Matson & Berry-Gaviria Advance to XC Nationals Again
Footlocker Results | NXN NE Results
Falmouth junior Sofie Matson toed the line at the famed Van Cortlandt Park XC course in the Bronx this morning with her eyes set on making a return trip to San Diego for the Footlocker Nationals in December.
Matson the three time Class A state champion was coming off a win at the New England Championship three weeks ago the last time she raced. To make it back to Nationals Sofie had to finish among the top ten individuals in the championship race on Saturday which featured the defending Footlocker National champion Sydney Masciarelli and several other top national runners.
She qualified for the 2018 Footlocker National with her eighth place, 18:11 effort a year ago.
On Saturday Matson ran with the leaders for the first 2k of the race before the pace picked up during the second half of the race. At 4k Matson was in seventh place, and she would match her 2018 finish with a 8th place finish, bettering her time 11 seconds from a year, with her 18:00. The finish qualified her for her second consecutive Footlocker National meet to be held in San Diego on December 14th at Balboa Park.
A year ago she finished 14th at the National meet earning All-American honors, her time on the famed course at Balboa Park was 18:01.40.
Class B state champion Lila Gaudrault of Cape Elizabeth turned in a strong race with her 28th place 18:55 effort.
Over at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, New York three time Class A state champion Lisandro Berry-Gaviria was competing in the Nike Cross North East Regional.
Lisandro who was disappointed three weeks ago with his fourth place finish at the new England showed he was focused on returning to Portland as he seized the lead at the front of the race taking the pack through the first 2.5k in 7:54.3. The Notre Dame bound senior would stay in contention right up until the final strides of the race as he finished third in 15:51.2 to secure his spot in the NXN National meet next weekend.
The 15:51.2 finished improved on his 16:11.80 third place effort from 2018. A year ago Berry-Gaviria despite being sick in the days leading up to the national race finished 46th in 15:42.70.
Brunswick senior Will Shaughnessy was in contention throughout the race as he was in 6th place at the 2.5k mark with his 7:58.0 clocking. Over the second half of the race he battled well to finish 9th overall in a time 16:11.4. The top five individuals not on qualifying teams advance to NXN, Shaughnessy was the 7th individual just six seconds back of the last qualifier.