After starting the season quietly, Mason Niles showed up on the biggest stage like a seasoned veteran. After competing as an eighth grader for Billerica, he started 2024 by winning the Freshmen race at the Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational. He wouldn’t race again until the Divisional Championships. It was there he stunned a talented field, to emerge as one of the top runners to watch for years to come.
Niles won in 16:19 on the challenging Northfield Mountain course. Any thought of his win being a fluke was cast aside the following week when he finished 19th at the Meet of Champions. As you might guess, he was the top freshmen.
Niles followed that with a strong indoor season, but it was in the spring where he would truly show his potential. After running a PR of 4:19 at the MVC League Championships, an already fantastic time for a freshman, he would run 4:17 at the Meet of Champions. That time ranked him as the fifth fastest freshmen in the country for 2025.
Given the small sample size last Cross Country season, it’s hard to predict what we might see this fall. Based off his track season and his win at the Divisional Meet, we think Niles will emerge as one of the top contenders this season to challenge for the win at the Meet of Champions. He’s proven his strength on the XC course, and his speed was on full display this spring. Billerica is also one of the teams we expect to make a big leap this fall. They’re front loaded with talent, and a lot of that starts will Niles. It will be interesting to chart his season. If we don’t see much early on, don’t count Niles or Billerica out. Expect big things as this rising sophomore looks to make a name for himself in the Bay State and beyond.
