Newton North senior Ryan Costello won the individual race but the Tigers lost the meet.

Brookline beat Newton North 23-34 on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Larz Anderson Park, ending the Tigers' unbeaten dual-meet season in a Bay State Conference showdown between the league's last two undefeated boys cross country teams, MassLive reported.

Costello crossed the line first in 14 minutes, 44.4 seconds. But Brookline's depth proved decisive. The Warriors placed five of the next six finishers after Costello, led by senior Liam Hartmann in second (14:58.7) and senior Ibrahim Abdel-Dayem in third (15:01.2).

"We've had a lot of disappointing races against these guys, so I knew whether they were going hard or working their own team strategy, I was going to take it from the gun," Costello told MassLive. "Trying to show our guys we can put a North jersey in first here."

Costello had recorded four first-place finishes in Bay State Conference races this season heading into the Brookline meet, according to MassLive's postseason preview. His times had generally fallen in the 15- to 16-minute range before Wednesday's 14:44.4.

Brookline, the four-time defending state champion, extended its dual-meet winning streak to 17 and finished the regular season undefeated. The Warriors are pursuing a fifth consecutive state title, with the Bay State Conference Championship set for Oct. 31 at Wrentham Developmental Center.

Girls flip the result

The Newton North girls reversed the outcome, beating Brookline 18-41 to close the regular season on a three-dual winning streak.

Esty Dundik finished first in 18:07.3. Maggie Abely followed in second at 18:32.2. Newton North placed four runners in the top five overall.

Abely told MassLive the pair planned their strategy around each other's strengths, with Dundik leading on uphills and Abely pushing on downhills. Dundik said the race served as postseason preparation, noting it was valuable for the team to face a hard race before the championship meets ahead.

Charlotte Doench led Brookline in third at 18:42.4.

Both Newton North squads head to the Bay State Conference Championship on Oct. 31 at Wrentham Developmental Center.