Congratulations are in order. 

On Saturday afternoon, the Barrington High School boys indoor track team won the state championship. It was Barrington’s first-ever in boys track, and as history shows, it was no easy task: Only one other public, suburban high school has won the indoor track state championship in the last 50 years. 

Most years, the private schools bring home the hardware, but late Saturday afternoon at the PCTA in Providence, it was the Barrington team hoisting the trophy for a victory lap. 

No surprise, Barrington’s championship was a total team effort. 

Actually, it was a total program effort: coaches at the high school and middle school, administrators, student-athletes, parents, and plenty of others. That’s a point made clear by BHS Coach Bill Barrass following the win: “Our athletes, other coaches and I are so fortunate to have such an important army of parents there to support us all along the way. It was really special to have so many of them in the crowd and on the floor afterwards to celebrate the win. This is now a very solid track and field community here in Barrington. It starts with Coach (Larson) Gunness and his excellent Middle School program, and has built up to this.”

Barrington High School has had strong teams in the past, including plenty of individual state champions. But this year’s team was pretty special. The Eagles displayed an impressive combination of top-end talent and incredible depth, and at the state meet on Saturday, the team also showed off some clutch performances.

The 4x400-meter relay team finished first and set a new school record in the process. Not to be outdone, the 4x200-meter relay also set a new school record en route to a second place finish. The 4x800-meter relay team ran its best time of the year and finished second. 

Individual performers also shined — the best example of that might have been in the 55-meter hurdles, where four of the top eight finishers wore Barrington uniforms. In other events, BHS athletes far surpassed expectations.

When the dust settled, it wasn’t even close. 

Barrington crushed second place LaSalle by more than 30 points, while mighty Hendricken finished a distant third, 40 points behind the Eagles. 

Some of the BHS student-athletes who shined at states will compete again soon at the New England championships. Many will race again for the BHS outdoor team in the spring. And more than a handful will take their talents to college and university track teams across the country next fall.

It turns out that Barrington, despite lacking a decent track and other athletic facilities, is a program on the move and heading in the right direction. 

Congratulations BHS boys track — you made your community proud.