Lenox cross-country team making a trip to state finals

NORTHFIELD – Success has been the norm under 12th-year coach Jeanne Teasdale for the Lenox boys’ and girls’ cross-country team. This year, however, the Millionaires are running their success a little farther.

The girls’ team collectively won the team Western Massachusetts title last Saturday in Northfield, while the top two boy runners in the county, Scott Carpenter and Tucker McNinch, came in first and second.

Carpenter finished with another Western Massachusetts title, coming in at 16:31, while runner-up McNinch qualified with a time of 17:24.

“Carpenter has some lofty goals this year,” Teasdale said, “and they are not out of reach.”

One of those goals is to win the state race this Saturday back in Northfield, the other is to win the New England Regionals the following weekend and qualify for nationals – a realistic goal for the Brown Northeast Invitational winner.

“To see someone with such lofty goals it truly is an inspiration to the others on the team,” Teasdale said.

That inspiration has carried over to the girls’ team, who won the Western Massachusetts team event with five runners making an impact last Saturday.

Elizabeth Jarck finished ninth, while being closely followed by Hannah McClusky, Kate McNinch, Emily Tibbets and Ella King – who filled in for an injured runner.

Together, the 78 points gave the Lady Millionaires the victory over Mount Greylock and Monument Mountain.

“I am so lucky as a coach,” Teasdale said. “The girls run well, they form packs and finish one behind the other.”

Teasdale cited that even with her top seven runners out, her next seven runners could run and be just as competitive – with a slew of eighth and ninth graders coming up the ranks. These numbers should keep Lenox in the winner’s circle for years to come.

“They are troopers – the girls train in all type of [weather] elements – they want to win,” Teasdale said. “Some years I had girls who just wanted to get to Western Massachusetts, now I have girls who want to win it.”

The girls will run at 11:40 a.m. this Saturday (Nov. 17), while Carpenter and McNinch will run at 1 pm. All racers will be competing for a state crown, something that alluded Carpenter last year but may be within reach now.

“We are going to see some exciting things from [Carpenter],” said Teasdale.

Carpenter’s senior season has drawn the attention of colleges all over the country, and a win on Saturday would solidify the senior’s impressive career.

“I have received 50-75 letters from colleges for [Carpenter] since his junior year,” Teasdale said.

The senior is currently entertaining letters from Providence College and Georgetown University.

Posted by Tim Davis on November 15, 2012. Filed under High School Sports,Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry