Swampscott’s Walsh claims NEC girls Cross-Country title

For Swampscott senior Lindsay Walsh, her performance on Saturday in the Northeastern Conference Cross-Country championship at Bradley Palmer State Park in Ipswich was the coup de gras on a spectacular season.Having already kicked the Swampscott school record sideways last week, Walsh completed the regular season in style, besting her rivals by over a half-minute to lay claim to the top step on the podium.The team title race also was equally entertaining as the Big Blue and Beverly finished with identical scores of 59 after the best five times from each team were counted. The tiebreaker was the sixth time and Beverly’s Allison Cookson was seven seconds better than the Big Blue’s Emma Walsh to give the Panthers the title.But for Swampscott coach Dom Finelli, his senior star’s effort on Saturday was something to enjoy.”She has been one of the top runners on the North Shore and in the state,” Finelli said. “It has been a good four-year run for her.”Walsh clocked a time of 19:04 for the 3-mile course at Bradley Palmer. Beverly’s Millie Chapman was the next closest competitor, some 37 seconds back. The Panthers also had Monica Adler finish in fifth (20:26).Swampscott’s Amelia Antrim had a solid sixth in 20:34, finishing just ahead of the Marblehead trio of Madeline Piela (20:47), Chloe Hesketh (20:58) and Maura Tubridy (21:10). Peabody’s Jeanna Pickard (21:22) rounded out the top 10.The Magicians finished third as a team, followed by Danvers; Peabody; Revere; Gloucester; Winthrop and Lynn Classical.NEC BOYS MEETIn the boys race, Gloucester’s Caulin Rogers took first overall but led by Evan Braz’s second place finish, Peabody won the team title by nine points over the Fishermen.The Tanners also had a third place from Nick Christensen (16:34) and a fifth from T.J. D’Amato (16:59). Keane Terenzoni’s ninth place gave Peabody three runners in the top 10.Marblehead finished third with a score of 59, led by James Wigglesworth’s eighth place finish (17:12). Swampscott was fourth with Danvers fifth.Beverly; Lynn English; Salem; Revere; Winthrop and Classical rounded out the field.CAL MEETAt Bradley Palmer, the Lynnfield girls finished eighth overall. Sammi Albanese led the Pioneers, finishing 18th in 21:56. Lexi Buonfoglio was 21st (22:17).The Lynnfield boys were ninth as a team in the meet. Jeff Cook was the high finished for the Pioneers, coming home 25th (18:02).CATHOLIC CONFERENCE MEETAt Franklin Park in Boston, St. John’s made it three consecutive championships at the league meet, taking five of the top 12 spots. Ben Halpin and A.J. Rossi finished in the identical time of 17:15 to take fourth and fifth overall.John Flanagan was sixth (17:23) with Erik Haggstrom, ninth (17:51) and Jarrett Harrigan, 12th (17:56).