NORTHFIELD -- Last season's Western Massachusetts girls' Division II champion cut 23 seconds off of her time from last season, but it wasn't enough for a repeat.
Mount Greylock's Emily Kaegi finished the course in 20 minutes, 3 seconds and came in second place, 44 seconds behind Frontier's Natalie Mako. Mako set a course new course record with a time of 19:19.67.
"We knew the Mako girl was pretty much untouchable," Greylock coach Larry Bell said. "So for Emily to get second, that's the best she could have possibly done."
Kaegi's second-place finished paced her team to a second-place overall finish and helped the Mounties qualify for the State meet. However, Her finish was not enough to help the team claim its third straight Western Mass. title.
Lenox was able to edge the Mounties, winning its first title in school history. The Million aires finished with 78 points, to the Mounties' 89.
"It's very exciting," Kaegi said. "I was just having fun and smiling. When I smile, I feel like I can run faster, especially on this course."
The second-place team finish finish sends the Mounties to states. Monument Moun tain also qualified with a third-place finish. Greylock's Kat Chenail finished in fourth place, just behind Hoosac Valley's Kalyn Alibozek.
"At the beginning of the season, we didn't even think we could make states," Chenail said. "I think a lot of people counted us out in the beginning when we weren't
Alibozek, along with teammate Sydnee Gallup qualified for states as individuals. Alibozek finished in 20:52, while Gallup took seventh in 21:23.
"I just wanted to be towards the front," Alibozek said. "I pushed myself my hardest, and it paid off.
"The hills were really hard, but what's nice about having hills is you know there is going to be a downhill. I tried really hard to push the downhills."
Lenox didn't have a runner cross the line until Elizabeth Jarck, who finished in ninth place. It didn't matter, however, as Lenox was able to push all five of its runners across the finish line before the third Greylock runner crossed.
Amalia Leamon was 27th for the Mounties, while Jenna Phelps took 29th; Laura Galib was 30th and Mollyann Haskins was 31st.
"Our pack ran well together," Bell said. "But, we have struggled with our depth all year, and Lenox was just too tough. They ran really well.
"We said we expected to be second, but we hoped we got a shot at first. So things turned out probably how they should have."
Haskins was the last scoring runner across the line for the Mounties, but played a much bigger role in helping the team reach states. She recorded a time of 22:50, just six second behind Galib. She even passed members of her team at one point, helping them get motivated.
"Our three, four and five kids were all sitting there in the second wave," Bell said. "When Mollyann got to them and passed them it woke them up and made them charge hard and close the gap.
"I think she was really the key to getting the pack in where it did. She had a big race."
To reach Sam Monroe, email
smonroe@thetranscript.com.
On Twitter: @NAT_DigitalSam
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