The first race week of the season is here and there’s no shortage of excitement. If you were planning on easing into competition this year, the Cross-Country Gods had other ideas.
On Wednesday we have #2 Natick Boys taking on #5 Brookline in a tri-meet with Milton at Houghton’s Pond. Could this be a preview of the Bay State Conference Championship? Division 1A Championships? Meet of Champions?
That’s a lot to ask during the first week of September. The biggest question may be how each team handles the race. Will they train through it? Run it all out? Both teams will be looking to run their best in November. Brookline is no stranger to peaking at the right time. Just look at the last three Meet of Champions. They also put on a masterclass between the Divisional Championships and New Balance Nationals last spring.
How the race plays out will be worth monitoring as it features some of the top individual runners as well. John Bianchi, Liam Hartmann, and Theodore Butty have all run under 9:20 for Two Miles, and Hartmann and Bianchi are two of the top returners from last years of Meet of Champions. Rarely do we have a week one race that’s worth monitoring, but this could be our first glimpse at what both contenders top seven will look like.
The action doesn’t stop there on Wednesday, as Braintree hosts #5 Girls Needham and #14 Girls Weymouth. This could be our first look at defending Meet of Champions Division 1 winner, Greta Hammer. It’s hard to imagine she’ll be looking to set any records this week, but with the talented Weymouth team looking for the upset, we should get an idea of where she’s at.
The Bay State Conference is also giving us Newton North at Wellesley. Newton North starts the season at #6 in our girl’s rankings and #14 in our boy’s, while Wellesley sits at #9 and #12. Last year the girls race at the Bay State Conference Championship was decided by five points amongst four teams. This week is a perfect example of why.
Over the weekend, the first invitational action will get under way. There’s two relay meets taking place starting in Newburyport with the Clipper Relays. Our friends at New Balance will be on site supporting the athletes. In Attleboro, the MSTCA Relays will be held at Highland Park.
For those opting for a more traditional opener, the 18th Vineyard XC Invitational will be held on Saturday. Last year saw #19 Amherst-Pelham Regional take the girl’s race. Top Contender this season, Emily Flagg of Whitinsville Christian, took the individual crown. She would go on to win the title at the Meet of Champions Division Two race. In third place was Cameron Davis of Oxford, who will look to defend her Division Three Crown this season.
In the boys race, Barrington Rhode Island took the team crown. Top Contender this season, Michael Upton of Catholic Memorial, won the boys race. He returns this season after finishing 23rd at the Meet of Champions Division One race last season.
