A varsity cross country is normally run with seven people having their score taken into effect. A team will usually put more than just seven people because it’s not a pre-selected bunch that score, but the first seven to finish. For this reason, being part of the official varsity squad is always up for grabs. These are people that are fighting for those spots
Sean Herlihy is a senior and is arguably the fastest runner on the team, and with a five kilometer of 17 minutes, that’s hard to dismiss. Surprisingly, this is only Herlihy’s second season of running Cross Country, though he has run in the long distance program in winter and spring track every year. He also has the best two mile time on the team with 10 minutes, 28 seconds.
Giving Herlihy a run for his top spot is junior Anthony DiVirgilio. His best time for a 5k is only 19 seconds behind Herlihy’s. He has been a strong contender for the team since his freshman year, earning medals and even being fourth on the team last year. He has the best mile time on the team with a time of 4 minutes, 47 seconds.
Coming in behind DiVirgilio is usually senior captain Kevin Delaney. He ran his best 5k time of 17 minutes, 41 seconds last year in a twilight invitational at the Barnstable County Fairgrounds. Delaney has been running every season since Winter Track his freshman year in 2009. He has the second best two mile time on the team, just two seconds behind Herlihy.
A greatly helpful newcomer to the team is sophomore Brendan Wohler. With only one 5k race under his belt, he already has the same time as Delaney. He joined the running program last year for Winter Track, and he was the only freshman to run a sub-5 minute time for the mile.
The other heralded sophomore on the team is Joe Keough. Keough’s best time for the 5k is 18 minutes, 4 seconds, and like Wohler, he has run only one. Keough has been somewhat of a breakout runner; in the spring, he never broke 5 minutes in the mile or 11 minutes in the two mile.
One of the other captains is junior Jon Kelland. Kelland ‘s best time in the 5k is 18 minutes flat, and much like his cousin Herlihy, he is aggravated about not breaking the 18 minute barrier. Kelland has ran all but one season in his high school career, and from that he has attained the best time on the team for the 800 meter race, 2 minutes and 9 seconds.
Rounding out Walpole’s varsity team is junior Mike Van der Linden. He has raced a time of 18 minutes, 12 seconds. There are other teammates of his that have attained higher PRs, like junior Pat Connell, but they have seemingly fallen back. He has broken 5 minutes and 11 minutes for the one and two miles, respectively.
