlamp
• DINNER for before or after your race. We won't be leaving the meet until rather late. There is food for sale at the meet if that's your type of thing; otherwise I'd recommend preparing something in advance and bringing it with you in a small cooler or lunch bag. 

Information for Parents:

• Admissions fees at the gate are $10 for adults and $5 for students/seniors.  There is a $30 cap per family of spectators.  The MSTCA accepts cash, credit/debit cards (including ApplePay and Google Wallet), and Venmo at the gate. Purchase online for a discount at https://gofan.co/event/6951340?schoolId=MA101416

 • Dogs and grills are prohibited. As are drones, so leave those at home.

• The team tent (suitable for both cross country meets and ice fishing) will be set up in the team area which is just east of the starting line on the map above.

• Given the sinuous nature of the course loop there are various spots where you can stand in one place and see the race pass by your position multiple times.

Dual Meet #2 vs. Bedford results, 10/7/26

The second of two home dual meets was a compelling day of racing for the Wayland Cross country teams as they faced Bedford under sunny skies. The status of this event was up in the air until the day before the meet after there were unforeseen changes last week to an area of the course behind the stadium scoreboard. Thankfully the Wayland DPW was able to mitigate damage to the ground on which athletes had to race in time to allow for the same course layout to be used as the first home meet three weeks ago.

In the boys JV race Jack Ricci left no doubt, pulling away from the rest of the field early and never looking back. Behind him Rhys Hill was the next WHS runners in second overall. Behind them many of the Wayland runners who had raced previously on the 2.2 mile long course (a bit longer than the previously advertised 2.1 mile distance) last month were able to improve on their times. 

In the girls varsity race, it seemed like the two teams would be evenly matched based on prior results this season. Wayland's top duo of Ava Miller and Ivy Robertson steadily pulled away from the rest of the field to take first and second overall. Behind them a fascinating duel unfolded between Bedford's top runner and Henrietta Schoeffler. This went right down to the wire with the Bedford athlete only moving ahead in the final meters of the race. Wayland's top five was filled out by Lily-Rose Hage and Cordia Wang who raced well together, with Anya Brown and Emily Davids rounding out the seven person varsity contingent. In the end Bedford had enough depth to take the meet despite conceding the top two places to Wayland. The 29-30 doesn't get much closer (the only closer result would be a tie going to the sixth runner tiebreaker). 29 points is the highest number of points that can be scored in a dual meet and still win. 

The boys varsity was the final race of the day. Looking ahead to this weekend's (late) race at the Twilight Invitational, the top boys were hoping to make it a controlled effort to the degree that was possible. It was still competitive and the times were impressive compared to the first home meet three weeks ago. The pair of Brandon Hopps and Ryan Foley once again led the charge taking the top two places. Bedford got the next two spots, but the trio of Ryan Young, Elliot Hopper went 5th-6th-7th place which cemented the win. Rounding out the top 7 for Wayland were Daniel Sondey and Thomas Conley, both of whom have shown steady improvement as the season has progressed. In the final tally the Wayland boys won the meet by a comfortable 21-34 margin. 

score sheet

splits and times for WHS athletes

Dual Meet #2 vs. Bedford, 10/7/26

Score Sheet

Suggested warmup protocol - you may have to adjust this somewhat, particularly if you're entered in the JV race.

Meet Site: Wayland High School. The second of two home meets this season.

Start Time: First race 4:15 PM unless you hear different from me. Please arrive no later than 3:15. We may need help doing final setup the course. There will be three races as follows:

1. Combined JV race (short course) - Atchison, Choi, Ciccarelli, Garcia-Rivera, Grace, Hill, Jorgensen, LeBaron, Markey, McLaughlin, Ricci, P. Sondey, Stack, Tripp, Versteeg, Vukson, Zhang

2. Varsity girls race (long course) - Andrus, Brown, Davids, Hage, Miller, Robertson, Schoeffler, Wang

3. Varsity boys race (long course) - Baker, Conley, Foley, Hopper, B. Hopps, Migdal*, D. Sondey, Spence, Tharpe, Young

note: the top 7 finishers in the varsity boys race will earn credit toward a varsity letter.  

* TBD

Course Maps: 

Short course for JV race (correction, it's actually 2.2 miles)

Long course for varsity races

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Sunny, temperatures in the mid to high 60s with SW winds 10-15 mph. Bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform.

• Before the first race of the day there will be tours of both the short and long courses. Anyone racing at WHS for the first time will join the course tour.  

 • Don't forget your assigned dual meet bib number. At the conclusion of your race, please remove the bib number from your jersey and return it to the large ziploc bag where the bib numbers will be stored between meets. Leave the safety pins on the corners of the bib number.

 • Be prepared to help out with setting up and/or breaking down the course before and after the meet. This mostly involves the placement or removal of cones and small flags. You may be asked to help by one of the coaches or one of the captains. 

• Team members who aren't competing can help out with finish line tasks or serving as course marshals. This help is greatly appreciated by your teammates and the coaching staff.  

Frank Kelley Invitational Results, 10/3/26

A select group of 3 Wayland athletes raced on the Wrentham Developmental Center course Saturday, with 2 medals and all 3 finishing in the top 30 in their respective races. This is the first of 3 meets scheduled at this venue for WHS, a layout known for running quite fast (mostly flat, smooth footing). 

In the 9th grade boys race a large field of over 140 runners toed the line. After a somewhat hectic and crowded start, Henry Tharpe and Rhys Hill were able to work their way up in the field with Tharpe finishing in 25th and Hill in 29th. Tharpe secured the final medal in the race. 

In the 10th grade girls race, Henrietta Schoeffler established position right away and ran most of the way in the top 12 before eventually finishing a strong 16th to win the second medal of the day for Wayland. 

9th grade boys results

10th grade girls results

Splits and times for WHS athletes

WHS performance list on the Wrentham Developmental Center course

 

Week 7 Training Plan, 10/5-10/11

Twilight meet poll

This week is the only week of the season that features two meets--the second and final home meet on Wednesday hosting Bedford, and the always popular Twilight Meet in Falmouth on Sunday. Please take a moment to fill out the poll linked above to indicate your availability for the Twilight meet. Entries are due Tuesday at 8 PM, I need to know by the end of practice Tuesday.

In addition to our own races, the Wayland XC Festival (now rebranded as the "HFC Striders XC Festival at Wayland") will also be happening on Sunday in the morning. This is our fundraiser and while an outside running club (HFC Striders) handles the management of the meet, they appreciate any help from WHS athletes who can volunteer their time. Volunteer slots start as early as 8 AM (but also occur later in the day) and last 60-90 minutes. 

Finally, Note that the four levels that have existed up until now have been consolidated into three groups; Levels 1 and 2 have become Group A, Level 3 is Group B, and Level 4 is now Group C.  

Mon 10/5 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a cyclic long run.   

Group A: 48 minutes (4 minute segments)
Group B: 60 minutes (5 minute segments)
Group C: 72 minutes (6 minute segments)

the route for today's run is TBA/player's choice. 

Tue 10/7 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including CURTSIES followed by a short length recovery run at an easy to moderate intensity with hill drills. We'll be doing the hill drills on the Hultman aqueduct where it crosses Cedar Crest Road. The length of the run today is as follows:

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Wed 10/8 - Dual Meet #2 vs. Bedford. More information will be forthcoming in a subsequent post. Remember than including the time spend racing along with warmup and cooldown, today should be a medium length day:

Group A: 36-40 minutes
Group B: 43-47 minutes
Group C: 52-56 minutes 

Thu 10/9 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES and strides followed by a short run including run throughs and bounding over cones. The cones will be set up on the softball field. There will be a boys team meeting after practice today, site TBA. 

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Fri 10/10 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including CURTSIES followed by a short length run with 3 sets of short repeats atop the aqueduct. The length of today's run is as follows:

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-34 minutes
Group C: 38-40 minutes

Sat 10/11 -MSTCA Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational at Cape Cod Fairgrounds in Falmouth. More information will be forthcoming in a subsequent post. Remember this is a medium length day overall including warmup and cooldown:

Group A: 36-40 minutes
Group B: 43-47 minutes
Group C: 52-56 minutes 

Sun 10/12 - off

Frank Kelley Invitational, 10/3/26

Live results 

Meet Site: 

Wrentham Developmental Center. The address is 54 Emerald Street. The race course is located in the large field at the intersection of Emerald Street and Shear St. 

Depart WHS 7:30 AM

Please arrive a few minutes early so we can be on the road in good time!

Race Schedule and Entries:

9 AM 9th Grade Girls 3k - none

9:20 AM 9th Grade Boys 3k - Hill, Tharpe

9:40 AM 10th Grade Girls 3k - Schoeffler

10 AM 10th Grade Boys 3k - none

10:20 AM 11th Grade Girls 3k - none

10:40 AM 11th Grade Boys 3k - none

11 AM 12th Grade Girls 3k - none

11:20 AM 12th Grade Boys 3k - none

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Sunny, temperature in the mid to high 50s, light NNE winds 5 mph
• Bib numbers will be assigned to you specifically for this meet; these numbers have an RFID chip attached to the back side which interacts with a conductive mat at the finish line to record your time. The meet director has asked athletes who aren't racing NOT to wear their bib number if standing near the finish line; doing so can cause a false reading by the finish line mat. Also, don't crumple or fold your bib number. 
• Remember that we have a meet day warmup and cooldown protocol. With the schedule set in advance, you should be able to time the start of your warmup accurately. Because people are racing at different times, you won't be warming up at the same time as all your teammates. Report to the starting line 10 minutes before the start of your race; in past editions of this meet the officials have been known to start races a few minutes earlier than the posted schedule. 

• We'll set up shop in the area just east of the starting line, on the map below this is just to the left of the words "Wrentham XC Course." 
• There are no assigned spots on the starting line at this meet, another reason to head over 10 minutes early to get a spot on the line. The group about to race should split in half and take turns holding a spot on the starting line while also doing last minute run outs. 

• If you're wearing a watch while racing, putting your arm up to hit the button on the watch while crossing the finish line can cause the RFID chip to be blocked by your arm, and your finish might not be recorded. In other words, don't press the button on your watch when crossing the finish line.
• Athletes must remain on the racing field for the duration of the meet. No one is to do their warmup or cool down among the buildings of the Wrentham Developmental Center, on neighboring roads, across the street in the William Rice Recreational Area, or in the parking field.

• Athletic trainers are located in a tent just beyond the finish line.  
• Medals will be given to the top 25 finishers in each race.

Course Map:

• The course is fairly flat, with some roll in places. There are no long and/or steep hills. The course is almost entirely on grass. The 3k course ends after the second loop (yellow on the map above). Lap 3 on the map above isn't done for the 3k course. The first loop encompasses the circumference of the large field where the course is situated. The second loop has two incursions from the outer edge of the field into the middle. Typically at this meet there's a large digital clock at the mile mark. 

What to Bring:

• Uniform
• Everyday training shoes
• Racing shoes if you have them; this is a course for spikes, 1/4", 3/8" or 1/2" elements
• Warmup clothes
• Water bottles - filled

•  Folding chair

• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)

For Parents:

• There's $10 parking fee for each car.

• Dogs aren't allowed except for service animals.
• No grilling, cooking, or fires are allowed at the meet site. 
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label. 
• We hope to return to WHS by around 11:30 AM.