EASTON — The Oliver Ames High School boys cross country team recently capped an outstanding fall with a Division 1C state championship and one of the strongest seasons in program history.
The team, led by coaches Kyle Sousa and Troy Kent, completed its sixth straight undefeated regular season. It also secured its sixth consecutive Davenport title and extended its regular-season win streak to 32. OA has not lost a dual meet since 2019.
The Tigers went on to win the Hockomock League Championship for the sixth time in seven years, scoring just 27 points, more than 60 points better than the second-place finisher. Seven OA athletes finished in the top 12 out of all runners in the 12-team league:
- Landon Sarney (1st)
- Devon McStowe (3rd)
- Lawrence Dear (6th)
- Jake Hauvuy (8th)
- Douglas Smith (9th)
- Colin Donahu (11th)
- Corey Yifru (12th)
At the MIAA Division 1C Championships, OA faced an early deficit, trailing by 20 points at the 3-kilometer mark of the 5-kilometer course. But the Tigers surged during the final stretch, gaining 27 points in the final 2 kilometers to take the title with a final score of 60, winning by 4 points.
Sarney placed second overall. McStowe moved up nine spots in the closing stretch to take sixth. Dear also gained nine spots to finish 13th, while Donahue advanced five to place 18th and Smith moved up four to finish 21st.
The season concluded at the MIAA Division 1 Meet of Champions, where Sarney won the Division 1 race — and posted the fastest time across all divisions — to become the top boys runner in Massachusetts. He is only the third OA athlete to win an All-State title.
“These athletes put in long months of work, and they do it together,” said Athletic Director Merry MacDonald. “What stands out is how they respond when the pressure rises, which is exactly what we saw in the final stretch of the state meet. Their effort speaks to the character of this program and the leadership of their coaches.”
“Our boys cross country team continues to compete at an extraordinarily high level year after year,” said Superintendent Dr. Lisha Cabral. “Sustained success at this level is not accidental. The athletes are dedicated and work extremely hard, and they are led by an incredible coaching staff. This team gave Easton yet another season to be proud of.”
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