Annual 5-8 Grade Cross Country Meet
On Friday, October 18, over 300 runners and excited spectators gathered at the Larz Anderson Park for the Annual 5th-8th Grade Cross Country Meet, a PSB tradition for over three decades.
All athletes ran a 1-mile course with their grade level. Athletes competed as a team representing their schools. Each race had individual winners for girls, boys, and open divisions, as well as an overall team winner. Team scoring was done by adding the combined score of the top 3 runners from each team.
Congratulations to the team winners:
Grade 5: Lincoln
Grade 6: Runkle
Grade 7: Lawrence
Grade 8: Lincoln
Grade-wise individual results can be found here:
The inclusive philosophy of our intramural programming, as well as the grit and perseverance of the runners were showcased that afternoon, as they competed for their schools and challenged themselves to stride up the Larz hills. This is a metaphor for life and the foundation for lifelong wellness.
Earlier that morning, while measuring out and walking the course, the race directors met a Brookline resident walking her dog, who reminisced about her own children running in the meet and the fun they had through the years. This is what the event is all about – community, connection and having fun.
This meet would not have been possible without the hard work of all the coaches, building coordinators, administrators and others that support middle school sports at PSB. A special shout out to Carlyn Uyenoyama, our K-12 Coordinator for Wellness Education, and our two districtwide Co-Coordinators for Intramural and Extramural sports – Jen Mathis (FRR) and Mike Miceli (Pierce).
We were fortunate to have world championship USATF officials run our meet. A big thank you to Justin Kuo, a world-renowned USATF official and a longtime Brookline resident and supporter, for bringing world-class technology to our meet. His wife Carol joined him and was pivotal at the finish line for spotting and marking.
Lastly, thank you to Steve Vaitones, Head of USATF New England who marks his calendar every year for our event. He often helps Brookline runners in other events/competitions, and invites them to participate in other fun events throughout New England and beyond.
Congratulations to all runners, and much gratitude to the families/caregivers that supported them.