By Michael Pedro
Our story begins in the fall of 2021. Ludlow High School’s cross-country season has begun, and young upstart Lucas Franco is among the freshman students. He ran with the team the previous year as an eighth-grader, so this is nothing new to him. Some of his teammates include senior Lance Tomlinson, who is in his first year running cross-country, and a brown-haired senior team captain who consistently places at the top of the school’s leaderboards. The program is entering a season of uncertainty: while some of its fastest runners from the last season have graduated, the incoming freshmen have great potential. “When I first met Lucas, I thought that he was a good runner with a lot of potential,” Tomlinson said. Franco impressed in his two 5K starts of the season, solidifying himself as a centerpiece of the team for the remainder of his time there.
Skipping forward to the fall of 2025, Western New England University’s cross-country season has begun. Once again, Lucas Franco is among the freshman students. He’s coming off a hot streak at Ludlow High School, and he’s ready to get back into his rhythm. Some of his seasoned teammates include senior Lance Tomlinson, who is now in his fifth year running cross-country, and a brown-haired senior team captain who consistently places at the top of the school’s leaderboards. The program has high hopes for its future: while some of its fastest runners from the last season have graduated, the incoming freshmen have great potential. Sounds familiar, right? Instead of running 5Ks, though, Franco will have to run 8Ks. Franco noted that training “is a little more intense than high school since we run 8Ks.” On top of that, he said that “the timing of practice is different. Instead of after school, it’s around 5:00, and my schedule must work around it.”
However, these changes didn’t stop Franco at all. He picked up right where he left off with a 35th-place finish at the Silloway Vermont State Maple Syrup Challenge on September 6th. “To see Lucas where he is now, it makes me very happy,” Tomlinson said. “I remember when Lucas was just a freshman, and he’s really progressed into a great runner. He’s a great guy, and I’m glad he joined us.” For his effort in Vermont, Franco, the third-quickest finisher on the team, was named CNE Men’s Cross-Country Rookie of the Week.
Franco was surprised to hear he had received these honors. “The first meet was very difficult,” Franco said. “We all worked hard as a team, and it felt nice to be recognized for the first meet.” Though he got these honors, Franco didn’t stop there. He continued his hot streak the following week at the Elms College Blazer Invitational, finishing the race third overall and second on the team. Despite more of the season’s daunting meets coming up rapidly on the calendar, Franco is ready to take on whatever is thrown his way. “I don’t know what the season will hold for me, but I’m hoping to personally improve my times,” Franco said. He also aims to “go to the team lifts and put in the extra work that will hopefully show results at upcoming meets.”
Tomlinson applauded Franco for his achievements and for how much he’s grown, noting that he’s “not surprised at all where he (Franco) is now. He fulfilled his potential and more.” With his resume already impressive for the team, there’s no doubt that Franco will once again be a centerpiece of the team for the next few years.
