It’s now time for Part 2 of the fall cross-country season. On Saturday, the best of the best from each division, from each sub division, will battle each other at their respective races at the MIAA Divisional Championships. We broke it down into capsules on who will be some of the top teams and athletes to keep an eye on this weekend.
We begin our previews with Division 2 boys, which includes Div. 2A, 2B and 2C.
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DIVISION STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Fort Devens
Division 2A
Day/Time: Saturday at 11:45 a.m.
Top Teams: Plymouth South, Marblehead, Walpole
Runners To Watch: Will Cerrutti, Marblehead; Nathaniel Assa, Marblehead; Seamus Canniff, Brockton; Tyler Amaral, Dartmouth, Noah Brilliant, Plymouth South
Outlook: Just like their finish in the Medium School race of the Twilight Invitational a few weeks ago, we could have a 1-2 finish by Marblehead teammates Will Cerrutti and Nathaniel Assa in this race. Both had sub 15:30 efforts at that Twilight on the fast 5K, the quickest of all our entries. Keep an eye on Canniff, too. He was a runner-up in the Junior/Senior race of this past weekend’s Frank Mooney Invitational in Wrentham with a PR of 16:00.94, a nearly 30 second improvement from what he did at Twilight. Teamwise, the edge goes to Marblehead, the top-ranked squad in Div. 2, according to the most recent MSTCA Coaches Poll. Look for Plymouth South to pose the biggest challenge to the Magicians. Both teams are capable of having their top three among the first 10 that cross the line.
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Division 2B
Day/Time: Saturday at 1:15 p.m.
Top Teams: Ludlow, Longmeadow, Wakefield
Runners To Watch: Caleb Barnes, Melrose; Silas Gartner, Falmouth; Lekan Solonwa, Middleboro; Joseph Keroack, Ludlow, Michael Mohoric, Newburyport
Outlook: Individually, this one has potential to be a close one with no clear-cut favorite. Gartner, who won the Frank Kelley Invitational back on Sept. 28 with a PR of 15:30.72, is our top pick. He seems to be taking a well-calculated approach to the championship season with only two other “all-out” performances this fall, a 16:10 three-miler to win a league meet on Sept. 24 and a 15:32.86 race at Twilight, where he was third in the Medium School race. Barnes is a legit contender, too. He’s has multiple sub-16s this season, including a solid 15:39.72 from Twilight to place seventh in his race. Don’t ignore Mohoric. The Clipper junior captured the recent Cape Ann League Championships at Wrentham with a best of 15:41.79. He was also a winner in the Silver race at the Catholic Memorial Invitational on Oct. 27 where he was timed in 16:23.90 on the challenging 5K at Franklin Park. There’s also Keroack. He went 15:42 at Twilight and recently took top honor at the WMass Championships, clocking a PR of 15:35.62 at Stanley Park. Ludlow, ranked No. 2 in the coaches poll, gets the favorite nod on the team side of things. The Lions are coming off a third-place finish from the WMass meet.
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Division 2C
Day/Time: Saturday at 2:45 p.m.
Top Teams: Groton Dunstable, Medfield, Dover Sherborn
Runners To Watch: Greyson Duane, Groton Dunstable; Lowell Coops, Bishop Stang; Andrew Kosiba, Groton Dunstable
Outlook: Duane appears to be the favorite for the individual crown. He has a best of 15:36.22 from Twilight.. The recent Mid Wach League champion also went sub-16 at the Frank Kelley Invitational back in late September where he was timed in 15:47.97. Coops and Kosiba have also broken 16 minutes this fall with the former clocking 15:55 and the latter running 15:59 at the Kelley Invitational. With Duane and Kosiba leading the way, Groton Dunstable is a heavy favorite to solidify the team title. The Crusaders currently rank No. 7 in the coaches poll.
