We asked, and you responded.
Just who are the top returning runners that will hit the trails this season? After requesting your help on this site and through our Instagram account, with have compiled a top-10 list with your assistance of the runners we feel will be among our best this fall.
To start, we’re going to begin with our No. 6 through No. 10 picks and also the runners we believe are on the bubble. We’ll list them among our Honorable Mention at the bottom of this article. On the girls’ side, we could see quite a few familiar faces near the top come championship time. Our 1-2-3 finisher in the Division 1 race at the Meet of Champions were all underclassmen. The winners in the Div. 2 and Div. 3 races are also returning this fall.
Here’s our picks for the final five of our list and those on the verge of breaking through.
No. 6 – Charlotte Tuxbury, Wellesley
Tuxbury had a strong cross-country season last year that was highlighted by her victory in the Div. 1A race with a PR of 18:18.0. Look for the Red Raiders’ junior to be one of our top harriers this fall. She’s coming off an outdoor track season where she was a runner-up in both the 800m (PR, 2:15.45) and the mile (PR, 4:55.89) at the Meet of Champions. Just a few weeks ago. Tuxbury was fifth at the National High School Trail Championships in Colorado where she was timed in 39:40.0 on the challenging five-mile course at Salida Mountain.
No. 7 – Caroline Collins, Nashoba Regional
Collins, a senior, concluded her x-c season last fall by taking runner-up honors at the Div. 1A meet and MOC, where she clocked a solid 18:37.6. On the track, Collins had all-time bests of 5:02 for the mile and 11:14 for the two mile.
No. 8 – Abby Beggans, Wellesley
Beggans is one of several underclassmen were expecting to be among our top finishers this fall. With nearly identical times as a freshman last year, she was fourth (18:29.3) at the Div. 1 A race and third (18:29.4) at the MOC. Beggans did not compete in the track last year, playing basketball during the fall and lacrosse in the spring.
No. 9 – Emma Tuxbury, Wellesley
Tuxbury was another underclassmen that enjoyed success on the up-and-down terrain last fall. She was sixth (18:39.7) in Div. 1A and seventh (18:44.3) at the MOC. Tuxbury continued to shine on the track where she had bests of 2:23 for 800m and 5:06.79 for the mile.
No. 10 – Ava Bullock, Barnstable
Bullock was eighth at both the Div. 1B meet and MOC, where she had a season-best of 18:45.52. She also won the Sophomore race at the Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational and Frank Mooney Invite. During outdoor, she ran a best of 11:07.20, an effort that placed her second overall at the Division 2 Championships.
Honorable Mention: Maggie Kuchman, Holliston; Abby Flagg, Whitinsville Christian; Katie Sobieraj, Oliver Ames; Macey Shriner, Plymouth North
