The Cumberland Clippers boys and girls cross-country teams opened the ’26 campaign September 5 at the RITCA Injury Fund Carnival, getting their first true look at where the summer miles have taken them. The early return was encouraging: Cumberland produced two fourth-place varsity finishers, another runner inside the top six and a freshman runner-up.
The girls delivered two of the day’s biggest Cumberland performances in the Caswell varsity race. Gabriella Stoothoff covered Deerfield Park’s five-kilometer course in 19:19.08 to place fourth, while Anna Bianchi finished sixth in 20:36.60. Putting two runners inside the top six gave the Clippers a strong front-end presence against a field that included many of the state’s established programs. Rebecca Davis added a 15th-place finish in 22:51.39.
On the boys’ side, senior Brayden Rivello matched Stoothoff with a fourth-place finish of his own. Rivello ran 17:16.46 in the Bill Myers varsity race, with only three runners crossing ahead of him. For an opening meet—when runners are still finding race rhythm and teams are building toward late October and November—it was the kind of result that deserves attention.
One race does not define a season, but it can provide a pretty good roadmap. Rivello did more than post Cumberland’s best boys time; he placed himself near the front of a competitive varsity field. If 17:16 is the starting point and not the finished product, Cumberland may have a runner capable of making noise throughout the invitational schedule and carrying that momentum into championship season.
Ethan Libby added a top-10 finish for the Clippers, placing 10th in 17:47.44. Tyler Pinch finished 26th in 18:58.17, while Henry Camden crossed 62nd in 21:13.19. Cumberland had four varsity finishers and therefore did not record a team score, but the strength at the front—led by Rivello and Libby—gave the boys a foundation to build on.
The freshman boys supplied a complete team result, placing sixth out of 12 scoring teams with 153 points. Jackson Thurston led the group in 17th at 16:46.20 over the freshman course, followed closely by Patrick Bickerstaff in 25th at 16:56.17. Nathaniel Tuomisto, Carter Stoothoff and Luke Conroy completed Cumberland’s scoring five, with Lucas Trottier also finishing for the Clippers.
With three varsity finishers, Cumberland’s girls did not receive a team score. The lack of a team total, however, should not overshadow what Stoothoff and Bianchi accomplished at the front of the race. Two top-six finishers provided the reigning state champions with an encouraging early-season checkpoint.
Freshman Caylee Kurbec delivered another standout performance, placing second in the girls’ 4K with a time of 15:38.08. Cumberland’s freshman girls finished fourth as a team with 103 points, giving the program another positive result from a group that could help shape its future.
The Injury Fund Carnival is an early checkpoint, not the final exam. Still, Rivello’s fourth-place run was difficult to overlook. He left Deerfield Park with more than a good time—he left with an early indication that his name belongs in the conversation as the season begins to take shape.