USATF-New England Cross Country Championships Franklin Park, Nov. 16 2025

With White Stadium out to lunch for the foreseeable future, no access to the path on the back side and construction fencing extending to the edge of Pierpont/Playstead Road, Franklin Park was its old self, but different.  Changes involved a simplified use of three course elements: Playstead field, the Wilderness, and (of course) Bear Cage Hill.  The women’s 6K involved two of each in that order, while the men’s 8K added a third Wilderness-Playstead circuit.  (Open men ran 8K as a 10K course was deemed too complicated.)

Women of all ages raced together, Liberty contributing 19 of the 124 runners, nearly one-sixth of the total; ages ranged from Madeline Miller’s 39 to Jean Viera’s 74.  Carrie Benedon doesn’t get a lot of racing in right now but, encapsulating the Liberty spirit, she said, “I never miss this one!”  And Helen Bresler didn’t think she’d make it due to a changed work schedule, but there she was, short on fitness maybe, but still smiling.  Thanks to all, including non-racing support crew of Maria Rojas Duran, Anne Shreffler, Carlyn Uyenoyama and Maria Zullo.

It was mostly sunny and clear.  But.  It rained overnight, leaving some slick turns, wet leaves and muddy grass.  And it was windy.  Very windy.  Very very very very windy.  How windy, you ask?  When I started the men’s masters 8K, the day’s first race, there were nine tents from various club, Liberty’s among them.  After I finished and jogged back to the area only one remained (not ours).  As a result I think all of us who ran on Sunday found the course engaging, but beastly.  It was nonetheless a great day of New England running, with the largest overall turnout in years, 365 total entrants.

Liberty runners ran tightly together and this had a positive aspect in team scoring (see below).  With cross country scored by points (places added together) rather than by cumulative times, it turned out to be a glorious day for the Liberty Athletic Club.

The hope is that once White Stadium reconstruction is finished, we’ll be able to return to the traditional routes.  Both our USATF-NE cross country chair Fran Cusick (Battle Road coach) and director Steve Vaitones deserve big thanks for redesigning the courses and enabling us to race here this year, after last year’s “deferral” to the Highland Park course in Attleboro.  Now to the results:

Individual: Madeline Miller 25:53.5; Mary Cass 26:51.5; Mimi Fallon 27:07.2; Sim Piergentili 27:10.3; Kathy Materazzo 27:27.2; Helen Bresler 27:57:6; Pauline Entin 28:08.7; Jennifer Stewart 28:40.2; Lauren Leslie, 28:53.0; Viki Bok 28:58.9; Carrie Benedon 29:38.2; Judy Copley 29:48.4; Julie Menosky 29:59.2; Paige Boehmcke 32:41.3; Caitlin Sweeney 32:44.0; Melanie MacFarlane 34:21.3; Jean Viera 34:35.0; Dru Pratt-Otto 37:14.5; Karen Lein 44:40.0.

Teams (top 5 score in Open & 40+, top 3 in 50+ & 60+ with next 2 ‘pushing’ in all divisions

Open (5): 8th of 9 (223 pts) Miller-Cass-Fallon-Piergentili-Materazzo (Bresler, Entin)

40+ (5): 3d of 7 (39) Cass-Fallon-Piergentili-Materazzo-Bresler (Entin, Stewart)

50+ (3): 1st of 5 (15) Cass-Fallon-Piergentili (Entin, Leslie) – BAA (16) 1 back, Pauline (8th) 

pushing #3 BAA runner from 10th to 11th made the difference!

60+ (3): 1st of 2 (6) Cass-Fallon-Piergentili (Leslie, Bok) – GLRR 29