It’s time to get ready for some intense competition this weekend with the MIAA State Championships. Here we preview girls’ Div. 2A, 2B and 2C.
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DIVISION STATE 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Northfield Mountain
Division 2A
Day/Time: Saturday at 2:45 p.m.
Teams: Brockton, Greater New Bedford, Leominster, Essek North Shore, Revere, Bristol Plymouth, Shawsheen Valley Tech, Lynn Classical, Whittier, Greater Lawrence, Blackstone Valley Regional, Tantasqua Regional, Boston Latin Academy, Northeast Metro Regional, Westfield, Masconomet Regional, Walpole, Whitman Hanson, Assabet, Minnechaug, Norwood, Westwood, Grafton, Duxbury, Somerset Berkley, Putnam Voc, Marblehead, Fitchburg, Holyoke, Dartmouth, Longmeadow, Shepherd Hill, Melrose, Canton
Runners To Watch: Lauren Raffetto, Canton; Reilly Powell, Melrose, Sara Blanco, Boston Latin Academy, Marietta O’Connell, Marblehead; Susahah Rockers, Westwood; Bridget Flynn, Norwood
Top Teams: Canton, Westwood, Boston Latin Academy
Outlook: Raffetto has manufactured a strong junior season, highlighted by a sub-18-minute performance — a 17:52.40 for second place in the Medium Schools race at the Twilight Invitational — and a victory (18:30.3) at the recent Hockomock League Championships. We expect that momentum to continue for the Canton standout with a big win at Northfield.
The real question in this race is who has the best chance to claim that coveted runner-up spot, with O’Connell, Blanco, Powell, and Rockers among the leading contenders. The quartet finished 2-3-4-10 at last year’s meet, with Raffetto placing seventh.
Powell was fifth at Twilight, clocking 18:23.8, and took fourth at the ML-12 Championships, where she ran a best of 18:07.2 on what appeared to be a generous 5K layout at Woburn Country Club. She’s coming off a 19:44.2 effort at the Frank Mooney Invitational — a race she may have used as a tune-up for this weekend.
O’Connell placed eighth at Twilight (18:53.6) and last raced in mid-October, taking ninth at the Catholic Memorial Invitational with a solid 19:03.3 at Franklin Park. Blanco brings a best of 18:25.5 to the line, while Rockers has a PR of 18:40.
Look for a tight battle between Westwood and Canton for the team title. The two teams, ranked No. 8 and No. 9 in our power rankings, are both coming off league-championship victories — Westwood capturing the Tri-Valley League crown and Canton securing first in the Hockomock League. Boston Latin Academy appears to have the right mix of talent to challenge for the third spot.
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Division 2B
Day/Time: Saturday at 1:15 p.m.
Teams: Northampton, Nashoba Regional, Burlington, Chelsea, Scituate, Middleboro, Dracut, Amherst-Pelham, Wayland, Wakefield, Bedford, Ludlow, Marlborough, Holliston, East Longmeadow, Ashland, Burncoat, Nauset Regional, Tewksbury, Danvers, Pembroke, Newburyport, Falmouth, North Middlesex, Foxborough, Medfield, Chicopee, Hanover, Groton Dunstable
Runners To Watch: Mairead O’Neil, Northampton; Lucy Downin, Holliston; Quin Wilcox, Wakefield; Sophia Warnetski, Ashland; Meghan McEleney, Groton Dunstable
Top Teams: Amherst Pelham, Northampton, Wakefield, Holliston
Outlook: This race has the potential to come down to the wire between O’Neil and Downin. O’Neil, who broke the 18-minute barrier at the Twilight Invitational with a personal best of 17:59.10, is coming off a victory at the WMass XC Championships. Downin, meanwhile, clocked 18:11 at Twilight and followed that up with a best of 18:01.50 to claim the Tri-Valley League title. Wilcox, Warnetski and McEleney could be fighting for the next few spots with times in the low-to-mid 19-minute range at Northfield.
With a projected gap of around 40 seconds between their top five, Amherst-Pelham could prove difficult to beat for the team title. The Hurricanes are led by Marit MacDonald, who ranks No. 10 in the field based on seed times with a mark of 19:44.20. Behind her, Amherst’s next five runners have all broken the 21-minute barrier, which showcases its depth. Northampton looks like a strong contender for the runner-up spot, with O’Neil setting the pace up front.
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Division 2C
Day/Time: Saturday at 11:45 a.m.
Teams: Apponequet Regional, Saugus, Watertown, Auburn, Wilmington, Dighton-Rehoboth, Dedham, Norton, Martha’s Vineyard, Dover-Sherborn, Medway, Weston, North Reading, Swampscott, Minutemen Regional, Oakmont, Keefe Tech, Salem, Bishop Stang, Ursuline Academy, Fontbonne Academy, Archbishop Williams, Cardinal Spellman, Bishop Fenwick, Saint Mary’s, Manchester Essex, Saint Paul Diocesan, Pope Francis Prep, Arlington Catholic, Lowell Catholic, Notre Dame Academy, Notre Dame Cristo Rey, Whitinsville Christian, Saint Bernnard’s, Falmouth Academy, Saint Mary’s High – Westfield, South Lancaster, Riverview School, Immaculate Heart of Mary School
Runners To Watch: Emily Flagg, Whitinsville Christian, Abby Flagg, Whitinsville Christian; Kelsey Kwiatek, St, Mary’s – Lynn; Elise Casso, Falmouth Academy
Top Teams: Whitinsville Christian, Bishop Fenwick, North Reading, Wilmington
Outlook: Team Flagg should be front and center in this race, with twin sisters Emily and Abby occupying the top two seeds. Emily will be looking to complete the three-peat, and she’s shown every sign she’s ready to do it again this weekend. She ran a personal best of 17:17.30 at the Twilight Invitational on Oct. 12 and looked equally strong a week later at Franklin Park, where she dominated the field in 17:37.50.
Abby enters the weekend with momentum after winning the Frank Mooney Coaches Invitational, where she broke the 18-minute barrier for the first time, clocking 17:59.60. With a team title also on the line, there’s a strong chance we’ll see a 1–2 finish from the Flagg sisters — and possibly both under 18 minutes.
Who else could challenge near the front on Saturday? St. Mary’s Kelsey Kwiatek could be in the mix. She placed second at the Bay State Challenge early in the season and recently captured the Catholic Central League Championship with an 18:33 performance at Franklin Park. Other strong contenders include Elise Casso of Falmouth Academy, Annabelle Averett of Swampscott, and Jessica Bourne of Weston — all of whom have posted times between 18:26.60 and 18:40.30 this season.
In the team race, it should be business as usual for Whitinsville Christian, which is aiming for its fifth straight title. The Crusaders return a solid core and appear well-positioned to keep the streak alive. Bishop Fenwick looks like the favorite for the runner-up spot.
