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MA Athletes Chosen for Speed, Service to Compete on New Balance Falmouth Road Race Weekend
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FALMOUTH, MA (August 1, 2016)—Nineteen high school athletes from throughout Massachusetts will compete in the Tommy Cochary High School Mile on Saturday, August 20, in conjunction with the New Balance Falmouth Road Race the next day, race organizers have announced.
Headlining the girls’ mile will be six of the top 10 finishers in the mile at the 2016 Massachusetts state championships and the #1-ranked 800-meter runner in the state, while the boys’ mile is highlighted by a national indoor champion seeking his first win here after twice finishing as runner-up.
Starting at 4 PM at the James Kalperis Track at Falmouth High School, the evening will also feature the SBLI Family Fun Run, the Falmouth Youth Mile, and the Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile, returning after a one-year hiatus.
The high school mile, which began in 2010, was renamed five years ago in honor of Tommy Cochary, a young Falmouth runner who was killed in a drunk-driving accident in 1990. The Falmouth Road Race was a huge part of the family’s life, and athletes are chosen to compete not only because they are among the best prep milers in Massachusetts, but also because they embody Tommy’s spirit of an active life and fun-loving attitude, and because they have shown evidence of making smart choices in their lives.
Winners of both the boys’ and girls’ miles will have a grant of $2,500 awarded to their school in their name to be used in a way that implements change in athletics or wellness, such as new equipment, team uniforms, or after-school wellness activities.
Competing in the girls’ Tommy Cochary High School Mile will be Nicole Clermont of Franklin (Franklin HS); Grace Connolly of Natick (Natick HS); Margot Ehrenthal of Concord (Concord-Carlisle HS); Gianna Mastromatteo of Worcester (Saint Peter Marian HS); Clare Martin of Newton (Newton South HS); Madaket Nobili of Eastham (Nauset Regional HS); twin sisters Kaitlyn Roffman and Sarah Roffman of Littleton (Littleton HS); and sisters Emily Sessa and Rachel Sessa of Tewksbury (Tewksbury Memorial HS).
The boys’ Tommy Cochary High School Mile will feature Will Bittrich and Jake Hesson of Duxbury (Duxbury HS); Nathan Johnson of Littleton (Littleton HS); brothers Nicholas Manickas-Hill and Zachary Manickas-Hill of Lexington (Lexington HS); John Pappo of Melrose (Belmont Hill School); Kyle Rendon of North Dighton (Dighton-Rehoboth HS); Jack Ryan of Hanson (Whitman-Hanson HS); and David Seybert of Attleboro (Attleboro HS).
Leading the way for the girls are Clare Martin, ranked #1 in Massachusetts this season at 800 meters (2:09.29); Rachel Sessa, the 2016 state mile champion ranked #2 in the state at that distance (4:53.94); and Grace Connolly, the 2016 New Balance Nationals Outdoor champion in the freshman girls mile. Martin is also the 2016 New England Champion at 800 meters and, competing for the Waltham Track Club, the 2016 USATF Hershey Youth Outdoor Track and Field Champion at 800 meters, 1500 meters, and the 2000-meter steeplechase. On the boys’ side, Zachary Manickas-Hill is ranked #4 in the state for the mile (4:16.38), is the 2016 mile runner-up at the state championships, and is the New Balance Nationals Indoor Emerging Elite Mile Champion.
All of the Tommy Cochary milers are involved in extra-curricular activities and public-service projects outside of athletics, including tutoring, church projects, club leadership, and volunteer work. Among them is the Littleton trio of Kaitlyn and Sarah Roffman, who volunteer at the Acton Food Pantry and the Celiac Support Group at Children’s Hospital in Boston, and Nathan Johnson, who led an Eagle Scout project to refurbish a neglected local trail.
For more information on the Tommy Cochary High School Mile, the SBLI Family Fun Run, the Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile or the 44th running of the New Balance Falmouth Road Race, please visit our website at www.falmouthroadrace.com; our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/falmouthroadrace; our Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/falmouthrr, and our Instagram at www.instagram.com/falmouthroadrace.
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About Falmouth Road Race
The New Balance Falmouth Road Race was established in 1973 and has become one of the premier running events of the summer season. Each year the race draws an international field of Olympians, elite and recreational runners out to enjoy the iconic 7-mile seaside course. The non-profit Falmouth Road Race organization is committed to promoting health and fitness through community programs and philanthropic giving.
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