On October 18, 2025, at Borher Park, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School cross country team made history at the MCPS Championships, sweeping all six races and capturing both the boys’ and girls’ county titles. This dominant performance underscored B-CC’s depth, determination, and cohesive team culture.
In the Girls’ Underclassman JV race, B-CC’s rising talent came to light as the team secured victory, led by sophomore Era Ciobanu and freshman Isabel Wurster, placing first and second. With the next two runners not far behind in fifth and sixth place, the Barons won by a huge margin. This race set the tone for the rest of the meet, where B-CC would continue to bring the energy. The boys’ underclassmen followed suit, propelled by Leonardo Bracciale, who won with a time of 17:36. Teammates Gabriel Nguyen and Jacob Blitstein followed closely, ensuring a sweep of the podium.
The varsity teams had high hopes coming into the meet after sweeping the division for the second year in a row, but a county championship would be their largest test yet. With a remarkable performance led by Nya Stoian, who finished 4th overall with a time of 18:48, Alexia Ladstaetter secured 6th in 19:18, and Ava Summerfield placed 11th in 19:44, driving the team to their first county championship of the day. The boys were just as impressive. Their five scoring runners all finished in the top 28, led by Michael Habib (10th, 16:18), Tobin Connelly (11th, 16:23, PR), and Peter Lanpher (12th, 16:27). By placing so many runners near the front, B-CC easily outpaced the rest of the field and made a clear statement about their depth and competitiveness. Their commanding victory in the boys’ varsity race completed the sweep and cemented Bethesda-Chevy Chase as Montgomery County’s top cross country team in 2025.
But the job was not finished there. With the county titles secured, the team set its sights on sweeping the meet, trying to take all six races for the first time in team history. In the Girls’ JV Upperclassman 11-12 division, Sadie Rice, Izabella Javadpour, Lily McNary, and Aurora Wu led the way, with B-CC runners capturing the first four spots in the race, with absolutely nobody in sight as they crossed the finish line. On the boys’ side, the JV 11-12 squad was just as resilient. Flynn Alvey-Gill claimed first with a personal best of 18:09, chased by Franco Gaudenzi in second. Nathaniel Tessema and John Pellettieri also finished in the top twelve, further solidifying B-CC’s clean sweep of the meet.
What Bethesda-Chevy Chase accomplished at the MCPS Championships wasn’t just impressive; it was unprecedented. Sweeping all six races, from the youngest JV squad to the seasoned varsity team, required a level of consistency, discipline, and collective will rarely witnessed at the county level. Every race, B-CC athletes stepped up, not just for individual glory, but for team legacy. This is the kind of achievement that will be remembered for decades; a gold standard in Montgomery County cross country and a testament to the unity and competitive spirit of the Barons.
