This weekend promised loads of action and it did not disappoint. While the Ocean State Invite may have drawn more eyes throughout the region, the Bay State Invitational provided some of the biggest results of the young season so far, and we learned a lot about some of states best teams and runners. Let’s Dive in:
Concord-Carlisle is as good as advertised. On the boy’s side, they came into this weekend with the most anticipation, and they knocked the prerace expectations out of the park. They came into this season as our #1 and proved why, with most decisive victory of the day, winning the Varsity C race with a score of 22. Most strong teams can put up 22 points in a tri-meet and consider it a good day. Doing so at an Invite is rare air. They had 10 runners in the race. All 10 finished in the top 15. Six of which were in the top 10.
Their top three of Charles McDonald, Joey Bodenrader, and Brendan Quinn went 2-3-4 between 15:54-56. All ten of their runners finished between 15:43 and 16:43. But it didn’t stop there. They also went 1-6 in the JV 2 Race. Ryan Perry won in 16:23. Their top three broke 17.
So, if you’re following all of that, Concord-Carlisle could field two teams in the top 20.
For the rest of boy’s teams across the Bay State, this weekend results should be alarming. The path to victory over the Patriots isn’t clear. However, the team that may have the best shot at beating them come November is not one we had in our rankings. Which brings us to arguably biggest surprise of the weekend through both meets…
The Cambridge Rindge & Latin Boys are good. Really good. While they don’t have the depth that some of the top ranked teams, they may have the most strength up front. The Falcons put four runners in the top six. Their fourth, Kieran Eichler ran 16:03. What could give them the edge in the post season, is that their also led by Leon Ibanez-Fraile, who has emerged as one of the state’s top contenders. He flew under the radar heading into the season (16:04 5K PR and 9:32 2 Mile) but had the fastest time of the day between MA and RI. He was followed by Freshmen Thomas Dewitt in 15:55 and Liam Eldridge in 15:56.
Despite missing their top returning runner, the Westwood girls proved they are still the team to beat in Division 2, and one of the best in the state. In one of the closest races of the day, they edged Amherst-Pelham Regional by nine points to win with a score of 50. Susannah Rockers and Maeve Gavin took care of business up front, finishing in fourth and fifth, running 19:40 and 19:48. Their Pack of Cara Sullivan, Elyse Boger, Ryan Colleran, and Ciara Chi helped secure the win. As their sixth runner, Chi finished 21st and helped displace other team’s top runners.
Bishop Feehan was the other big surprise of the day. After falling to Concord-Carlisle and Whitinsville Christian at the Highland Park Invitational, they seemed to be on shaky ground. As the saying goes, reports of their demise were greatly exaggerated. Led by Junior Sophie Shaw, who finished second overall in a PR of 18: 17, they narrowly edged Wachusett Regional, 77-80. Wachusett was led by Fiona Witt, who was third overall in a PR of 18:23.
In their first Invitational of the season, the Reading boys proved they are for real by taking the A race with an impressive score of 35, to hold off North Andover and Wellesley. Like Concord-Carlisle, their strength lies in numbers, as their top five finished in the top 11, running between 16:02 and 16:29. Andrew Princic was third overall for the Rockets.
Sami Juma of Wellesley got the win in the A race, in a PR of 15:45, solidifying himself as a runner to watch the rest of the season. Luka Zahurak of Walpole proved his win against Brookline was no fluke as he won the B race by 20 seconds, in 15:34. That was the second fastest time of the day behind Cambridge’s Fraile. Walpole was second overall with 72 points.
Katherine Murray of Norwell continues her strong season, running a PR of 18:04, and the fastest time of the day. She’ll look to make a run at the D3 crown in a little over a month.
Sophia Jaunes Seto of Cambridge Rindge & Latin made it two wins on the day for the Falcons. She took the A race in a PR of 18:10. Seto was eighth at the Meet of Champions last season and holds the fourth fastest 5K time in the state.
