By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

ROCKPORT – Chris Mosca had a limited familiarity with the idea of sending cross country teams to the New England championships.

Then one fall, students at Greely High School visited their principal to discuss the issue.

“They came to me two years ago as a team saying how not being able to participate in the New England’s left them feeling quite empty,” said Mosca. “The elite runners got a chance, but it was all of them that came to me. That was very persuasive.”

Mosca presented a new proposal Thursday at the Interscholastic Business Meeting at the Maine Principal’s Association’s Spring Conference at the Samoset Resort. After three failed attempts, the membership finally approved sending teams to the New England competition.

“I was happy,” said Mosca. “I truly wanted it to happen. “It knew it was going to be somewhat contentious. The fact that it was only (seven) votes last time, I felt pretty good that we were generating a level of momentum. I think what was really pleasing was that people that thought it was not a good idea decided to give it a chance.”

The proposal, which was not on the agenda Thursday and was presented from the floor at the end of the meeting, was approved by a narrow 19-16 margin. The vote had been 36-29 against at the Fall Conference last November.

“People seem a little more knowledgeable of the sport and haven taken more of an interest,” said Dan Hart, principal at Dirigo and a member of the cross country committee. “People have been talking to their athletic directors and obviously, the kids and coaches. I think there’s more support out there.”

The proposal was originally shot down unanimously in 2002. Last spring, a proposal was sent back to the Interscholastic Management Committee for a recommendation. That committee voted unanimously against it, and it was voted down at last fall’s meeting.

The cost of sending teams to the New England’s and setting a precedent for other team sports have been the major concerns among the membership, but those that follow the sport have been adamant about pressing on.

So Mosca crafted the proposal presented Thursday. This one was specific to just cross country, where the other proposal’s had been all encompassing.

It also stated that each state champion will have the opportunity to participate but can inform the MPA if it preferred to decline the chance. If any state champions declined to participate, runners-up would be offered the chance. Any remaining team slots would be filled by recalculating the team totals without respect to class with all teams who have already declined or accepted invitations removed from the scoring.

“I think what it comes down to is opportunity and choice,” said Mosca. “Districts will have the choice and kids will have the opportunity.”

Jennifer Vitiello, the chairman of the cross country committee and assistant principal at Westbrook, had tried to have the proposal included in the agenda for Thursday, but the Interscholastic Management Committee rejected that since the issue had already been presented and voted down by membership three different times. MPA Executive Director Dick Durost told Mosca that he had the right to offer it up from the floor. Vitiello said she would have liked to have had the issue part of the agenda once again, so more the membership would have been aware.

“Are we happy for our kids and the opportunity for them to compete at that level? Absolutely,” she said. “Will Maine continue to be a state to host the New England championships? Yes. Our next time will be 2007, and we’ll host them in Portland. So that’s a great opportunity for our kids as well.”