Photo by Ted Plunkett
The goal of every runner who comes to the Group AAA state cross country meet is to make it on the awards podium. That means placing in the top 15 individually or top three as a team.
Tallwood senior Octavia Rinehardt and Western Branch’s girls both achieved those goals, placing third on a cold Saturday morning at Great Meadow. Rinehardt ran a personal-best 18 minutes, 5.9 seconds, the fastest time ever posted by an Eastern Region girlsat the state meet. It’s also the sixth-fastest time overall at the state meet.