Runner, Swimmers Set for Busy Final Weekend

While the Girls' Soccer team's fabulous ran to the Division 2 North Sectionial title has dominated the headlines for the past two weeks, Belmont High School will have an freshman runner and another team stoked with young talent heading for end-of-the-season championships this weekend.

On Saturday at the Northfield Mountain Ski Center outside Turner Falls and Greenfield – just get on Route 2 and travel 80 miles due west – Belmont High School freshman sensation Leah Brams will run with the state's best at the State championships.

Brams finished second in last week's Division 3 Eastern Massachusetts Cross Country championships and will likely challenge the other 9th graders running to determine the best among the class of 2016.

On Sunday at Harvard University in Cambridge, the Belmont Girls' Swimming team will be seeking a state title during the MIAA Division 2 state championships. The team finished 7th in the North championships last week at MIT swimming against many Division 1 teams. 

The team will be led by freshman Jessie Blake-West ranked second in the 100 butterfly – all distances in yards – and sophomore Maya Nagashima rated fourth in the 100 backstroke on Sunday. 

Belmont will have three swimmers in both the 200 individual medley – Nagashima, sophomore Eunice Lee (who also swims the 100 butterfly) and junior Taylor Coutinho – and the 100 breaststroke with freshman Emily Quinn, Coutinho and sophomore Sara Osborn. 

Another freshman, Cynthia Kelsey, is ranked 6th in the one-meter diving event.

Other swimmers include junior Haruka Uchida (200 and 500 freestyle) junior Ana Pulak and senior Emily Butte (50 free) and Angela Li (100 backstroke).

Belmont will also have teams in each of the three races: 200 medley (ranked 4th), 400 free (ranked 4th) and 200 free (6th).