Meet the members of the Daily News Boys Cross-Country All-Star team for fall 2023
After combing over statistics and results, and with the guidance of local athletic directors and coaches, we at the Daily News selected All-Stars for girls volleyball, golf, field hockey, boys and girls cross-country, boys and girls soccer and football.
Although the sports and skill sets may vary, there’s no denying that this group put up otherworldly numbers this fall while helping their respective teams find success – whether that be on the course, field or in the gymnasium.
Presenting the 2023 Daily News All-Stars for boys cross-country:
John Bianchi, Natick
The Redhawks’ top runner at Divisionals (12th) and All-States (38th), Bianchi was a Bay State Conference All-Star. He ran a personal-best 5K time of 15:59 at the Twilight Invitational, where he won the Sophomore race. Bianchi won a dual meet against Framingham and placed 14th at the Bay State Conference championship. He also runs indoor and outdoor track. “John is extremely talented, competitive, and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet,” said Natick coach Matt Miller.
William Child, Ashland
This junior did nothing but improve this season. The returning Daily News All-Star ran 34 seconds faster than last fall at the Tri-Valley League championship meet, improving nine spots to claim fourth place. He also ran 31 seconds faster than a year ago at All-States, finishing 17th. He is a two-time team MVP and TVL All-Star who won four dual meets. “Will is a dedicated runner that has shown steady improvement season to season and year to year,” said Ashland coach John Brinegar. “He demonstrates the consistency that all coaches want in high school athletes.”
Luke Chisum, Wayland
A year after placing 17th at All-States, this junior came up with another impressive performance at Devens, finishing 26th for the Warriors. Chisum also placed eighth at Divisionals and at the Frank Mooney Invitational. "Luke Chisum was able to have a successful season despite dealing with the lingering effects of a muscle strain injury that happened at the start of practice," said coach Mark Mayall. "This curtailed both his ability to both train and race adequately but he persevered nonetheless."
Sean Fleming, Natick
A team MVP and captain, this senior ran a personal best 5K time of 15:37 at the Twilight Invitational, placing eighth. The Bay State Conference All-Star finished 23rd at Divisionals, 40th at All-States and won a dual meet race. Fleming is also a basketball and outdoor track captain. The High Honor Roll student is a member of the National Honor Society and coaches youth basketball. He will run cross country and track at Boston College. “Sean is the toughest runner on the team,” said Natick coach Matt Miller. “He pushed through fatigue and sickness to make everyone on the team proud.”
Stephen Goehringer, Wellesley
Goehringer capped his career with a second-place finish (running a 15:58) at the Bay State Conference championship, third at Divisionals and 12th at All-States. A returning Daily News All-Star, this senior also finished 45th at Nike Regionals. He is also a Nordic skier, placing 18t at States and runs outdoor track. Goehringer is a tutor, A National Honor Society member, an AP Scholar with Honor and a National Merit Commended Scholar. He aspires to continue running while pursuing a degree in chemical engineering or material science in college.
Jackson Hunt, Hopedale
The two-time captain and senior placed second at the Dual Valley Conference championship, seventh at the Coaches Invitational (5K PR of 16:27) and ninth at Divisionals at 26th at All-States. The returning Daily News All-Star and jazz band member was 29th at the Twilight Invitational. “Jackson has a great positive attitude, is very coachable, has worked extremely hard to improve, and sacrifices to get the most out of himself as a runner and leader for the boys team,” said Hopedale coach Tim Maguire. “He is also an excellent student as one of the tops in his class, and is a model school citizen.”
Will Jackson, Wayland
Jackson was Wayland's first or second finisher in every race this season. This junior and team MVP finished 12th at the highly-competitive Dual County League championship, earning all-DCL honors. Jackson followed that up with a 5K PR of 16:20 at Divisionals, finishing 10th. He finished 27th at All-States. Jackson's favorite subjects are anatomy and physiology. "Will Jackson was among the most consistent, reliable and accomplished athletes on the boys team throughout the season," said coach Mark Mayall.
Chris Kardos, Algonquin
This senior captain holds Algonquin's course record and was undefeated in dual meets. He was a Mid-Wach All-Star and placed third at both the league and District meets. Kardos finished fourth at Divisionals and 36th at All-States and was a big part of Algonquin’s highest finish at All-States (6th) and first District title. He is part of school relay records for indoor and outdoor track. The DECA member plays trumpet and volunteers for the local food bank. “Chris has had to battle through injuries early in his career,” said coach Nate Uttaro, “but he has persevered and become a standout runner as well as a great team leader.”
Andrew Klinedinst, Hudson
This junior captain placed eighth at Divisionals and 37th at All-States. He ran a season best 17:13 for the 5K at the Bay State Invitational, where he placed 14th. The four-time Mid-Wach All-Star also placed fifth at the Dick Atkinson Invitational. Klinedinst also runs outdoor and indoor track, where he placed fifth in the Division 5 2-mile last season. He enjoys spikeball and cornhole and plans to run in college.
Ben McCarthy, Millis
The two-time captain holds the school 5K record and was selected as a Tri-Valley League All-Star for the second year in a row. He is a returning Daily News All-Star. This senior set a 5K personal best of 16:17 and was seventh at the TVL Showcase, 13th at Divisionals and 33rd at All-States. “Ben is a kid who doesn't complain, always has a smile on his face, and is always ready to work,” said Millis coach Allison Maher. “He is truly the most eager and driven athlete I have ever worked with.”
Eli Merritt, Wellesley
The team MVP after placing 17th at the state meet in 2022, this senior finished 11th at All-States this fall. Merritt finished fourth at the Bay State Conference championship and won three duals meets. He was sixth at Divisionals and ended up 31st at Nike Regionals.
Aidan Pearsall, Dover-Sherborn
This junior and two-time league All-Star placed 25th All-States and eighth at Divisionals. Ran season-best 16:20, good for 10th at Tri-Valley League championship, and placed 20th at the Ocean State Invite. The Emerging Elites member also runs indoor and outdoor track, where he is one of the top 2-milers in the TVL. Pearsall is a Dover church youth group volunteer and his favorite subjects are biology and chemistry, which he is likely to pursue in college.
Aiden Ruiz, Algonquin
This senior captain was a Mid-Wach League All-Star who placed seventh at Divisionals and 30th at All-States. Ruiz finished fifth at Districts and sixth at the league meet. His 23rd-place finish at the Twilight Invitational included a 5K PR of 16:03. Helped team to first Divisional title and first undefeated season. Nate Uttaro: “No one is going to outwork Aiden Ruiz,” Algonquin coach Nate Uttaro said. “He is one of the toughest and most determined runners that I have ever coached.”
Ben Scott, Hopkinton
The three-time Tri-Valley League All-Star was named league and team MVP after placing fifth at the TVL meet, eighth at Divisionals and 50th at All-States. This senior captain was also fourth at the Ocean State Invitational and won four league dual meets. His 15:40 time on Hopkinton’s 2.9-mile course is second-fastest all-time. His 5K PR of 16:15 happened at the TVL Showcase. “Ben trained incredibly hard all summer and came into the season in great shape and ready to race,” said Hopkinton coach Laura McKenzie. “He is very disciplined and dedicated and was a tremendous leader on our team.”
Ethan Sholk, Lincoln-Sudbury
The former basketball player had a breakout season, setting the school’s record on the 4K course of 12:46. This junior won the Bay State Invitational and placed third in the Thorpe Division at the Dual County League championship. Sholk was fifth at Divisionals and 16th at All-States. The Relay for Life club member worked at Wayland Country Club last summer and enjoys mountain biking. “Ethan is one of the most dedicated, hardworking and humble athletes I have ever worked with,” said L-S coach Mel Gonsalves.
Steven White, Algonquin
In his second and final season, White placed second at Divisionals to cap a team MVP season. The captain and Mid-Wach All-Star finished 26th at All-States, helping the Titans to a program-record sixth-place finish. This senior helped Algonquin to its first undefeated season and first back-to-back league meet titles. He was second at Districts and his 5K PR of 15:36 placed him seventh at the Twilight Invitational. “Stephen has only been on the team for 2 seasons, but in that time, he has experienced the most growth that I have ever seen in my runners,” said coach Nate Uttaro.
HONORABLE MENTION
Nick Bianchi, Natick
Sean Finnegan, Hopkinton
Stephen Leighton, Hopkinton
Jacob Tobin, Natick
Jonathan Pink, Franklin
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: MetroWest Boys Cross-Country All-Stars: Meet the Fall 2023 team
