Abbie McNulty, Bishop Feehan roll into state 

 
By Chris Lotsbom, @ChrisLotsbom
Dyestat.com

Bishop Feehan (MA) senior Abbie McNulty sent a loud and clear message to the rest of Massachusetts and the northeast on Saturday: Beware.

On a very cold and blustery morning at the Wrentham Development Center, McNulty cruised to a 17:39 win at the Eastern Massachusetts Division 3 Meet, qualifying her for this weekend's state championship. From the gun, McNulty pulled away. At the mile her lead was approximately 10 seconds, then 26 seconds at two miles. At the finish, she edged runner-up Karina Shepherd of Dracut by more than 37 seconds.

"I just wanted to lead from the start and hang on," said McNulty.

Considering the conditions -- a very steady wind that made temperatures feel sub-freezing -- and the nature of the undulating course, McNulty's winning time of 17:39 is formidable. More important to her, though, was where her Shamrock teammates finished. All of Bishop Feehan's scoring five placed in the top 24 for an overwhelming team title.

McNulty, ranked 17th in DyeStat's most recent national rankings, said this year has been fueled by motivation, both individually and as a team.

After winning the individual and team titles at the state championship in 2012, McNulty and her teammates traveled to Wappinger Falls, NY, to race at the Nike Cross Regional Northeast meet. They both finished sixth overall, McNulty claiming the most dreaded placing.

"I missed (qualifying for Nationals) by a spot, so this year my main goal is to go to NXN," she said. "Missing it last year by four seconds or whatever, I want to go so bad. It would be the cherry on top."

On Nov. 30, McNulty and her teammates will return to Bowdoin Park hoping to secure a spot on the NXN starting line at Portland Meadows. It will be a tough task, said coach Bob L'Homme.

"There are some outstanding teams. Two from Rhode Island in La Salle and Barrington, Unionville and Pennsbury from Pennsylvania," he said. "That would just be frosting on the cake ... But our main goal is always the state meet and hopefully we'll get that done."

Indeed, before McNulty or her teammates can set their eyes on the NXN Regional they must race at the Massachusetts All-State Championships on Saturday. They will seek their fifth consecutive title.

"It's really important for me, that's definitely been my main goal for the year," said McNulty. "That's what we've been training for, so hopefully we can accomplish that."

As reigning individual champion, McNulty says there is a bit of extra pressure on her shoulders.

"It gets me a little nervous because you kind of get a target on your back," she said. "But it definitely makes me go into races confident and knowing what I'm capable of."

Knowing she has a team of high caliber athletes around her helps alleviate the pressure. Among those in Bishop Feehan's scoring five at the divisional meet were McNulty, Elizabeth Hannon (third), Jackie Cutillo (fifth), Kate Svensen (16th), and Adrienne Santoro (24th).

"It's literally the best feeling ever. Doing this would not even be close to the same if it wasn't for the team. We're trying to win as a team, and whatever I can do to help makes it even more happier for me personally," said McNulty.

A win next weekend would cap off a special season for McNulty, who will graduate this spring. Right now she is looking at Providence College, Georgetown, and Notre Dame, among others.

"I've been so happy with how the season has played out, and I really hope it continues to go like that," she said.

Added coach L'Homme: "She's been a beautiful athlete to grow up over the years since her freshman year. A model of consistency, I mean she's just improved every single year. Her leadership on the team is outstanding and that has grown also. She's really matured as an athlete and a person and that's awesome."