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METHUEN — Tyler Sullivan showed in a painful way yesterday afternoon that nothing could stop the Methuen boys cross country team.

In a battle of two of the state’s top teams, the Rangers, who are No. 3 in the State Coaches’ Division 1 poll, clipped No. 2 Lowell in convincing fashion, 23-32.

Central Catholic's boys cross country team was missing its No. 2-4 runners because of injury and illness, but it still managed a 22-37 win over Haverhill. Nate Webber won the meet and imroving junior Mike Vitulli and senior Keagan Westwater stepped up as the No. 4 and 5 runners to help provide the win.

While ripping a strong St. Paul's team 20-39, the Phillips Academy boys cross country team pulled off a first in the 20 years of head coach Jon Stableford, placing six runners under 17 minutes on its 3.1-mile course. Ranat Zalov led the way with a 16:42, finishing second overall as the Big Blue took the next six places. James Hamilton of Andover was seventh in 16:58.

Junior Tim Danahy passed two Tewksbury runners in the final quarter mile as Haverhill pulled out a dramatic 28-29 win.

"He wasn't even in our top 10 a year ago,'' said Hillie coach Mike Maguire. "He's improved a lot. It's nice to see.''

Methuen rolled past Central Catholic and Chelmsford in a tri-meet, taking the top six spots. The two victories stretched the Rangers' win streak to 23 meets dating back to early in 2007. This ties the school record, which was set in the early 2000s, said coach Bill James.

Lawrence junior Luis Cruz went neck and neck with Billerica's Kyle White for nearly the entire 2.9 miles but Cruz put on a strong finishing kick to win by one second, 15:47-15:48. Billerica prevailed, 20-43, for its first victory of the season.

It's closing in on mid-October, but it wasn't until yesterday that the Phillips Academy cross country teams finally had a dual meet.

The Phillips boys beat Choate 26-30 as Ranat Zalov came in first and Andover's James Hamilton was ninth while the girls prevailed 23-35, as Kate Bulger was second and Katie Ellinger was third.

 For the second straight year, former Pelham High and Providence College standout Patrick Moulton placed first in the Hartford Marathon, taking top honores yesterday in 2:25:22 over the 26.2 miles.He easily beat runner-up Titus Mutinda of Lowell, who was clocked in 2:29:14.

Methuen's Tyler Sullivan, Ben Pare and Jared Reddy all finished in 16:06 for 2.9 miles and Corey Hamel

and Andrew Stamatopulos finished in 16:07 in a 15-48 cross country romp over Haverhill.

Despite the rain, and with no fans to cheer the team, Pinkerton's boys cross country turned in a historic performance yesterday against  arch-rival Londonderry.

Whittier junior Bryan Stanley smashed his own record by 55 seconds with a 16:14 over his first-year home course.

Methuen junior Cam Kelley ran a 16:36, just 15 seconds off the winning pace, to come in fifth and complete a 15-48 rout of both Tewksbury and Lawrence. Andrew Stamatopulos, Jared Reddy and Ben Pare tied for first and Tyler Sullivan was fourth in 16:31.

In what was expected to be much closer, the Methuen boys cross country team captured the first four places in a 17-44 victory at Andover. Jarred Reddy cruised to first in 16:38 on the 3.1-mile course with Andrew Stamatopulos, Ben Pare and Tyler Sullivan in the next three places.

The Central Catholic boys cross country team is off to a 2-0 start, and a big reason is the improvement of two youngsters.

In yesterday's 15-48 rout of Tewksbury, sophomore Adam Gidley was second in 17:53 over the hilly 3.0-mile Lawrence course, just 10 seconds behind teammate Nate Webber, and junior Nick Morris was fourth. Morris was the Raiders' seventh man last year.

Running without top runners Jared Reddy and Ben Pare, both of whom are battling the flu, Methuen's boys cross country team still finished eighth among 36 teams in the Division 1 race at the McIntyre Invitational.