Nearly 2,500 runners are expected to converge this Saturday at the Wrentham Developmental Center grounds for the annual Frank Mooney Coaches Invitational. This will be the final meet of the regular season with the state divisional championships coming up next weekend.
Per usual, the 14 races that are scheduled with be separated by grades with a Small School Freshmen/Sophomore 3K, and Junior and Senior 5K races. For Large School, there will be a Freshmen 3K, and Sophomore, Junior and Senior 5K races.
This is one of those meets that always gets a good mix of talent, featuring a few runners that can make a big impact at the upcoming championship meets. In 2023, the Small School Junior/Senior race produced the most exciting race of the day with the top three separated by less than three seconds at the finish – Holliston teammates Carmen Luisi (first, 18 minutes, 6 seconds) and Maggie Kuchman (second, 18:07.0) as well as Whitinsville Christian’s Emily Flagg (third, 18:08.7). Luisi and Kuchman have since graduated, but the red-hot Flagg is coming back with plenty of momentum. The undefeated sophomore won her second straight title at the Dual Valley Conference Championships on Oct. 23 and just four days earlier was a convincing winner at the Catholic Memorial invitational where she blazed Franklin Park’s challenging 5K layout in 17:48.4.
On the boys’ side, the state’s top runner, Westford Academy’s Jack Graffeo, is slated to compete this weekend. Graffeo has competed just twice this season, winning the individual crown at the Dual County League Championships last Friday and going sub-15 at the Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational on Oct. 12 where he was timed in a PR of 14:56.1.
Catholic Memorial’s Michael Upton, who won the Large School Sophomore race last year, is also expected to answer the starter’s gun. Click on the link below for complete entries and live results for Saturday’s Mooney Invite.
ENTRIES/LIVE RESULTS
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SCHEDULE
9:00 a.m. – MSTCA Large Sophomore Girls Race – 5K
9:29 – MSTCA Large Sophomore Boys Race – 5K
9:55 – MSTCA Large Freshman Girls Race – 3K
10:14 – MSTCA Large Freshman Boys Race – 3K
10:31 – MSTCA Large Junior Girls Race – 5K
10:58 – MSTCA Large Junior Boys Race – 5K
11:20 – MSTCA Large Senior Girls Race – 5K
11:47 – MSTCA Large Senior Boys Race – 5K
12:30 p.m. – MSTCA Small Sophomore Girls Race – 5K
12:59 – MSTCA Small Sophomore Boys Race – 5K
1:25 – MSTCA Small Freshman Girls Race – 3K
1:44 – MSTCA Small Freshman Boys Race – 3K
2:01 – MSTCA Small Junior/Senior Girls Race – 5K
2:28 – MSTCA Small Junior/Senior Boys Race – 5K
