Senior Day already gave Cumberland a reason to celebrate at the Monastery. The Clippers made sure the results belonged to the occasion.
Both the boys and girls closed their Northern Division schedules unbeaten October 6, finishing 11–0 apiece. The boys defeated Burrillville 18–45 and added 15–50 wins over Woonsocket and Blackstone Valley Prep. The girls swept all three opponents 15–50.
Two teams taking care of business, right here at home. And for the seniors being recognized, one more accomplishment to carry away from a course that has been part of their Cumberland story.
Anna Bianchi and Gabriella “Gabby” Stoothoff were among those marking that milestone, as highlighted in the Call & Times’ Senior Day coverage. There is something fitting about celebrating the experienced runners while seeing younger teammates help finish the job beside them. This fall, Cumberland has had plenty of both.
The familiar names keep delivering. The next group is giving everyone a reason to learn theirs.
For the girls, that connection was clear well before the division finale. At the Monastery on September 15, Stoothoff and freshman Caylee Kurbec both ran 19:33, finishing first and second as Cumberland claimed the first five places. The Clippers beat Lincoln 15–44 and swept Scituate and Davies 15–50.
A senior and a freshman at the front together, with teammates following close enough to leave little room for anyone else. That afternoon offered a good look at the team Cumberland has become.
The strength traveled, too.
At the Manchester Invitational in New Hampshire, the girls finished second with 87 points behind Lexington’s 62. Cecelia Ludwig led Cumberland in 19:28, with Kurbec right behind in 19:31. Natalie Crawford, Stoothoff and Bianchi completed the scoring five, separated by just 1:08 from first Clipper to fifth.
That is where a cross-country team can make its money. A strong runner gets you started; a close pack keeps other teams from filling the spaces behind her. Cumberland had both against a field that reached well beyond its division.
At the Bowdoin Park XC Classic in New York, the Clippers went a step further, winning the Varsity II race with 29 points to La Salle’s 44. Kurbec finished third, Ludwig fourth, Crawford sixth and Stoothoff eighth.
Four Clippers in the top eight. Plenty of Cumberland near the front, and another team title to show for it.
The boys have been putting together their own impressive fall alongside them. Brayden Rivello’s 16:52 on Senior Day supplied another strong finish to a division season in which Cumberland repeatedly had teammates ready to back up the runner leading the way.
On September 15, Rivello and Ethan Libby finished a second apart in 16:55 and 16:56. Cooper Magill followed in third at 17:26, helping Cumberland beat Lincoln 20–36 and sweep Scituate and Davies.
At Bowdoin, Magill led the Clippers in 29th, with Rivello following in 33rd as Cumberland placed eighth in the Varsity II field. Different courses bring different challenges, so the clocks alone do not tell the whole story. Those bigger meets give runners experience working through deeper competition, where a few places gained anywhere in the lineup can matter.
Back at the Monastery on September 29, Magill and Rivello each recorded 17:39. Jackson Thurston and Tyler Pinch followed in 18:27, with Patrick Bickerstaff at 18:38. Cumberland swept Ponaganset, North Providence and Central Falls.
The front of the lineup was strong again. The runners behind it made sure that strength reached the team score.
Thurston and Bickerstaff had also contributed to Cumberland’s sixth-place freshman team finish at the Injury Fund Carnival. Their roles give the boys something valuable as the fall moves along: more teammates gaining experience and contributing meaningful places.
The girls’ September 29 sweep carried a similar story. Crawford, Kurbec and Ludwig each ran 20:23, followed by Bianchi in 21:12 and freshman Madelyn Stephens in 22:04. Stephens’ performance earned her a move into the varsity training group, another encouraging step for a program whose younger runners keep adding to an already strong lineup.
That is what gives these matching 11–0 records their substance. Cumberland has runners capable of leading, teammates capable of keeping the scoring pack together, and developing athletes earning their place in the conversation.
Senior Day brought all of that home.
The girls’ three perfect scores required a group effort. The boys finished their schedule with another convincing sweep. And the seniors received their recognition with both teams still unbeaten in the division.
There will be tougher fields ahead, and the Clippers will have to earn their places all over again. But an undefeated division season deserves its moment, especially when both teams can share it.
For Cumberland’s seniors, October 6 was a fitting sendoff from the Monastery.
Fortunately, it was not the finish line.
Results and reporting: Call & Times Senior Day coverage · Earlier Bowdoin coverage and results. Photos supplied to Cumberland Sideline.