Middlesex celebrated their long weekend and the annual Zebra dual meet with two wins over Groton today in the Varsity and JV contests.  Based on previous results, Groton and Middlesex came to the starting line very well matched, and this made for an excellent day of cross country for both teams. Senior captain Mahal Alvarez-Backus won the 7th race of her career and led the way for the Zebras.  Her win moves her into a tie for the 5th winning-est cross country runner in MX Girls' Cross Country history. She was followed closely by junior Sonia Tremblay who ran a PR to finish in the 3rd place, solidly ahead of the Groton pack.

Juniors Megan Seymour and Phoebe Lindsay secured the win for the Middlesex Zebras by finishing in 5th and 6th place, ahead of the third runner from Groton. Scoring as our fifth runner for the first time, sophomore Julia McClellan ran a great race to finish 10th. She and junior Emily Arnold (11th place) worked as team through the last half mile to maintain their position and prevent Groton from moving ahead in the team score. Jenni Welch rounded out the varsity effort in 14th place.
 
In the JV contest, the MX effort was led by junior Raphaele Sevrain (1st JV, 15th overall) and senior Toni Mattessich (2nd JV, 16th overall).  Senior captain Madeleine Mullaney (4th JV/18th overall) and sophomore Olivia Gish (5th JV/19th overall) worked together around the course to run a strong race for Middlesex. The JV team win was secured by junior Caroline Price (8th JV/22nd overall), and furthered by sophomore Gabriella Resnick and Lexi Stankard.
 
It was a great day for teamwork and determination as the entire team contributed to the wins, from those in the race to those helping on course. Many girls ran best times for the season, our home course, and their career, and Louise Skelton and Imani Marcelo completed their first races ever. The coaches and fans were impressed by the courage and toughness of the Middlesex squad, which will enjoy a long weekend to recuperate before facing its hardest week next week with two dual meets, starting with a tough Nobles team on Wednesday.