It was a great day at DeMerritt Hill Farm for the 2026 Bobcat Invitational. The weather was cooler than it has been in recent years, the course was in great condition, runners were flying, and the farm was pumping out delicious apple cider donuts and other treats, per usual.
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Boys Varsity
Pinkerton’s Oscar D’Amelio went out hard in the boys race, opening up a little gap early and creating enough space to hold it to the finish in 16:28. Oyster River’s Ollie Lehman had him in his sights for the entire way, looking strong as well in 16:38. Lehman’s teammate Levi Clapp put in a strong final mile to claim third in 16:48, before Pinkerton’s Joseph Gustavson finished fourth in 16:54. Bedford’s Luke Parker was the last guy under 17 minutes in fifth in 16:57.
Hopkinton’s Max Goupil, Pinkerton’s Demitri Rufo, Lebanon’s Ian Kiefer, Oyster River’s Brendan Banafato, and Pinkerton’s Marcus Sowa rounded out the top ten finishers.
Despite being without their top runner, #1 ranked Pinkerton was able to win pretty comfortably, scoring 35 points. Race winner D’Amelio and top ten finishers Gustavson, Rufo, and Sowa led the way, while Leighton Klug sealed the deal in 15th as their final scorer.
