Despite shortened season, league champs could repeat
Published October 2, 2020
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—After a historic, league-winning 2019 season, the Melrose High girls’ cross country team returns with a target on their backs as they kick off their competitive season on Oct. 10 at Greenwood Park in Stoneham when they host rival Stoneham at 9:00 a.m.
It’s a different season, clearly. Playing on a Saturday: totally new. Plus, no Invitationals. No league meets. But they will face very familiar foes this season and are sure to be in the hunt to repeat their ML Freedom title. Just last year, they placed 2nd in the Div. 4 States and 6th in All States, a historic feat for certain. Expectations were big coming in. This month they will compete in five meets, with just two at home as they work their way through the ML Freedom league facing Wakefield, Stoneham, Watertown, Burlington and Wilmington. Like other fall sports, restrictions have been placed on the sport. They’re expected to run with masks on, with some wiggle room likely allowed if a runner is running solo without a pack. Still, it’s a new world for Melrose head coach Nick Tuccinardi, who is just pleased to get a season in.
“Obviously we had big expectations this year and we had to dial those down,” he said. “We’re coming back after such a successful season, we had to adjust our goals. We would have loved to repeat what we did last year. But right now, we want to see our season through from start to finish, safely, for the kids and their sense of normalcy. My kids are running with masks and they aren’t complaining,” he says. “We will continue until we’re given some allowance to ease up.”
Last year, they lost 12 seniors to graduation, and certainly, those seniors were a large part of their historic year. But they also return some top 5 runners who will make a big difference this year and that includes returners Charlotte Tysall, whose healthy after a year of injury, and sophomore Jillian Bakey, who wowed in her freshman debut. Look for senior Chloe Orcutt to also top the pack.
Leading the team as captains will be CeCe Murphy, Julianne Murty, Lillian Lawler and Marissa Zelton, a runner counted on to earn points for Melrose. Joining them is a solid group of underclassmen including a large freshman class that can balance the roster. Says the coach, “We lost some great seniors but I’m really optimistic about the depth of our roster and what’s coming up.”
That will be on display when they kick off their season on Oct. 10 in Stoneham.
Season schedule*
(*home meets Greenwood Park, Sto.)
Sat. Oct. 10 @ Stoneham
Sat. Oct. 17 v. Watertown
Sat. Oct. 24 v. Wakefield
Sat. Nov. 7 @ Burlington
Sat. Nov. 14 @ Wilmington