Vineyard harriers run to C & I championship

Girls sweep top five; boys place eight in top 10.

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The MVRHS girls and boys cross-country teams won the Cape and Islands League Championships in dominating fashion Tuesday afternoon at Cape Cod Academy in Osterville. The girls accomplished the rare feat of sweeping the top five positions, while the boys placed eight runners in the top 10. The league titles are the first for the Vineyarders in a decade, coming after nine seasons in the Eastern Athletic Conference. “We are so excited,” Vineyard Coach Joe Schroeder said. “We loved running in the EAC, but we haven’t won a league championship in 10 years.”

Wren Christy won the girls race, navigating the numerous twists and turns of the 5K course in 20:23. Yayla Dechiara (20:32) held down the second spot, with Eloise Christy (20:38) third, Amber Cuthbert (21:53) fourth, and Catherine Cherry (21:54) fifth. The girls compiled an aggregate time of 1:45:20, with an average of 21:04.

In the boys race, Vineyarder Peter Burke and Colby Barnes of Sturgis West waged a thrilling duel to the finish, with Barnes winning 17:35 to 17:37. Owen Porterfield (18:00), Isaac Richards (18:11), and Zach Utz (18:12) captured spots three through five for the Vineyarders. Steven Young of Monomoy (18:20) came in sixth, followed by the Vineyard quartet of Kieran Karabees (seventh, 18:21), Owen Atkins (eighth, 18:23), Bora Tolay (ninth, 18:26) and Nate Porterfield (10th, 18:39). The boys’ total time was 1:30:21 with an average of 18:04.20.

Next up is the Coaches Invitational in Wrentham on Saturday. The prestigious meet is excellent preparation for the divisional and state meets to follow.