By Mary McCabe — Sports Contributor, the Concord-Carlisle High School boys cross country team achieved remarkable feats in late 2023. On November 9, they won the MIAA Division 1B State Championship meet on a challenging Northfield Mountain course with near-perfect weather.

Unforgettable Moments in Concord-Carlisle Cross Country History

MIAA Division 1B State Championship

Sawyer Bout (11th) and Luke Crounse (14th) each earned top-15 medals, with Brendan Quinn finishing 17th. Charlie MacDonald, Cam Smack, Joey Bodenrader, and Jay Bodenrader rounded out the CCHS top seven. It was a thrilling race where the team showed great unity from the start. Twenty minutes before the gun went off, Brady Quayle ceded his spot to Jay Bodenrader due to a knee problem. But the Patriots overcame this setback. When the unofficial results were posted, it seemed they had finished second, 28 points behind Natick. However, an official's review revealed that Bout's 11th-place finish had not been recorded. This correction put CCHS ahead of Natick by three points. The MIAA Division 1B state championship trophy stands as a testament to their hard work and determination.

The race was a true test of the team's mettle. They showed exceptional teamwork and resilience in the face of challenges. Each runner played a crucial role in the team's success, and their performances were nothing short of extraordinary.

Meet of Champions

On November 16, the Patriots finished fourth at the Meet of Champions, competing against the top-ranked teams in Massachusetts. Twenty-three teams and 30 individual qualifiers took part. Last year, Concord had only two individual qualifiers. This year, they showed significant improvement. The CCHS team of Bout, MacDonald, Bodenrader, Quinn, Crounse, Quayle, and Smack beat all the Division 1 DCL teams, including the DCL champion Newton South.

MacDonald, the only team member to have raced at this meet last year, ran a personal best for the Fort Devens 5K course. He closed in the final mile and finished one second behind Bout. Bodenrader arguably ran his best race of the season. Crounse struggled initially but turned it around on the steep and dusty hill, making significant gains over the last mile. Quinn passed as many as 10 people in the final 100 meters. Smack was the third ninth grader to finish in a highly competitive field. And sophomore Quayle ran a great race just off CC’s pack of five. The fact that CC’S top five runners finished only 21 seconds apart is a remarkable achievement, showing their consistency and competitiveness.