Walpole Boys Cross Country (8-3) had not won a Herget title since 2011, a berth to All-States since 2010, or a Divisional Championship since 1992.  Last year was particularly heartbreaking for this team, for they missed a bid to All-States by two points (or less than one second in terms of race time).

In addition to winning the Herget Division, the team also qualified for the All-State Meet by winning the Division III State Championship.  Despite a slow start, the Rebels proved they were contenders for the Herget title.

“We proved throughout the entire season that our whole crew was strong,” said senior Captain Billy Heiberger. “We were dedicated from the start.”

Two of the biggest meets of the year — Natick and Wellesley — proved to be the deciding factor in winning the title.

Both meets ended in decisive victories for the Rebels, with Walpole’s rotating pack of Heiberger, seniors Nick Hayden, Mike Orsi, and Nick Bjornson, and sophomore Luke Berardinelli negating top finishes from Wellesley’s Thomas D’Anieri and Natick’s Graham King and Dylan Jones.

After winning the Herget, the Rebels’ next challenge was the Divisional Championship. Going into the meet, the team knew that they had the potential to win or, like the year before, to place 5th and miss the All-State Meet.  Their success depended on how well they raced as a team.

Top ten finishes from seniors Brendan Wohler and Joe Keough (5th and 6th, respectively) and a huge personal best from Heiberger helped seal the victory for the Rebels.

“It was a really full team effort,” Head Coach Tim Giblin said. “We knew we had a chance to contend. There were about seven teams competing for four spots, and we thought we could be anywhere in there.”