Then along came Grace Rich and Asa Labell as freshman in 2023, headlining a new wave of talent that has quickly returned the program to prominence.
Though Hamilton-Wenham has just 10 runners, the Generals captured the Cape Ann title and Division 3 state championship last season behind top-7 finishes at All-States from Rich and Labell.
“We feel a lot of pride in what we’ve been able to accomplish and how we were able to bring [the program] back to what they had before,” Asa Labell said.
This year’s team has ambitions of keeping both crowns and is off to a promising start. At last week’s Frank Kelley Invitational, Rich and Labell finished second and third, respectively, in the girls’ small school junior race, and Talia Labell won the girls’ small school freshman race.
“Coach [Sawyer] is constantly telling us that we’re as good as the teams that he had many years ago,” said Rich. ”And it’s really nice to hear that. He knows the history of the good teams in the school and has been around for so many great runners. And he knows what we can do.”
Sawyer was hired in 1969 as a math teacher at Hamilton-Wenham, and got his start as an assistant cross-country coach soon thereafter. He retired from teaching two decades ago, but has remained in his coaching role — with enthusiasm and daily positivity the hallmarks of his style.
“I just love working with them,” said Sawyer. “We had a lot of success over the years, and this group of girls is right back at it again. They’re having a great time and enjoying what’s going on. It’s just fun to see.”
The Generals had just eight runners during Rich and Labell’s freshman season in 2023, and turned heads when the team won the Division 3B meet with Rich, Labell, and then-junior Charlotte Madden finishing 1-2-3.
“When we would go to meets my freshman year, everyone would be so surprised that the Generals were winning,” Rich said. “It was always a good motivator to kind of be the underdog that no one was expecting.”
With Rich and Labell’s talent established, the duo were instrumental as sophomores in propelling the Generals to the state title — Sawyer’s eighth. The pair would fit easily on any of Sawyer’s best teams over the years, he feels, though depth presents a challenge.
Along with fewer students signing up for running, the declining participation is partially due to Hamilton-Wenham’s overall enrollment, according to Sawyer. The school, once over 700 students, is now in the mid-400s.
“It’s slim pickings in terms of interest, but we still have a lot of talent and the girls here are really committed,” Sawyer said. “[The smaller teams] have allowed me to spend a lot more time watching them all on the trails and working with them individually.”
To repeat as state champs, each of the team’s 10 runners — including three eighth graders — could play a role. One key depth piece is junior Nikhi Pillai, and two new additions will be factors: Senior transfer Annaliese Bubar, who previously ran cross-country at the now-defunct Penguin Hall School, and eighth grader Francesca Gamelli.
Labell knows those depth pieces will be instrumental in pushing the Generals over the top once again, and has full faith in the tight-knit group coming together.
“We’re training to win the championship,” Labell said. “People might not know everyone on our team yet, but we know what they can do. We’re all just working hard for it.”
▪ Xaverian took down 16th-ranked Catholic Memorial on Tuesday at Franklin Park in a Catholic Conference dual meet.
Xaverian expected the race to be at a tempo pace, as both schools will be running in Saturday’s Ocean State Invitational in Warwick, R.I. But after the first two miles the intensity picked up and everyone understood the stakes.
“We felt like we had an opportunity to be competitive with them,” said coach Stephen Steinbergher.
Competitive it was, and thanks to junior Jack Weintraub’s 17-minute, 10-second win, the Hawks stole the meet, 25-31.
Weintraub is in his first season of cross-country at Xaverian. He is a speedy 800-meter runner with a personal best of 1:56.06, and that speed has easily translated to the trails, posting a 16:54.17 in his debut against BC High on Sept. 9.
“[Jack] is an unbelievable young man who is not only a really talented athlete, but super nice to all of his teammates,” Steinbergher said. “A really valuable part of the team. He’s already fit in great with that positive team culture that we have.”
The Hawks’ lineup also features depth. Senior captain Sam Keith returns after finishing fifth at the Division 1B race last year. The young guys are ready to bring their track speed to cross country as well, with freshman Desmond Sullivan’s recording a 4:34 mile as an eighth grader, and sophomore Marco Petrino’s 53-second 400 as a sophomore.
“We’re really hopeful about what that’s going to mean for us as a varsity team here, not only this year, but in the future,” said Steinbergher.
▪ The season’s first major invitational was held last Saturday, with dozens of teams taking part in the Frank Kelley Invitational at the Wrentham Developmental Center.
The 16 races, all at 3K distance, were split up by school size and class. Notable performances included Central Catholic’s Kyla Breslin claiming the girls’ sophomore large-school race by 10 seconds in 10:39.20 — the fastest time for any girl runner — and Falmouth’s Silas Gartner launching his highly anticipated senior season with a victory (9:07.95) in the boys’ senior small school race.
Correspondent Aiden Barker contributed to this report.