Submitted to Easton Patch:

On Tuesday September 11, the Oliver Ames Highs School Boys and Girls Cross Country Teams defeated Foxboro. The boys score was 20 to 41.  The Girls score was 22 to 39.  The meet was held at the 5k (3.1 mile) cross country course at Borderland State Park.

Dan Moverman of Oliver Ames was the first harrier across the finish line in a time of 16:52.  “I wasn’t happy with my time” said Moverman. “I was happy with my race. I felt under control the whole way” he added.  Moverman was followed by fellow Tiger Britton Copley (17:19).  Kevin Aldrich of Foxboro was third in a time of 17:44.  OA took fifteen of the top twenty spots in the race, for a display of total domination.

In the ladies’ race, sophomore Liz Holmes of Foxboro set a new course record.  Holmes finished first in a time of 18:54.  She broke the one year old mark of 19:06.  That was set by Alex Giese of Franklin High School at last year’s Hockomock League Championships. Holmes was followed by OA senior captain Megan Fitzgerald (21:00).  Oliver Ames’ Jillian McAuliffe was next in a time of 21:04.  In what was almost a mirror performance of the boys’ race, the lady Tigers placed seventeen runners in the top twenty.

The season opener set the tone for this year’s Tiger Squad. “To the untrained eye we look very strong” said longtime Oliver Ames Head Coach Neil Levine.  “However, we are very far from where we need to be” added Levine.  According to Levine, where they need to be is the state championship meet at Northfield Mountain in late November.

That’s the place the Tigers always end up.  This year their plans are no different.  “In order for us to reach our goals we have to peel about a minute off of all our kids 5k times” said OA coach Judy Copley, considered to be one of the most technically sound distance coaches in the state.

If OA wants to head to Northfield, they will need all their top guns healthy.  Four of their top seven runners sat out the boys’ race and one of their top ladies rested up as well.  “We want to send all of our kids to the starting line healthy..  If they have and ache or pain that concerns us, we don’t risk aggravating the injury early in the season” said OA Assistant Coach Kyle Sousa.

Next up for the Tigers are the bulldogs of Canton High School.  We hope to get all our kids healthy for that race and start to get them some experience before our first big invitational of the season” said Coach Levine.

If experience is the guide, the Tigers will end up back where they always are, climbing the mountain in search of that State Championship.

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