Brookline High School’s cross country teams swept the Division 1 state championships last fall, and the 2023 playoffs are an opportunity for the Warriors to once again dominate.
The boys (9-0) went undefeated in the regular season, added a team gold medal in the prestigious Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association’s Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational at Cape Cod Fairgrounds, and are ranked No. 1 in multiple statewide polls.
Brookline’s boys varsity consists of Kalias Ciatto, Ben Kasen, Pablo Tejedor Meyers, Argi Protopapadakis and Vito Alpeza, and juniors Lysander Duffield and Altamo Aschkenasy.
Brookline’s girls, led by senior captains Dasha LeFaivre and Lucia Werner under head coach Mike DeYoung, went 6-3 in the regular season and were third at the Twilight Invitational.
“We’ll need to continue to be a very tight knit pack team if we are to succeed in each of these races in the postseason,” said 27-year boys coach Mike Glennon.
The Warriors will race in the D1 divisional meet Nov. 11 at Gardner Municipal Golf Course, with the boys running at 12:30 p.m. and the girls running at 1:15 p.m. The top seven teams and 10 individuals from non-qualifying teams, as well as two wildcard teams, will advance to the state championship Nov. 18 at Willard Park in Devens.
If the teams repeat as state champions, they’ll have a chance to go for national glory: the New England regional qualifying race is Nov. 25 at Bowdoin Park in Wappinger Falls, NY, and a strong performance there could take them to the Nike Cross Nationals on Dec. 2 in Portland, Ore.
Brookline.News has your primer for every team in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association D1 fall postseason, plus updates on boys golf, fall swimming and diving and cheerleading.
Field Hockey
Update: The field hockey team lost to Bishop Feehan in the Round of 32 and is eliminated from the playoffs.
Playoff opener: No. 25 Brookline (9-7-2) will play at No. 8 Bishop Feehan (11-5-1) in Attleboro in the Round of 32 on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Recent playoff history: This the Warriors’ third consecutive playoff appearance. Their last playoff win was in 2021.
Head coach: Emily Hunt
Key players: Senior captains Charlotte Toole, Piper Kelly and Fiona Keegan-McGlinn
Boys Soccer
Playoff opener: No. 6 Brookline (11-6-1) defeated No. 27 Algonquin (9-7-2) on penalties and will next play Winchester in the round of 16 on Thursday, Nov. 9 at 4 p.m. at Parsons Field.
Recent playoff history: The Warriors lost to eventual champion Saint John’s Prep in the Round of 32 last year. This is Brookline’s third straight year in the postseason and ninth time since 2013. The Warriors beat rival Newton North in overtime to win the 2021 state championship.
Head coach: Kyle Beaulieu-Jones (ninth year)
Key players: Senior captains Jackson Magee (goalkeeper) and Eamon Boshell (forward), midfielder Sebi Cuervo and defender Oliver Stern
Coach’s quote: “This has been an incredibly tight knit group that brings a high level of energy each day. They have worked hard on and off the field to create a culture that they are proud of.”
Girls Soccer
Playoff opener: No. 5 Brookline (13-3-2) beat No. 37 Chelmsford (7-4-7) in the Round of 32 and will next play Needham on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. at Parsons Field.
Recent playoff history: Brookline lost to Hingham in the 2022 quarter-finals. The Warriors have qualified for every postseason since 2014, and advanced to either the state quarter-finals or semifinals each of the last four postseasons.
Head coach: Ben Peters (second year)
Key players: Senior and junior captains Amara Ukomadu (11 goals, three assists) and Sydney Freese (nine goals, six assists) anchor the forwards. The starting midfield includes junior captains Anna Leschly (eight goals, six assists) and Vilena Tchernychev (five goals, four assists).
Coach’s quote: “For us to have a successful postseason means doing what we’ve been doing all season: Being mentally tough and coming together as a team. It’s so easy for teams to get down on themselves when the going gets tough, but this group is so resilient and they’ve shown it consistently this season.”
Girls Volleyball
Update: The volleyball team advanced to the round of 16, where they lost to Needham and are eliminated.
Playoff opener: No. 12 Brookline (13-7) will host No. 21 Chelmsford (13-7) in the Round of 32 on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Recent playoff history: Brookline is in the playoffs for the second straight year. The Warriors last won a playoff match in 2018.
Head coach: Caitlin Sobolewski
Key players: Senior captains Annika Epstein, Sophie Hester, Alex Juster and Charlotte Mullen
Boys Golf
Junior co-captain Ty Ford tied for 42nd with an 11-over-par 83 at the D1 state championship Tuesday at Greathorse in Hampden. Ford qualified with a two-over 74 at the D1 North sectional on Oct. 23 at Renaissance Golf Club in Haverhill, tying for seventh place. The Warriors finished fifth as a team at Sectionals with a six-player score of 325.
Girls Swimming and Diving
Brookline will compete in 11 of 12 events at the South Sectional fall meet on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at the Boston University Aquatics Center. Mimi Apsi, Claudia Rothman, Hanna Shimbori, Gabriella Miranda-Chong, Mirta Ceraj and Daisy Huang each qualified in two events, and the Warriors will also race in the 200-yard medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle medley races.
Top performers will move on to the state meet Nov. 11 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Cheerleading
Senior captains Erika Garrido and Sami Diaz led the Warriors at the Bay State Conference Championship and Invitational on Wednesday night at Newton North. Regionals are scheduled for Nov. 12. Cheerleading is organized through the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association, not the MIAA.