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Neighbors | Submitted.Mason Matiste and his teammate Tony Gallo posed for a photo at the OHSAA State Cross Country Championship Meet.
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Neighbors | Submitted.Mason Matiste posed on the first place podium after beating out all 568 runners in the championship meet.
On Oct. 22, Mason Matiste, current eighth-grader from Poland Middle School, travelled to Lancaster with coaches Bill Hegarty and Sam Snyder and fellow teammate, Tony Gallo to compete in the OHSAA State Cross Country Championship Meet.
Mason and Tony ran well in the second team heat of middle school boys. Mason placed first with the time of 11:02.3 on the hilly two mile course and Tony Gallo placed 40th with the time of 12:30.4.
There were four other boys races and Mason’s time of 11:02.3 put him in first place among all 568 middle school boys competitors.
Mason came on strong late in his seventh-grade cross country season, winning the final meet of the season at McDonald last year, and has won every meet during his 8th grade season this year, including the Billy Goat Challenge, Spartan Invitational, Suburban League Championship, AAC Championship and the McDonald Junior High Middle School Championship.