4. Newton South
Newton South gets the nod over Brookline due to their strength in the middle of their top seven. Dashiell Martin comes in as their number three runner with an impressive 16:01 PR and behind him is Cody Herman at 16:34. They followed that with a 4:35 and 4:39 last spring. Getting four runners, in before them will be exceedingly difficult.
Up front they have two strong front runners in Gavin MacDonald and Nolan Harris, both with 5K PRs at 15:51 or better. Last season that duo were third and fourth for the Lions and helped them finish fifth at the Division 1A race last season at Northfield Mountain. The following week they both finished just over 17 minutes on the difficult course at Willard field. They’ll bring much needed championship experience to the Lions squad this fall.
It will be tough to top any of the next three teams, but Newton South could do it. If Griffin Dandrea or Oiva Helenius came make a big jump next year, you could see Newton South on the podium in November.
Projected Top 7
12. Gavin MacDonald 15:48
12. Nolan Harris 15:51
12. Dashiel Martin 16:01
12. Cody Herman 16:34
12. Griffin Dandrea 16:45
12. Oiva Helenius 16:56
12. Cooper Herman 17:01
