Cross country teams poised for exciting seasons

By Mike Berger

The CHS girls cross country team is poised to have another outstanding season and showcased its potential with a dominant, 18-44 win against Mansfield in its home season opener at Pequitside Farm on September 16. The boys team, also a challenger for the Hockomock Davenport Division title, fell short against the Hornets by a 20-38 score.

Neil Ericson (Mike Tureski photo)

After winning their first Hockomock League title in 47 years and coming in second at the MIAA All-State Championships last fall, the lady Bulldogs come back just as strong in 2026.

Lauren Raffetto, a senior captain and one of the region’s top cross-country runners, looked like she was already in mid-season form, taking the lead from the start and never looking back. She was able to break her own course record by seven seconds, crossing the tape in 19:36. Teammate Addy Azar set a new personal best on the course with a stellar time of 20:50. Also having great performances were Isabella Holland (23:50), Natalie Hales (24:00), Olivia Siddons (24:19), and Maite Iriate (24:56), who finished in the fourth through seventh spots. In her first cross country race, Katherine Dervan (25:44) looked solid as she placed ninth overall.

“I am extremely proud of how we raced today,” said head coach Brian Gotsell. “We had a school record, countless personal bests, and a win. We are starting the season off on the right track.”

He added that Canton’s depth and veteran experience will definitely be an asset during the dual meet season. The team is led by senior captains Raffetto, Hales, Libby Silvasy, and Soumya Gupta, and enrollment is deep this year with 29 strong athletes. “They have high aspirations, including winning the Davenport for the first time in school history, repeating as league meet champions, and taking home gold at the state level,” said Gotsell.

The Canton coach also has high hopes for the boys team, led by junior Tristan Grant, an All-State qualifier from last fall.

Grant had a great day in the season opener, breaking his own school record on the Pequitside course by 22 seconds to finish third overall (18:42). Neil Ericson ran a smart and strategic race to finish fifth overall (19:29), and Minh Hong turned in a solid showing to finish eighth (20:06).

“I could not be prouder of Tristan and Neil,” said Gotsell. “They ran gutsy races and showed the team what it takes to compete in the always tough Hockomock League.”

In the junior varsity races, freshmen Ryan Walsh and Lui Gallagher cruised to victories and are poised to join the varsity ranks next week. This year’s team has a roster of 41 athletes and is led by captains Hong and Grant. Other returning veterans include Nicholas Murphy, Lucas Scully, John Scozzaro, William Barnard, Shawn Smith Manzi, and Ericson.

This week, both teams were due to face off against King Philip at Pequitside Farm on Tuesday. Then on Saturday, the teams will travel to Goddard State Park in Warwick, Rhode Island, to compete in the Ocean State Invitational. The girls varsity team will be competing in the Championship Division with some of the best teams on the East Coast. Both teams’ next meet is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, against North Attleboro at Highland Park.

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