Bodewig Sabatier wins individual title as Middletown dominates MDXC Red & White JV Boys race

HUNT VALLEY, Md. — Lycée Rochambeau freshman Ghislain Bodewig Sabatier captured the individual championship, while Middletown packed five scorers among the first seven scoring positions to run away with the Red & White Junior Varsity Boys team title at the MDXC Invitational on Oct. 10 at Shawan Downs.

Bodewig Sabatier crossed the finish line in 18 minutes, 13.6 seconds, winning by 13.4 seconds over Middletown junior Nolan Libert, who finished runner-up in a personal-best 18:27.0.

Gilman freshman Adam St. John finished third overall in a personal-best 18:29.1, while Middletown junior Noah Bittle followed in fourth with a season-best 18:30.3. Middletown sophomore Tyler Warman was fifth in a personal-best 18:34.4.

River Hill sophomore Mahith Vemuganti finished sixth in 18:57.2 before Middletown sent two more runners across the line. Senior James Summers placed seventh in a personal-best 18:59.0, and sophomore Patrick Walsh was eighth in 19:00.3.

That front-loaded performance gave Middletown an overwhelming advantage in the team standings.

With Bodewig Sabatier competing for a Lycée Rochambeau squad that did not record a team score, Middletown’s five scorers occupied scoring positions 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7, producing a remarkably low 21-point team total.

The Knights’ five scorers combined for 1:33:31.0, averaged 18:42.2, and were separated by only 33.3 seconds.

Middletown’s depth extended beyond its scoring five. Sophomore Jake Montgomery finished 10th overall in a personal-best 19:07.2 and served as the Knights’ sixth runner. Middletown ultimately placed six runners among the first 10 finishers overall.

Gilman finished second with 44 points, putting together an impressive pack of its own.

St. John’s third-place overall finish gave Gilman two team points. Junior Taran Bettegowda finished 11th overall in a personal-best 19:07.3, sophomore Jeswin Johnson was 12th in 19:11.8, sophomore Patrick Tilghman placed 14th in a personal-best 19:16.8, and sophomore Adam Ghazi followed immediately in 15th at 19:17.0.

Gilman’s five scorers occupied scoring positions 2, 9, 10, 11, and 12, combining for 1:35:22.0 and an average of 19:04.4. Their scoring spread was only 47.9 seconds.

Freshman Sebatian Lau crossed 16th overall in a personal-best 19:18.4, giving Gilman six runners among the first 16 finishers and illustrating the depth of a squad heavily composed of underclassmen.

The battle for third was considerably closer.

Atholton edged River Hill by a single point, 117-118, despite River Hill posting a faster five-runner cumulative time.

Atholton relied on an exceptionally tight scoring pack. Sophomores Lukas Erskine and Samuel Monroe finished 23rd and 24th overall, Nathaniel Kim was 27th, Jacob Cox placed 30th, and Apoorva Anand finished 33rd.

Those five were separated by only 17.6 seconds, the tightest scoring spread among the leading teams. Atholton’s scorers occupied team positions 19, 20, 23, 26, and 29 to secure third place with 117 points.

River Hill finished just behind with 118 points, led by Vemuganti’s sixth-place overall performance. Ethan Zhai added a 17th-place finish in a personal-best 19:20.0, while Andrew Narvaez, Brayden Ferrer, and Anderson Ji completed River Hill’s scoring five.

River Hill’s five scorers combined for 1:38:29.1, 20 seconds faster than Atholton’s 1:38:49.1, but Atholton’s finishing positions produced the one-point advantage.

Mount Hebron rounded out the top five with 158 points, led by sophomores Matthew Stepanek and Samuel Toth, who finished 20th and 21st overall in personal-best times of 19:26.2 and 19:27.3.

Seneca Valley and McDonogh tied at 220 points for sixth and seventh, respectively, with the supplied team standings placing Seneca Valley sixth. Frederick followed in eighth with 224 points, Guilford Park was ninth with 267, and Long Reach completed the top 10 with 284.

The individual championship belonged to Bodewig Sabatier, but the team race belonged decisively to Middletown. The Knights finished with less than half the score of runner-up Gilman, 21-44, while putting five scorers across the line before any team other than Gilman had its second scorer finish.

Middletown’s combination of front-running talent, a 33.3-second scoring spread, and six runners among the first 10 overall turned a field of 20 scoring teams into a convincing championship performance.

Top five individuals: Ghislain Bodewig Sabatier, Lycée Rochambeau, 18:13.6; Nolan Libert, Middletown, 18:27.0; Adam St. John, Gilman, 18:29.1; Noah Bittle, Middletown, 18:30.3; Tyler Warman, Middletown, 18:34.4.

Top five teams: Middletown, 21; Gilman, 44; Atholton, 117; River Hill, 118; Mount Hebron, 158.

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Thank you to the organizers, volunteers, and sponsors who helped make the MDXC Invitational another outstanding day of cross-country racing at Shawan Downs.