Marauders Loss Top Two QBs In First 13 Minutes Of Season As Football Falls, 48-0, To Shawsheen In Opener

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Photo: Belmont’s Daniel Martins (53) and Enzo Passos (70) pressure Shawsheen’s QB Sid Tildsley into throwing an interception in the season opener.

On the opening game of the season, Belmont High School Football team learned a new word by living it: Friggatriskaidekaphobia – the fear of Friday the 13th.

With the game falling on Friday, the 13th of September, it shouldn’t have been surprising that the Marauders would experience one of the most bewitching days in its history. Within mere minutes of the opening kick-off, Belmont’s top quarterbacks were being helped off Harris Field as the team was run over and shut out, 48-0, by the visiting Shawsheen Valley Tech Rams.

“We know we have to work more on getting guys in the right places,” said Belmont’s new Head Coach Francois Joseph. “Our [offense and defensive] lines are huge across the board. We’re just not blocking well right now. We have to fix a lot of mistakes that we made tonight.”

Belmont knew it was in for a tussle. The team from Billerica was undefeated in the regular season last year while reaching the Div. 5 state semifinals. Belmont was coming off its own successful campaign, winning the Middlesex League for the first time in 59 years, making the playoffs, and romping over rivals Watertown, 47-0, on Thanksgiving.

Joseph said this year would be about rebuilding the program after the graduation of key positions including quarterback, an entire receiving corps, a lead running back and a slew of linebackers.

One area of hope came from senior Lucas Cadet, Belmont’s opening-day QB. A raw talent – tall, solid,and with an accurate arm – Cadet was seen by the coaches as someone whose considerable athletism would make up for his lack of experience under center.

Belmont did show a spark on defense when linemen Daniel Martins and Enzo Passos pressured Shawsheen’s QB Sid Tildsley into throwing a weak pass on third and long that Will Hendrickson intercepted. Cadet could do little with its first possession which led to a punt by senior kicker John Townsend. Tildsley would make up for his earlier miscue, and behind a well-placed lead block, returned the punt 90 yards down the left sideline for Shawsheen’s first TD at 8:12 in the first quarter.

Belmont would soon say farewell to its first signal caller when, after Cadet threw a completion – called back for holding – he was dropped by a late hit resulting in a roughing the passer penalty. It would turn out to be more than just your normal roughing as Cadet immediately knew he had suffered a significant injury to his non-throwing arm and would leave the game.

The game turned for the worse when Townsend’s second punt was taken again by Tildsley who this time cruised down the right sideline 60 yards for his second TD to double the Rams lead, 14-0.

Coming into the game on short notice, back-up QB junior Kyle Curtis had the most experience in the critical position, having played with his teammates during the summer in 7-on-7 competition. He did appear to be a little rusty as he would go three and out in his first possession.

While the Belmont offense sputtered, Tildsley took the Rams down the field on its second possession, finding Dyllon Pratt in the end zone for an 18-yard TD pass, which increased their lead to 21-0 with 10:54 remaining in the half.

Curtis would learn on Belmont’s second drive of the second quarter the value of having a teammate protecting his blind side. As Curtis stepped back to pass on second down, Shawsheen’s Quinn Carbone came untouched off the edge at a full sprint and planted an unsuspected Curtis into the home field turf. Carbone’s hit caused a fumble, which Tildsley’s younger brother, James, gathered and scampered 21 yards for a touchdown and a 28-0 lead. 

Curtis did not see the touchdown as he stared into the evening sky for several minutes. He would come off the field, and soon, his arm was wrapped in ice, and he ended up sitting on the bench for the remainder of the game.

With Belmont running back Wyatt Sclafani placed into the role of emergency QB, the Rams’ defense pinned back their ears as Belmont was limited to running the ball, primarily for losses behind the line of scrimmage. On Sclafani’s first play under center, Belmont running back Amir Mollineau was stripped of the ball by James Tildsley. Four plays later, the Rams were up 35-0.

For the rest of the first half, it was one-way traffic. The Belmont defense couldn’t make an important stop, and the Rams ran the ball for another touchdown. Shawsheen’s only disappointment during the half was missing an extra point.

When Shawsheen scored early in the third with a one-yard rush, increasing the score to 48-0, the game reverted to running time, where the clock stops only for scores, official timeouts, and the end of the quarter. This resulted in a second half lasting less than 30 minutes. By that time, everyone—the players, fans, officials, and the band—wanted to go home.

It was definitely a game to forget: Belmont’s defense did have a turnover but gave up 48 points before both teams sent in backups. The offense did not pick up a first down and lost more yards than it gained.

Friggatriskaidekaphobia, indeed.

Next up for the Marauders are our neighbors to the east, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, as the Falcons visit Harris Field on Friday, Sept. (not the 13th) 20 at 6:30 p.m.

Run Into Fall With The Becca Pizzi 5K On Sunday, Aug. 25

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Photo: Belmont’s Becca Pizzi with former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chára with their medals after finishing the 127th B.A.A. Marathon (credit: Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)

Run into the Fall by stretching your legs out with a brisk “5” with Belmont’s Marathon hero Becca Pizzi this Sunday by joining her in the Becca Pizzi 5K Race this Sunday, Aug. 25.

Race day starts with a Kids Run, with youngsters running a mile (four laps) of the Harris Field track at 9 a.m. The 3.1-mile flat road race course begins at 9:30 a.m., running to and through the Winn Brook neighborhood, before turning back to the high school track and the finish line. 

Race Bibs and swag can be picked up on site on race day from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

The race celebrates Becca, a two-time World Marathon Challenge Champion in which athletes run seven marathons on seven continents all in seven days. Repeating her 2016 victory in 2018, Becca set another World Record, putting her in the Guinness Book of World Records. Pizzi is also an inspirational runner, finishing a marathon in each of the 50 states in the calendar year.

Lately, Pizzi has trained with former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chára to complete the Boston Marathon and prepare for the Ironman Triathlon.

Race proceeds benefit the Becca Pizzi Foundation for the purpose of awarding Belmont High School student/athlete scholarships. The Foundation has awarded over $50,000 in scholarships and sports equipment for Belmont High School. Last year’s scholarships were presented to Marykate Brady, Austin Lasseter, and Tomas Estrada

Sweet 6! Belmont Girls’ Rugby Romps To Sixth Consecutive State Title Over Weymouth

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Photo: Co-Capt. Mia Taylor lifts the state championship trophy after Belmont won its sixth consecutive title, defeating Weymouth, 80-0, on Saturday, June 15, at Curry College.

In a near flawless performance of top-flight rugby, Belmont High School Girls Rugby secured its sixth consecutive MIAA Division 1 state title, romping past a young, scrappy Weymouth squad, 80-0, at Curry College on Saturday, June 15.

The victory continues Belmont’s dominance in the tournament. The Marauders have won every championship game since 2017, when Belmont scored 17 unanswered points to defeat Algonquin Regional High School 17-14 in a true nailbiter.

Belmont HIgh School, the 2024 Div. 1 Girls’ Rugby State Champions

According to Kate McCabe, who started the varsity team a decade ago and has led the squad to each of its half dozen championship victories, it has been “a privilege” to coach what she and her players have created both this season and as a program.

“No one’s showing up because I’m so much fun to hang out with,” said McCabe. “It’s the players that made a family and a system that people feel empowered to be a part of even when they come in knowing nothing about rugby,” she said.

For senior outside center and co-captain Mia Taylor, the victory culminates in a personal three-peat of state championships.

”This team is just incredible. Every day, I’m excited to go to practice. I love these girls so much,” said Taylor, who will soon be off to UC San Diego, where she will continue playing rugby.

Belmont senior Mia Taylor on her way to a hat trick.

While Belmont came into the game unbeaten in 2024, having defeated Weymouth 26-12 in the first match of the season, the Marauders have had its handful with the Wildcats. In its past two encounters, Weymouth kept the matches close until late, including holding the lead early in the 2023 state semi-finals.

Belmont was anything but dominant in the first five minutes, losing its first four possessions on a series of miscues and nerves. But McCabe allowed the team seniors to take care of adjustments on the pitch.

“The coaches didn’t talk to you,” McCabe told her team after the game. “Nobody stepped onto the field. We let you lead, and you played off each other that whole time. Your voices were heard, and they were repeated together, supporting one another. We could not be more proud.”

Belmont’s stellar backline defending shut out Weymouth

Belmont dominated the defensive side of the ball. The front eight prevented Weymouth from putting in a positive phase, with the Wildcats inside Belmont’s 22 meters just once in the first 35 minutes. Belmont’s backs – led by senior wing Ally Caputo and junior Robyn Tonomura-MacDonald – never allowed Weymouth’s swift wings and full-back to break free turning the corners.

Senior lock Sally Amer secured her brace, scoring in the 15th and 23rd minutes, with the first a 10-meter run when she ran over two defenders before lunging into a try. Her second was more impressive: stealing a Weymouth scrum and moments later taking a straight line to try for the five points.

It didn’t take long for Belmont to right the ship, with Taylor grabbing her first try on a run around the right side after nine minutes. It was left up for Belmont’s senior fly half and kicking specialist Lucy “Buzz” Kabrhel to nail the two-point conversion from the most acute angle for the 7-0 lead.

Belmont senior wing Ally Caputo on her way for the team’s fourth try against Weymouth

Moments after receiving the kick, Caputo discovered a crease in Weymouth’s front line and streaked 60 meters for Belmont’s fourth try of the half. Three minutes later, Kabrhel found herself with a meadow of space and slalomed into try. With her conversion, Belmont would enter halftime with a 33-0 lead.

Despite being up by five tries, a rugby advantage is never secure as the scoring team receives the ball after a try and can dictate the game. But Belmont would allow the Wildcats just a single drive close to its try line before senior prop Olivia “Liv” Mann propelled herself to try after Belmont ran a master class in bringing the ball down the pitch. Taylor would throw down a brace within six minutes to complete her hat trick, and the rout was on. Mann, senior lock Abby Hill, junior “Number 8” Sadie Taylor, and Becca Michaud finished the scoring.

With Kabrhel’s 11th of 13 conversion kicks sailing through the uprights, the referee blew his whistle, and Belmont would celebrate its most dominating performance of the five previous state finals.

“It’s a long game, and over the course of the playoff run, we tell them, ‘You play the very best that you have. Give it your all, put it all on the field.’ And today, you can see people were just running as hard as they possibly could, and it was really beautiful to see,” said McCabe.

When Taylor was presented with the state championship trophy, she immediately started jumping up and down, her smile as bright as the sparkling late spring sunshine, expressing everything she and the team were feeling.

“My senior year meant so much to finish it here with every one of my teammates. I’m going to miss this so much,” Taylor said as she carried the trophy off the pitch.

Belmont High Girls’ Rugby Back For Sixth State Title Game Vs Tough Weymouth Squad

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Photo: Belmont Girls’ Rugby in the title game again

Belmont High Girls’ Rugby will seek its six consecutive MIAA Division 1 state championship this Saturday after the Marauders made quick work of Lincoln Sudbury Regional, 71-5, in the state semi-finals match held at Harris Field, June 5.

The undefeated and top-ranked Marauders (7-0) will meet a scrappy third-seed Weymouth squad (5-2) in the title game taking place at 2 p.m., on Saturday, June 15 at Curry College in Milton. The Wildcats sprinted away late from Algonquin Regional in its 60-29 semifinal victory.

Tickets can be purchased at GoFan.com

After an early scare in which Belmont thwarted a Lincoln-Sudbury push deep inside Marauder territory, it was all Belmont as the team pilled up 35 points in the first 20 minutes as it shut out the Warriors in the first half. Junior Robyn Tonomura-MacDonald totaled four of Belmont’s 11 tries while playing stellar defense.

Saturday’s game will be a rematch of the first match of the season which Belmont waited late before pulling away. After scoring two tries quickly, Weymouth came within two – 14-12 – at the half. Weymouth held the advantage for most of the second half before two outstanding long run tries by Mia Taylor gave the Marauders the 27-12 victory.

Boys’ Tennis Sweep Aside Xaverian To Open State Tournament; Next Up #1 St. John’s Prep

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Photo: Belmont High’s Julian Wong finishing off a point against Xaverian in the MIAA D1 opener

In its opening match of the MIAA Division 1 state championship, the 16th-ranked Belmont High Boys’ Tennis squad swept aside 17th seed Xaverian Brother, 5-0, on Wednesday, May 29, and now awaits a likely trip to Danvers to face top ranked and undefeated St. John’s Prep (17-0).

Belmont’s (11-6) top two singles, senior Charlie Osborn and junior Julian Wong, made quick work of their Hawks’ opponents, with Osborn winning 6-0, 6-1 in 35 minutes and Wong 6-4, 6-0.

“I wasn’t down ever in the match, I had a pretty good start,” said Wong, who was sporting a nifty new haircut for the playoffs. “I was up 5-2 in the first when I had a bit of a mental gap and he came back to 5-4. So I just had to really focus that and game and play it through. Of course, a ton of my friends came out today and it was really great.”

Yet after going down 2-0, the Hawks kept a narrow path to sneak out of The Town of Homes with a minor upset.

“Xaverian (9-8) was staying in the mix while putting pressure on our third singles and doubles teams,” said Dave Benson, now in his third year as the Marauders’ head coach.

But as they have done throughout the season, Belmont’s doubles came through with victories. First pairs of senior Ben Miller and junior Henry Moriarty were extended in both sets (7-5, 7-5) while seconds sophomore Brady Chan and first year Kalya Radojovic won it in a second set tie breaker (6-1, 7-6 (7-2)).

“The benefit of tight matches is they allow us to grow and be more accustomed to handling pressure situations. The boys responded exceptionally well, pulling out tight sets and tiebreakers in each match,” said Benson, who has managed the squad out of the first round for the past three seasons.

Belmont’s Soyam Pokharel battled fellow junior Nick Napoli as well as his body in a marathon match that went deep into the third set. With the match in a third set tiebreaker, Pokharel cramped up with him leading 8-5. After a five minute medical time out, Napoli came storming back to tie the match at 8-8. Each player fought off numerous match points with Pokharel finally eking out a 12-10 victory.

Belmont is now in a wait and see position as St. John’s has yet to play Chelmsford so that a day can be scheduled.

“I know most of their players and they have a deep squad,” said Olson. “They have pretty consistently good players, top to bottom. I can’t predict how my match is gonna go but I do know they will be one of the toughest teams we will play. Definitely one of the hardest games.”

Twin Winners: Belmont High Boys’, Girls’ Tennis Drain SpyPonders, 4-1, To Reach Double Digit Wins; Next A Triple Play Vs Top 10 Teams

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Photo: Belmont High’s first doubles Henry Moriarty executing the perfect stab volley vs. Reading

With victories over Arlington on Friday, Belmont High’s Girls’ and Boys’ tennis teams have secured double-digit victories this season. This week, both teams will prepare for the state tournaments with a stern challenge as they will take on three Boston Globe top-10 teams, including the number-one squads from Lexington.

Belmont High Girls’ Tennis

After the team beat the visitors, 4-1, at Winn Brook Elementary School on Friday, May 10, Belmont High Girls’ Tennis Head Coach Eileen White thought back to the last time the Marauders had taken the measure of the SpyPonders, not just once but home and away.

“I can’t tell you when we last beat [Arlington] once,” said White. “It’s been, like, years.” 

The 2024 edition of Girls’ Tennis is officially on a roll. Currently, it is on a seven-match winning streak—having last lost on April 25 to Winchester—and is entering the Boston Globe Top 20 at 14th. Belmont is 11th in the Division 1 MIAA power rankings posted earlier this week.

The record is all the more impressive because the team has yet to have an uninterrupted week of practice and games due to rain, sleet, and an eclipse. 

“Knowing we’ll play in the tournament, we’ll have pretty focused practices. That’ll be good for us actually to be able to practice,” said White.

Sophomore Armela Mahadi, who transferred to Belmont High from Singapore last year, is stepping into the main singles role this season. Playing second singles, Mahadi faced Arlington’s Kate Wolfson, who took their first match in April to three sets. “So I came into this game really stressed ‘cuz the game could have gone either way.”

Mahadi came out with an aggressive style, thinking of “playing to win as that’s the only approach to take as [Wolfson] is such a strong opponent,” and she took the first set 6-1. In the second set, Mahadi said her “game plan shifted a bit, and I was playing not to lose,” resulting in a close set where each player held their service.

“Tennis is a mindset kind of sport, so today it just came down to who would outplay who,” she said, with the Marauder pulling out the second, 6-4. “It was a really fun match and a great experience, as the tournament is coming.”

Sophomore Giselle Fond (second singles) and junior Holly Kong (third) rounded out the singles, with Kong taking the “W” in a slow, steady baseline match. It was the doubles securing Wednesday’s victory as both pairs – juniors Sophie Merrow and Ingrid Hellsvik (6-1, 6-2) and junior Amy Chen and sophomore Avery Cai (6-0, 0-6, 6-1) – prevailed.

“It was very exciting. I’m very proud of them,” said White of the players.

In the coming week, the Marauders will face the three teams they lost to this year. They will play away on Monday, May 13, at number 4 Westford Academy—which escaped with a 3-2 victory at Belmont in April—before heading the next day to Lexington to meet the number one-ranked and undefeated Minutemen. The squad will return to Winn Brook on Thursday for an encounter against sixth-ranked Winchester.

“I think being matched up with the top teams is always good for us because we play really well against them even though usually those girls are a little bit more talented. But that’s good for us because [our [players] need to be playing against elevated opposition. That’s how you get better at tennis; you are always playing people better than you,” said White.

Belmont High Boys’ Tennis

A seven-match winning roll is pretty impressive. How about an eight-game winning streak? Belmont High Boys’ Tennis – coming off consecutive deep runs in the post-season – are setting themselves for a third straight tournament run this year in Division 1 after spending years in D2. And that’s where Marauders Head Coach Dave Benson expected them to be at this time of the season, with a record of 11-3 and battling for second in the Middlesex League’s Liberty Division.

We’ve had high expectations coming in,” said Benson, who helped bring Belmont to the state semi-finals two years ago. While there have been “some adversities” with injuries, including to all-star senior captain Charlie Osburn, “we’re back on track, and I think the guys are feeling good and looking good.”

In its rematch against the SpyPonders (10-4) held in Arlington Friday, May 10, Belmont Julian Wong – who took over first singles – returned from losing the first set and falling behind in the second to pull off a big three-set victory. Osborn, who played second singles, swept his opponent in two sets while junior co-captain Soyam Pokharel dropped his first singles match of the season.

Belmont would secure the win with the first doubles of Ben Miller and Henry Moriarty, who used a high-energy game with their trademark fist pumping and racket tapping to take a three-set grind win. Belmont polished off its 4-1 victory with a straight set win by newly put together second doubles of Brady Chan and Kolya Radojevic.

Like the girls, the next to last week will see the Marauders host number 8 Westford on Monday and number 1 Lexington on Tuesday with a day trip to number 5 Winchester on Thursday.

“We can stay with all those teams as we prepare of the tournament,” said Osburn.

Belmont Softball Is Back! Marauders Down Wilmington, 3-2, To Up Record To 6-4

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Photo: Belmont High School senior pitcher Ellie Espelin in action against Wilmington

During a recent softball game, an opponent asked Josie Kim a question as Belmont’s outstanding junior catcher stood on second base during a Marauders rally.

“When did you guys get so good?” quire the player.

Many people have been asking that same question this season since Belmont has been wandering in the wilderness for the past 15 years, bereft of a winning record and coming off a lonely two-win season last year.

But with the team playing at its brand-new ballpark and with the right mix of veterans and newcomers, this season’s Marauder team is no longer an automatic “W” on other teams’ schedules as it has been in the past decade.

“We have no star players, but we work as a team. We are underrated because we were so bad for such a long time,” said Kim,

On Friday, April 26, all the elements of the new era came together as the Marauders produced a program-defining victory, holding off perennial Middlesex Freedom leaders Wilmington, 3-2, at Clay Pit Pond Park (the “Pond”). The victory over the Wildcats moves the Marauders to 6-4 midway through the season.

The last time Belmont processed a winning record and earned a playoff spot was in 2008 when the 11-9 Marauders was anchored by strikeout artist Kayla Hoyer (’09), who led all eastern Mass pitchers with 232 Ks.

Belmont High’s second base Eva Grant at bat vs Wilmington.

The program’s sudden turn of fortune comes from players who participate in club softball and a group of outstanding athletes with some past experience in the sport. While the Marauders have taken a huge step towards becoming a competitive squad, growing pains remain, especially against the established teams in the Middlesex League. Case in point: a recent three-game stretch, including against Lexington (18-4) and Arlington (10-0), in which Belmont was over and out-matched.

But Friday – played before dozens of parents and fans filling the backstop stands and some created their own bleachers in left field – showed the potential for finishing the season with a record above .500, and an automatic invite to the state tournament is very real. In Friday’s game, as many balls ended up in the Pond as there were total hits; the team won with its brand of timely hitting – 11 hits, including four doubles – and outstanding defense, highlighted by a pair of double plays, each ending with Kim tagging out a Wildcat at the plate.

“It was pretty much just the throw. I just sat there and caught it. And then all I had to do was go backward with the tags,” said Kim.

Kim’s battery mate, senior ace Ellie Espelin, put her stamp on the game against the Wildcats’ first-year pitcher Izzy Maiella. Belmont’s most experienced hurler picked up seven strikeouts (on nine hits and four walks), many of which got her out of jams. On Friday, the heat worked best for Espelin.

Belmont’s battery: Catcher Josie Kim and Pitcher Ellie Espelin

“I was doing fastball [and curve] and then the change-up, but the fastball was the best pitch today,” said Espelin, with Kim nodding in approval. Taking the measure of Wilmington runs in the family, as Espelin is the sister of Belmont High baseball all-star Nate Espelin, who struck out a school record 19 batters in a 1-0 complete-game shutout over the Wildcats in 2018.

“It was a long week, and I was happy that I hit my spots most of the time,” said Espelin.

Belmont got on the scoreboard first after a one-out double by first-year first base Elsie Lakin-Shultz (2 hits), who advanced to third on an Espelin single (who helped her own cause with three hits, including a double) and scored on a fielder’s choice RBI via left fielder Mia Ferrari. Wilmington rallied in the fourth to tie the game on a walk, a single, a sacrifice, and a groundout. But the Wildcat on third was stranded as Espelin struck out the next batter looking.

Belmont would jump back into the lead in the fifth, with centerfielder Amelia Ormond scoring all the way from first on a Tessa Burroso single to center. The shortstop would cross home on the next pitch when Kim (2 hits) drilled a double to the fence in left to increase the lead to 3-1. The Wildcats would push home a run in the sixth on three infield singles.

The Wildcats would not go quietly as Wilmington’s Ali McElligott launched her second triple of the game with two outs. But Espelin would shut the door by getting Eva Boudreau to swing at a 3-0 count and ground weakly for the easy 1 to 3.

While this is Espelin’s final season, Belmont has a young pitcher waiting in the wings in Olivia Ormond, who threw a four-hit shutout in her first varsity start and helped her own cause by slugging an in-the-park home run to lead the Marauders to a 16-0 victory over Cambridge Rindge and Latin on April 23.

Belmont’s Head Coach Joe Tuzzolo said, “I am impressed with the girls today. They battled the entire way. It was a tight game, and we haven’t been in that many tight games. They showed a lot of composure. We jumped to a lead and saw it disappear because Wilmington is a really good team. But our kids made the plays when it counted.”

“Since the middle of March, when we started, the kids have made great strides, and it showed today,” said Tuzzolo, who also appealed to the Belmont community.

“With the warmer weather, we’d love to see even more fans come to see us play.”

In the bleachers

Belmont Girls’ Lacrosse ‘Bright’ Star Reaches Century Mark

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Photo: Belmont High Girls Lacrosse’s Niamh Lesnik with her teammates celebrating the sophomore reaching 100 goals.

The game played Monday afternoon didn’t go Belmont’s way, a 9-8 overtime loss to Wayland. But in the fading twilight of Harris Field the team had something to celebrate: midfield Niamh Lesnik reached 100 career goals in the first half.

Niamh accomplished the milestone as a sophomore, a feat realized against top-rated Middlesex League competition while performing in the dual role of a two-way midfielder.

JLesnik joins her team mates from last year, Belmont’s “Nickel and Dime” attack pair of senior Mary Mullan and junior Tess Desantis, who reached the century mark in 2023.

(Just so you know, this is how to pronounce Niamh – which is Old Irish for “bright” – from America’s favorite Irish actress.)

Belmont’s Shea Places 15th In Under20 World XC Championships; Top American For Consecutive Years [Video]

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Photo: Belmont’s Ellie Shea finishing 15th at the Under20 World Cross Country Championships held in Belgrade on March 30, the first American to finish the race. (Photo credit: CITIUS MAG)

After a quiet seven months since winning races in the Under20s at the US National and Pan American Games, Belmont’s Ellie Shea put her stamp on the international cross country scene for the second time, finishing 15th at the World Athletics Cross Country Under 20 Championships held March 30 in Belgrade, Serbia.

The 18-year-old Belmont Middle and High School senior was the first American athlete across the finish line held under bright, sunny skies in Belgrade’s Friendship Park, repeating as the top American at the world championships. Last year in Australia, Shea finished 10th to lead the US to its first ever podium finish in the championships, earning a team bronze medal.

”I just wanted to make the most of it and just really be competitive,” said Shea after the race during an interview with LetsRun.com

Wearing her trademark white framed cobalt sunglasses – which has its own on Google search page – Shea settled into the back of the large pack of front runners in the first of three laps, running the 2.1 kilometers in 6 minutes, 49 seconds. Notably, Shea was one of the few participants who hurdled the hay bale barriers to shave a few seconds on each loop.

The lead group, comprised of Ethiopians, Kenyans, and Ugandans, showed their quality in distance races as they pulled away during the second lap with Shea and fellow American Allie Zealand – teammates on last year’s U20 team – running in 16th and 17th, behind the UK’s Innes Fitzgerald who pulled away by seven seconds over the Americans with one lap remaining.

In the final loop, Shea returned to the top class runner she was last year, as she sped away from Zealand, catching and dispatching Fitzgerald before nearly nipping a pair of Ugandans and a Kenyan who were fading fast down the home stretch.

Shea finished in 20:50, completing the final lap and the home stretch (2.2K) in 7:29, finishing outside the top 12 by seven seconds. The race was won by 15-year-old Marta Alemiayo crossing the line in 19:29, leading a dominate Ethiopian team performance to sweep the first three places.

Zealand would overtake Fitzgerald to finish 16th in 21.08. The US team of Shea, Zealand, Mary Dalton (28th), Zariel Macchiato (29th), Jolena Quarzo (41st), and Maddie Gardiner (49th) would take 4th place in the team event with 88 points, edging out the UK (90) and Japan (98).

Opinion: To Save Belmont High School Sports, Vote Yes on April 2

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Photo: Belmont High School wins its third consecutive MIAA Div. 1 Girls’ Rugby state championship in June, 2023

By Kara Banosian, Matt Garver, David Lind, Katherine Oates, Sara Townsend, and Lucinda Zuniga

Can you imagine Belmont High School without sports teams?

Seriously, try to picture that. There would be no Thanksgiving Day football game against Watertown. No more boys and girls rugby dynasties. There would not be baseball, basketball, ice hockey, soccer, lacrosse, or field hockey teams — or a marching band playing at Harris Field on Friday nights. For that matter, “Soccer Night in Belmont” would vanish, along with its 2,500 spectators.

That’s the prospect Belmont faces if the override on the April 2 ballot does not pass. Without a Yes vote, all sports teams are slated to disappear from the high school within two years, a victim of the drastic budget cuts the town will face. While all other towns play on, Belmont would be sidelined. When it comes to sports, this would be Belmont’s biggest loss ever.

This possibility has become increasingly clear in recent months, and has been made explicit at numerous public meetings of the town government. At the town’s February 8 budget summit, Dr. Jill Geiser, Belmont’s Superintendent of Schools, presented a plan to deal with the massive looming cuts to the schools. If the override fails, then among many other things, all 9th grade sports, plus the ski team, would be cut for the 2024-25 school year. Then all sports teams would be cut for the 2025-26 school year.

Sports is not being singled out in this scenario. Many AP classes and electives would get slashed from the Belmont High School curriculum, along with a huge portion of other extracurricular activities. Burbank Elementary, currently ranked sixth in the state by U.S. News & World Report, would close after the 2024-25 school year. Teachers would be let go across the district. It is a grim picture, and there are still $1.2 million in school cuts left unassigned.

There are many reasons dropping sports from BHS would be painful. Sports have been shown to be great for the physical and mental well-being of participants. Even one year on a 9th grade team can spark friendships that last through high school and beyond. Indeed, we contend that dropping 9th-grade teams alone would significantly hurt BHS students. As Belmont residents in the ice hockey community, we hope kids will always have the opportunity to play for their high school, at any level.

Then there’s the sheer excitement that BHS sports builds in our community. Remember the 2020 run to the (shared) state title for the boys hockey team? How about the 2019 basketball team playing a state semifinal at the TD Garden? The BHS games and teams are part of what makes Belmont a close-knit place, and losing the BHS sports teams would tear at the fabric of the community.

Belmont High School has a proud sports history. Just look at all the banners in the fieldhouse. Some of this history involves famous athletes: Wilbur Wood, a 20-game winner as a big-league pitcher in the 1970s, was a Belmont High star in the early 1960s. But every Belmont team that competes well is a source of pride to its players and coaches. We need to keep that tradition intact.

A few times in recent weeks, we’ve heard people ask if Belmont High School could continue to play sports as long as the teams were privately funded. That’s very unlikely.

For starters, school districts must register for sports with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) in the spring prior to the next academic year, guaranteeing it has funding for the full range of sports teams it submits to the MIAA.

Therefore, any private funds would have to be raised many months in advance of the following season — but even that raises more questions. Who would get to be on a team? The children of those who can donate? How would a school hire and retain good coaches with such year-to-year uncertainty? Even if a few dedicated parents raised large sums in advance for a few sports over a few years, what happens when that cohort of parents loses interest? One of the best things a high school sports program offers is stability and continuity. Any alternative would lead to chaos.

To be clear, school cuts are hardly the only thing on the ballot on April 2. A failed override would lead to deep cuts in the fire department, senior services, library access, and could lead the town to charge for trash pickup starting in 2025.

Still, even if BHS sports are just one part of this picture, they are an important part to many Belmontians. Please vote Yes on Question 1 on April 2, to avoid a profound loss for our community.