The Saugus cross country team headed up to San Francisco for the Lowell Invitational on September 6th, 2025. Between exploring the city and racing against tough competition, the team made the most of the trip and showed off all the hard work they’ve put in this summer.
The night before the race, the team began their pre-race preparation, with many of the athletes doing ice baths, muscle recovery, and loading up on electrolytes. They wanted to be prepared, so their coaches had them run the course for practice that morning so they knew what it was like for race day.
On the morning of race day, everyone was nervous but determined. They were scared for the race, but they knew they were prepared and had to go out and execute the strategies and skills that their coaches, Coach Berns and Coach Sergey, had been teaching them all summer long.
The Boys Varsity B team started at 11:55 AM and delivered a standout performance. Preston Lovelace led the way, finishing 7th overall in 16:00, just 22 seconds off the winner. Teammates Santiago Dominguez and Evan Crayon placed 10th and 12th, while freshman Kurt Shively impressed with a 15th-place finish. Strong runs by Noah Ciuffitelli and Emiliano Dominguez helped Saugus secure 2nd place out of 19 teams with 55 points.
At 12:30 PM, the Girls Varsity B team kicked off their race with a strong start. Autumn Del Rio finished 5th overall in 19:05, with Camryn Dion and Kadence Hammett close behind in the top 10. Adriana Gomez and Ella Wenz rounded out the scoring, leading the girls to an incredible 2nd-place finish out of 15 schools.
The Varsity Girls A team also had a strong showing. Annika Mark placed 6th in an outstanding 16:50, while teammates Jersey Baker and Amanda Yanez finished in the top 50. With solid efforts from Sydney and Madison Kasahara, along with Alexandra Acevedo and Kai Ramsbottom, the girls secured 6th overall out of 21 teams.
The Varsity Boys A team closed out the day with an impressive run. Adrian Cantu placed 4th with an amazing 13:57, with Aiden Bodell, Caleb Fredericks, and Henry Saywell all finishing in the top 40. Solid contributions from Joey Kasahara, Gavin Peavy, and Tyler Wollin gave the boys a 4th-place team finish out of 30 schools—an outstanding result in such a competitive field.
This race was a strong start to the season, showing that while the team is already performing well, there’s still room to grow. It suggests that by the end of the season—and into postseason—the team will be ready to excel. Annika Mark, the girls’ top runner, said, “This meet shows our true potential to do even better than we did last year – with placing higher at state, being at the top of our league, and trying to be the top team in the CIF Southern Section.” She also highlighted some standout performances on the girls’ side, noting that “Autumn’s performance stood out to me the most because she got out hard to get to the front of her race and fought to stay there. Amanda also went out there battling some sickness and still scored as our 3rd runner, showing grit and determination.”
On the boys’ side, Saugus was led by Adrian Cantu, who raced a blazing 13:57 to place 4th overall. His performance showed that the boys are ready to compete with some of the best programs in California. “This meet showed us that the team can definitely make it to state and earn greater achievements throughout the season,” Adrian said. Even though it’s only the beginning of the season, Adrian’s run highlighted the depth and talent that Saugus has this year. Adrian also noted one performance that stood out to him, saying “Preston stood out to me because this is his first year running and he is already the 8th fastest on the team.”
With both teams showing strength from their top runners as well as rising talent, Saugus has set the tone for a promising season. If this meet is any indication, these teams are on track to chase down even bigger goals in league, CIF, and beyond.
