DEVENS — After snagging seventh place at the Division 2 Cross Country Championships, the Old Rochester Regional High School girls varsity cross country team will progress to the next stage of competition. 

Both the girls and boys varsity teams competed at Division 2 Cross Country Championships at Fort Devens military base on Saturday, Nov. 9. 

The top seven teams and top 10 individuals not on qualifying teams from the divisional meet will race for a second time at Fort Devens on Saturday, Nov. 16 at the Cross Country State Championships. 

“It’s exciting,” said junior Ella Milhench, “because it was close, and we just made it.”

And especially because it means that her cross country season isn’t over just yet. “It will be exciting to come back here a second time,” she said. 

This is the second year in a row that the girls have made it to the state championship. 

The Old Rochester Regional boys cross country team finished 14 out of 26 teams at the divisional meet after a hard fight. 

Senior Nolan Bushnell didn’t let the fact that his team didn’t make the cut for states overshadow his reflection on the season as a whole, however. 

Bushnell said the team started off with a losing record. Despite the rough start, Old Rochester walked away with a win at the South Coast Conference Championships in October. 

“I’m really proud of the commitment everybody showed and the work ethic they put in, “ Bushnell said of his teammates. 

He noted how he was sad to see his last high school cross country season come to an end but said he plans to run in college. 

Seniors Calder Eaton and Wes Archelus couldn’t contain their excitement about the upcoming track season. “Don’t even get me started,” said Eaton. 

The two compete as a duo in hurdling events. Individually, Archelus won the indoor state championship last year and Eaton took home the gold in the outdoor state championship, according to Eaton. 

“I think we’re going to win states as a team next season,” he said.