Lexington High's girls cross country team beat Arlington 25-34 on Tuesday, Sept. 22, in the Minutemen's Middlesex League home opener at Lincoln Field.
The boys lost their race 23-33. Arlington placed four straight finishers after Lexington's top two to pull away.
Most of Lexington's top girls rested after competing at the Manchester Invitational the previous Saturday, according to the team's recap. That opened the door for newer runners, and they delivered.
Head coach Rebecca Trachsel told the Lexington Observer on Sept. 17 that the team had "no definitive decision" yet on whether to target the MIAA Division I state championships or Nike Cross Regionals this November. The Arlington meet showed the program has the depth to carry league races while its top runners rest.
Sophomore Emma Kosnik led the way. She went out in 6:17 for the first mile and won the race in 20:08.9. Kosnik had shown her range earlier this season at the Clipper Relays on Sept. 12, where she ran a 12:09 opening split on the B-team relay.
Senior Josie Bettencourt took third overall in 20:41.3. Freshman Anjali Pandya, making her high school 5K debut, finished sixth in 20:49.3. Freshman Julia Thiel placed seventh in 21:29.0, and Sophia Alexanian rounded out the scoring as Lexington's fifth finisher in 21:45.0.
The strength extended beyond the top five. Juniors Isabella Gorospe (21:51.8) and Addie Haiar (22:03.1), sophomore Victoria Davidson (22:22.5) and freshman Ellie Rech (22:22.7) all crossed the line ahead of Arlington's fourth runner.
On the boys' side, Arlington's Owen Merrill won in 16:16.1, a time the team's recap described as the 10th fastest ever run on Lexington's course. Senior Alden Hall answered with a second-place finish in 16:25.5. Senior Trevor Stevens, coming off a fourth-place showing (16:13.9) at the Manchester Invitational on Sept. 19, placed third in 16:39.4.
After Hall and Stevens, Arlington packed four runners across the line before Lexington's next finisher. Senior Owen Ross came in eighth (17:07.8), followed by sophomore Andrew Dulgarian in ninth (17:13.9).
The girls move to 1-0 in Middlesex League play. The boys fall to 0-1.
Both teams head to the Ocean State Invitational at Goddard State Park in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, on Saturday, Sept. 26, starting at 8:45 a.m. The field is slated to include every top-ranked team from Massachusetts. A nor'easter is in the forecast for Saturday.
