It’s time to get ready for some intense competition this weekend with the MIAA Divisional Championships. Here we preview girls’ Div. 1A, 1B and 1C.
DIVISION STATE 1 CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Wrentham Developmental Center
Division 1A
Day/Time: Saturday at 2:45 p.m.
Teams: Acton Boxborough, Andover, Attleboro, Boston Latin, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge Rindge & Latin, Framingham, Franklin, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lexington, Lowell, Methuen, Needham, New Bedford, Newton North, Newton South, Shrewsbury, Taunton, Wachusett Regional, Weymouth, Westford Academy
Runners To Watch: Abby Hennessy, Westford Academy; Greta Hammer, Needham; Jane Conrad, Lexington; Emily Wedlake, Westford Academy; Sophia Juanes-Seto, Cambridge Rindge & Latin; Naomi Witt, Wachusett Regional
Top Teams: Lexington, Westford Academy, Newton North, Needham
Outlook: Just a few weeks after their classic matchup at the Twilight Invitational, Hennessy and Hammer are set to face off for the second of what could be three meetings this season — and possibly more. Expect another thrilling showdown between two of the state’s top harriers, both with the potential to dip under 17 minutes on the fast Wrentham course.
At Twilight, Hennessy set the course record with a personal-best 16:43, while Hammer was equally impressive with a near-sub-17 clocking of 17:00.40. Hennessy, who also captured the Ocean State Invitational title in late September, has maintained her blistering pace this fall. Most recently, she claimed victory at the Dual County League Championships on Oct. 24, covering Franklin Park’s challenging 5K in another course-record time of 16:46.60.
While the course has changed somewhat over the years, the fastest known time at Wrentham remains 17:04.14, set by former Natick standout Grace Connelly at the now-defunct MIAA Eastern Division Championships in 2018. Don’t be surprised if both Hennessy and Hammer eclipse that mark this weekend, with the favored Hennessy possibly clocking somewhere in the 16:30–16:40 range based on her recent performance on the tougher Franklin Park terrain.
This weekend’s race should serve as a tune-up for the Meet of Champions next week, and potentially for the Brooks Northeast Championships on Nov. 29. All signs point to another classic showdown between two of the Bay State’s best.
The battle for third place and the other top positions should be equally exciting, with several runners capable of big performances this weekend. There’s a strong possibility that we could see at least two more athletes break 18 minutes. Wedlake already went under that mark at Twilight, clocking a personal-best 17:51.90, and followed it up with a third-place finish at the DCL meet, running 18:06.30 at Franklin Park. Conard also looks strong, winning the ML-12 Championships in 17:18.39 on what appeared to be a three-mile course at Woburn Country Club. She was second to Whitinsville Christian’s Emily Flagg at the Catholic Memorial Invitational, finishing in 18:19.90. Juanes-Seto, the runner-up to Hennessy at the DCL meet, owns a season best of 18:02.20.
Expect this talented trio to work together through much of the race, setting the stage for an intense and competitive battle within the chase pack behind the expected front-runners — Hennessy and Hammer.
The team competition features two of the state’s top programs in the power rankings — Lexington and defending champion Westford Academy. This matchup could come down to the wire, with the all-important fifth runner likely deciding the outcome and the margin of victory potentially in single digits. Lexington earns the slight edge as the favorite, thanks to its overall depth and the smaller gap between its first and fifth runners. Newton North and Needham, ranked No. 5 and No. 7 respectively, should also be in the mix and could challenge for a podium spot.
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Division 1B
Day/Time: Saturday at 1:15 p.m.
Teams: Algonquin Regional, Arlington, Barnstable, Belmont, Beverly, Bridgewater-Raynham Regional, Chelmsford, Concord-Carlisle, Diman Regional Voc/Tech, Durfee, Everett, King Philip Regional, Lincoln-Sudbury, Lynn English, Marshfield, Natick, North Andover, North Quincy, Peabody, Plymouth North, Springfield Central, Waltham, Wellesley, Winchester, Woburn, Worcester Tech
Runners To Watch: Julia Ramsey, Winchester; Millie McDonald, Winchester; Chloe Chan, Winchester: Mia McCusker, Chelmsford; Emma Tuxbury, Wellesley; Maria Chopas, Concord-Carlisle; Riley Newman, Winchester; Maddie Tuxbury, Wellesle
Top Teams: Winchester, Concord-Carlisle, Arlington, Wellesley
Outlook: When the leaders hit the horseshoe finish at Wrentham for the final 400 meters, the outcome could still be very much in doubt, with several competitors still in contention. Chopas, McCusker, and Emma Tuxbury have all posted personal bests this season between 18:27 and 18:29. Chopas clocked her best of 18:29.80 at the Twilight Invitational and ran a near-identical 18:30.10 to place fourth at the DCL Championships at Franklin Park. McCusker set her PR of 18:27 at Twilight, while Tuxbury recorded her best of 18:29.20 at the Bay State Invitational on Sept. 27 at Wrentham.
There’s potential for more than a half-dozen runners to break 19 minutes this weekend, with as many as three — possibly four — coming from Winchester: Ramsay, McDonald, Chan, and Newman. Add Wellesley’s Maddie Tuxbury (18:37.50) to that list as well, and this race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the field.
Winchester, No. 4 in the power rankings, gets the favorite nod in this race. The Sachems have the proven ability to pick them in tightly this weekend with a gap between 20-30 seconds, maybe better. If they’re on their game, they’ll be tough to beat on Saturday. But don’t rule out Concord-Carlisle, which holds the No. 6 spot in our power rankings. The Patriots are a squad that could average in the low 19-minute range by their scorers this weekend. That could certaonly bode well in the final standings.
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Division 1C
Day/Time: Saturday at 11:45 a.m.
Teams: Agawam, Bay Path, Billerica, Bishop Feehan, Catholic Memorial, Central Catholic, Chicopee Comprehensive, Doherty Memorial, Hingham, Hopkinton, Malden Catholic, Mansfield, Medford, Milford, Milton, North Attleboro, Notre Dame Academy – Hingham, Oliver Ames, Plymouth South, Reading Memorial, Sharon, Silver Lake Regional Somerville, South High Community, Stoughton, West Springfield, Westborough
Runners To Watch: Sophie Shaw, Bishop Feehan; Clare Hall, Westborough, Kyla Breslin, Central Catholic; Kylie Donnahue, Billerica; Clare Sullivan, Notre Dame Academy – Hingham; Caitlin Donahue, Billerica
Top Teams: Billerica, Notre Dame Academy – Hingham, Bishop Feehan
Outlook: Here’s another race with no clear-cut favorite and the potential for a crowded lead pack in the late stages. Shaw, Hall, and Breslin have all broken 18:20 this season and appear evenly matched heading into the weekend. Shaw clocked a season-best 18:17.10 to finish second in her race at the Bay State Invitational in late September. Hall captured the Mid-Wach League Championship title by nearly 30 seconds with her best of 18:17.26, while Breslin posted an 18:18.50 at the Twilight Invitational and followed that up with an 18:30.50 at the Catholic Memorial Invitational in Franklin Park. Donahue (18:28.0), Sullivan (18:33.50), and Donahue (18:42.30) are several others with sub-19-minute performances this fall.
Billerica, ranked No. 3 in our power rankings, is the favorite to bring home the team hardware. The Indians have the potential to place at least three runners in the top 10 and all five scorers among the first 15. Bishop Feehan and Notre Dame (Hingham) — ranked No. 10 and No. 17, respectively — should be in the mix, battling for the coveted runner-up spot.
