Watch: Winthrop cross country is Varsity Maine Boys Team of the Week
Winthrop Boys Cross‑Country Team Defends Conference Titles, Heads to State Meet
WINTHROP, Maine — The Winthrop Ramblers boys cross‑country squad has once again claimed the Mountain Valley Conference (MVC) and Class C South championships, earning the team a place as Varsity Maine’s Boys Team of the Week. The squad is now preparing for a second‑year state championship appearance at Cony High School this Saturday.
The Ramblers entered the season with a solid core of returning runners. Alfie Cognata, who finished as runner‑up in both the MVC and Class C South championships last year, returned to the field alongside teammates Sam St. Germain, Michael Van Tassel and Gianni Haefele, who each earned top‑five finishes during the 2025‑2026 season. The addition of freshman sensation Sawyer Wess has injected fresh energy into the group. Wess, who won the opening race at Maranacook and finished third in the recent South regional, said, “Just being on a championship team as a freshman means a lot to me. I think this is the best boys team that Winthrop cross country has ever had, and I think that us all being together the same year is just something we have to cherish. We’ve taken all the small moments (and not taken them) for granted.”
Coach Ed Van Tassel, who has been at the helm for several seasons, praised the team’s resilience. “They’re looking at us in the results, we’re looking at them in the results, and we’re kind of figuring things out,” he explained. “Really, our focus is on the process. … We’re going to frame things in a way that, when we leave Cony, we know we did what we wanted to do, and the results will certainly stand by themselves.”
Dominant Conference Performance
At the MVC meet, held two weeks prior to the state meet, Winthrop captured five of the top‑10 spots and finished with 30 points, a 42‑point margin ahead of the runner‑up team from Maranacook. The dominance earned Van Tassel the MVC Boys Coach of the Year award.
The team’s performance extended into the larger Class C South regional, held over the weekend in Falmouth. Despite a stronger field, the Ramblers placed five runners in the top 14, outscoring the Black Bears by 62 points. The regional victory set the stage for a title‑deciding contest at the state meet.
The State Title
The state championship will take place Saturday at Cony High School. A second state title would be the program’s first since 2007. The Ramblers face stiff competition from Houlton/Greater Houlton Christian Academy, which captured the North title in Belfast and bested Winthrop in the previous year’s state race.
“The biggest challenger appears to be Houlton/Greater Houlton Christian Academy,” Van Tassel said. “They’ve had recent success, so we’ll need to stay focused on our own preparation and the process.”
Looking Ahead
Coach Van Tassel emphasized a process‑oriented approach, encouraging the team to concentrate on their individual performance rather than fixating on the outcome. “When we leave Cony, we know we did what we wanted to do, and the results will stand by themselves,” he added.
Winthrop’s boys cross‑country team has built a reputation for consistency and teamwork. Their recent successes — a back‑to‑back MVC and Class C South titles and a strong showing in the regional competition — underscore a program that is both talented and disciplined.
As the state meet approaches, the Ramblers have the opportunity to cement their legacy in Maine high‑school cross‑country history. Whether they can capture a second title after nearly two decades remains to be seen, but the team’s recent performances suggest they have every reason to contend.
