It’s only a matter of time before we get our first real glimpse of some of the top teams and athletes this cross-country season. While the competitive portion of the season begins on Sept. 7 with the Vineyard Invitational and the MSTCA XC Relays, we expect that will come later in the month at statewide meets like the Frank Kelley Invitational (Sept. 21) and the Bay State Invitational (Sept. 28).
The next few weeks, Bay State Running will be preview how we expect things will transpire on the dirt trails. We’re going to break it down by divisions and sub divisions (e.g. 1A, 2B, 3C). Here we feature Division 1B girls and boys.
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GIRLS
DIVISION 1B
Teams: Lincoln-Sudbury, Arlington, Lynn English, Everett, Waltham, Diman Regional, Wellesley, Springfield Central, Peabody, Barnstable, Malden, Winchester, Chelmsford, Belmont, Concord-Carlisle, North Quincy, Beverly, King Philip, North Andover, Bridgewater-Raynham, Plymouth North, Algonquin, Marshfield, Worcester Tech, Woburn
Top Athletes: Bridget Reidy, Wellesley; Evie Lauzon, Arlington; Sophia Francis, Arlington; Ava Bullock, Barnstable; Emma Tuxbury, Wellesley; Eleanor Angeles-Whitfield, Marshfield; Kate Leonard, Chelmsford
Outlook: From last year’s divisional meet, six from the top 10 are coming back this season. The best of the bunch could be Tuxbury, who secured the tenth spot. The Wellesley junior followed her effort at the 1B meet by matching her tenth-place showing at the Meet of Champions, which was the top performance among all our returnees. The Red Raiders standout, who had a PR of 5:05 for the mile during the track season, had a stellar freshman campaign on the trails that saw her finish sixth at divisionals and seventh at the MOC with sub 19-minute clockings. At her bests, she’ll be tough to beat. Reidy, who was third at the 1B meet, should give Wellesley a solid 1-2 punch this fall. She ran a 5K best of 19:10 at the Bay State Conference Championships at Wrentham. Lauzon, Francis, Bullock and Leonard, who were 6-7-8-9 at last year’s meet, are among several others that could be securing those top positions. We also can’t forget Whitfield, who was 11th in 2023. She has proven before she belongs in the conversation. The Marshfield senior was the Patriot League Champion last fall and was third in this race as a tenth-grader two years ago with an all-time best of 18:26.8 at Wrentham.
While it lost its No. 1 runner and last year individual champion, Audrey Fitzpatrick, to graduation, Wellesley appears to be the favorite for team honors. The next six runners after Fitzpatrick are all coming back from last year’s second-place team that scored just 77 points, 30 behind team winner, Arlington, a squad that will be minus five of their top seven this season. North Andover and Marshfield look solid for the next two spots.
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BOYS
DIVISION 1B
Teams: Boston Latin, Braintree, Westford Academy, Durfee, Natick, Lincoln-Sudbury, Xaverian, Arlington, Lynn English, Everett, Waltham, Diman Regional, Wellesley, Springfield Central, Peabody, Barnstable, Malden, Winchester, Chelmsford, Belmont, Concord-Carlisle, North Quincy, Beverly, King Philip, North Andover, Bridgewater-Raynham, Plymouth North, Algonquin
Top Athletes: Jack Graffeo, Westford Academy; Jared Rife, Belmont; Ethan Sholk, Lincoln-Sudbury; John Bianchi, Natick; Owen Bernstein, Winchester
Outlook: Who’s battling for second? That appears to be big question in this race with Graffeo returning for his final season. The Ghosts’ senior was second to teammate Paul Bergeron at both the divisional and Meet of Champions and was Foot Locker Nationals finalist after finishing eighth in the regionals. He also went sub-15 (14:57.66) on the generous 5K of the Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational, a race he won by 30 seconds. During the track season, Graffeo twice ran 8:52 for two miles, 4:09 for the mile and 14:49.17 for the indoor 5K. No doubt, he’ll not only be focusing on some big wins in-state at the 1Bs and MOC, he’ll also be looking beyond the postseason at Foot Locker again where he’s among the nation’s elite. Rife and Sholk, who were fourth and fifth, respectively, at last year’s meet, are other top returnees. Both are capable of breaking 16 minutes on an honest 5K like Fort Devens, site of the MOC.
Teamwise, it’s hard to pick right now as several have lost some key runners to graduation. On paper, Natick, Concord-Carlisle and North Andover look to be our leaders. But that could all change. We’ll have a better idea once the season starts heating up.
