Year after year, some things never change at the Ocean State Invitational: the competition is fierce, the talent is deep, and the atmosphere is electrifying.
That’s exactly how co-meet director Siobhan Breagy likes it.
“Last year, one of the coaches I reached out to initially said his team would attend a different meet because of his schedule,” recalled Breagy, who manages the meet with her dad and co-founder Charlie Breagy. “About a week later, he wrote back and said, ‘You know what, I was overruled by the team. The kids really want to come to your meet.’ I think that’s the best marker of success—when the kids want to come. We want to make it fun. The competition is very high at this meet, but it’s also very fun.”
It’s almost that time again. One of the East Coast’s most popular cross-country events will celebrate its 17th year when a throng of participants converges on Goddard State Park the weekend of Sept. 26–27.
As of Monday—and with two weeks still remaining before the registration deadline—nearly 100 teams had committed to the 14 high school races, with an additional 30 squads signed up for the six middle school events on Day 1 of the two-day meet. With more than 4,000 athletes expected to toe the line, the Ocean State Invitational—presented by Marathon Sports and New Balance—is shaping up to be much like its predecessors.
The highlight of the high school events will once again be the Championship races. A sampling of some of the top talent expected to compete at Goddard Park includes several athletes and teams ranked among the best in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In the girls’ Championship, defending individual titlist Abby Hennessy and her Westford Academy (MA) teammates are locked in. Hennessy is just a few months removed from placing third in the mile at New Balance Nationals, where she ran a PR and Massachusetts state record of 4:34.69—a time that ranked No. 4 in the country last year. After an injury shortly following her Ocean State victory (PR 17:59.40) sidelined her cross-country season and most of her indoor campaign, she rebounded in the spring to establish herself as one of the nation’s top middle-distance stars. Expect her to contend for a second straight Ocean State crown, with the potential for a low-17-minute performance if she’s at her best. Teamwise, Lexington and Westford Academy—currently ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in Bay State Running’s power rankings—have committed, along with Rhode Island’s top-ranked squad, North Kingstown.
The boys’ field is equally strong, with Natick, Lexington, and Newton South—ranked 2–3–4 in MA —all set to compete, along with North Kingstown, Rhode Island’s No. 2 team. Individually, defending champion Shamus Larnard of Boston College High (MA) will return to lead the Eagles, last year’s boys’ team champions.
(During the week leading up to the meet, we’ll preview all the top individuals and teams expected to line up in the Championship races.)
The Ocean State Invitational is held on a fast, spectator- and coach-friendly course with plenty of history. Among the meet’s most notable performances is Katelyn Tuohy’s record-breaking 16:06.87 from 2018. Then a junior at North Rockland (NY), Tuohy’s time was more than two minutes ahead of the runner-up and fast enough to place her second overall in the boys’ race. For the boys, the record belongs to Devan Kipyego of St. Raphael Academy (RI), who ran 14:57.7 in 2022. Kipyego, now a sub-four miler at Iowa State, was a multiple state champion and high school All-American.
“A lot of the greats have run at Goddard Park,” Breagy said. “The meet carries both legacy and history. I think it’s a fair course, especially if we get some favorable weather and the trails are in good shape. There are a lot of good runners who like a hard, muddy course. It can be fast, but it can also be true cross country. It just depends on what Mother Nature has in store for us that week.”
Registration for the Ocean State Invitational closes at noon on Monday, Sept. 22. Click HERE for more information and a link to registration for the high school and middle school races. Below is the schedule of races for the two-day meet. The meet is sanctioned for the following states – Connecticut, California, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York (city and state), Rhode Island, Vermont, Florida, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Maine.
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SCHEDULE
MIDDLE SCHOOL RACES – Friday
4;15 p.m. – 7th Grade Girls
4:35 – 7th Grade Boys
4:55 – 6th Grade Girls
5:15 – 6th Grade Boys
5:35 – 8th Grade Girls
5:55 – 8th Grade Boys
HIGH SCHOOL RACES – Saturday
8:45 a.m. – Freshmen 1 Boys
9:10 – Freshmen 1 Girls
9:35 – Junior Varsity 1 Boys
10:05 – Junior Varsity 1 (overflow) Boys
10:35 – Junior Varsity 1 Girls
11:10 – Varsity 1 Boys
11:35 – Varsity 1 Girls
12:05 p.m. – Opening Ceremony
12:15 – Championship Boys
12:45 – Champioknship Girls
1:05 – Awards Ceremony
1:25 – Varsity 2 Boys
1:50 – Varsity 2 Girls
2:20 – Junior Varsity 2 Boys
2:50 – Junior Varsity 2 Girls
3:25 – Freshmen 2 Boys
3:50 – Freshmen 2 Girls
4:00 – Awards Ceremony
