Covered in dew, the grass at Demerit Hill Farm stood still as the gun went off, signaling the start of the 2026 Bobcat Invitational Cross-Country meet.
The girls’ varsity cross-country team at Oyster River High School (ORHS) finished second at this year’s Bobcat Invite on Saturday, making an unexpected triumph over their competitors at Hopkinton High School. With the loss of four seniors, the Bobcats expected to place lower at this meet but left with a second-place win and a new bout of confidence.
“[We] surprisingly blew it out of the water,” said varsity runner Maddy Cook (’27). ORHS finished with a total of 49 points, fighting their way to a one-point win over Hopkinton, who finished with 50 points. This meet has been a point of pride for ORHS cross-country over the past few years, consistently coming in first place. This year marked Cook’s fourth Bobcat Invite and even though it was the first time in four years the Bobcats haven’t won first place, she said, “There’s still something to celebrate in this win.”
Cook and her teammates didn’t have the highest expectations for the meet considering the changes in the team compared to last year. The 2026-2027 team includes three seniors, two juniors, and two sophomores. Regardless of the seniors they lost, this team seems to be glued together with chemistry and friendships. This is Sadie Houle’s (’29) first year running cross-country and she said, “I was welcomed in and the team is really great which makes the atmosphere so much better.”
Jillian Williams (’28) was an outstanding runner on Saturday, being the fifth Bobcat to cross the finish line at Demerit. This is Williams’ second year running cross-country and she has made a big impact on the small girls’ varsity team. Cook said that Williams was, “necessary to beat Hopkinton.” Williams made the decision to re-join the team for her second year one day prior to the meet. Even though she wasn’t as prepared as her teammates, Williams said, “It was nice in a way because the pressure wasn’t really on me.”
Haley Bezanson (’27) was also a varsity runner on Saturday and took Bobcat as a chance to gain self-confidence. Coming back from an injury last season, Bezanson had strong goals for the meet and said, “I went out there and did exactly what I wanted to do.” Cook expressed feeling a similar confidence boost along with her teammates, regardless of finish times and scores.
The team is taking a relaxed approach when looking ahead to the rest of their fall season. “We’re a new team, we’re a young team, and we’re not putting the pressure of expectations on ourselves,” said Cook. This dynamic may prove helpful for the team as they make adjustments from last season, creating a supportive environment. “It doesn’t matter how fast you are–you’re still an important part of the team,” said Williams.
With a new second place plaque from this year’s Bobcat Invite, the girls’ varsity cross-country team looks forward to their next meet at Manchester on September 19th.
Visuals courtesy of Elias Pratt
-Kristina Jakobs
Mouth of the River 
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