It only seems fitting that Fort Devens serves as the site for Saturday’s MIAA Meet of Champions. Established in 1917, the former military base played a vital role through several conflicts, including World War I and World War II.
When our teams and athletes converge there this weekend, they’ll engage in a battle of a different kind — a friendlier, yet no less intense, contest at Willard Park in Fort Devens. Who will emerge victorious? Who will contend for those top spots in their respective divisions?
Here’s our preview of the Division 2 girls’ and boys’ meets.
***
DIVISION 2 – GIRLS
Qualifying Teams: Marblehead, Minnechuag, Saint Mary’s Danvers, Westwood, Newburyport, Masconomet, Canton, Bishop Fenwick, Wakefield, Amherst-Pelham, Walpole, Northampton, Dover Sherborn, Norton, Ashland, Melrose, North Reading, Boston Public Schools (Boston Latin Academy), Whitinsville Christian, Pembroke, Wilmington, Holliston
Day/Time: Saturday at 11:45 a.m.
Runners To Watch: Emily Flagg, Whitinsville Christian; Abby Flagg, Whitinsville Christian; Lucy Downin, Holliston; Mairead O’Neil, Northampton; Sara Blanco, Boston Public Schools; Quin Wilcox, Wakefield; Lauren Raffetto, Canton; Marrietta O’Connell, Marblehead
Top Teams: Boston Public Schools, Marblehead, Westwood
Outlook: There’s no denying who the top two runners are in this race: twin sisters Emily and Abby Flagg of Whitinsville Christian — the only athletes to break 19 minutes on the demanding five-kilometer course at Northfield Mountain this past weekend.
In the Division 2C race, Emily claimed her third consecutive title with a winning time of 18:30.73, while Abby secured second in 18:54.43. Both sisters have enjoyed standout seasons, and their success should continue at Willard Park this weekend. Emily, the defending champion, clocked a best of 18:16 at Fort Devens at last year’s meet, while Abby, then an eighth-grader, placed third in the same race in 2022 at 18:54.87 — just a stride off her most recent performance.
In terms of course difficulty, this weekend’s layout is slightly less demanding than Franklin Park, where Emily captured her second straight individual title at the Catholic Memorial Invitational with a time of 17:48.10. At minimum, another sub-18 effort seems likely from the Crusaders’ gifted junior. Abby, meanwhile, is also coming off a victory in the Junior Race at the Frank Mooney Coaches Invitational two weeks ago, where she ran a personal best of 17:59.6 at Wrentham. She’s certainly capable of a low-18-minute performance.
Other strong contenders include Raffetto and O’Neil, runners-up in Divisions 2A and 2C, respectively. Both broke 18 minutes at the Twilight Invitational. Downin, a talented freshman, claimed the Division 2B crown and also won the Tri-Valley League Championships in mid-October with a best of 18:01.5.
Several schools should be in the mix for the team title. Boston Public Schools (Boston Latin Academy) has to be considered the favorite, especially after its impressive victory in the Division 2A meet this past weekend, where it defeated Marblehead by 15 points. BPS features a strong top three with recent state titlist Sara Blanco, Anjuli Claire Szydlo, and Neve Flynn, who ran between 19:38 and 20:40 at Northfield. Like many teams, its depth at the back end could be the key factor.
Marblehead also remains firmly in contention. Compiling the results from the divisional state meets, the Magicians ranked No. 2 overall, averaging 21:15.56 for their five scoring runners compared to BPS’s 20:53.58. Marblehead’s No. 2 runner last week Marrietta O’Connell was third at the Meet of Champs last year, so keep an eye on her. Westwood (21:22.06 average) sits just behind, along with Division 2B and 2C winners Amherst-Pelham and Whitinsville Christian, who could also challenge for a podium finish.
***
DIVISION 2 – BOYS
Day/Time: Saturday at 11 a.m.
Qualifying Teams: Walpole, Duxbury, Martha’s Vineyard, Wayland, Longmeadow, Ashland, Ludlow, Masconomet, Dedham, Medfield, Groton Dunstable, Melrose, Amherst-Pelham, Dover Sherborn, Whitinsville Christian, Pembroke, Marblehead, Swampscott, Boston Public Schools (Boston Latin Academy), Weston, Newburyport, Wilmington, Northampton
Runners To Watch: Silas Gartner, Falmouth; Andrew Kosiba, Groton Dunstable; Ethan Halpren, Longmeadow; Calvin Miller, Amherst Pelham
Top Teams: Groton Dunstable, Boston Public Schools
Outlook: The odds-on favorite in this race is Gartner, the defending champion. The Clipper senior made it two straight Division 2B titles with a triumphant 16:11.63 at Northfield. Since a league meet on Sept. 30, Gartner has been unbeaten against his in-state rivals—often by large margins. He’s always up for the challenge in big races, and that’s unlikely to change when he toes the line this weekend.
Gartner ran at Fort Devens twice last year with nearly identical times, clocking 15:42.91 to take the 1B crown and 15:42.60 to win the Meet of Champions. While Saturday’s forecast calls for cold conditions in the mid-40s, no rain is expected. Look for the always-consistent Gartner to be in the 15:30–15:35 range on Saturday.
Kosiba appears to be Gartner’s biggest threat should the favorite falter. He finished second to Gartner this past weekend, running a solid 16:28.93. Kosiba has also gone sub-16 this season, with a best of 15:46.10 at Twilight. He has impressive range, boasting PRs of 11.57 for 100 meters and 50.98 for the 400m, and should be ready to hold off any late challengers down the stretch.
Miller is another strong competitor. He placed third behind Gartner and Kosiba last weekend with a time of 16:42.71. The Amherst-Pelham junior captured the WMass Class A title at Stanley Park in 15:44.0 on another challenging 5K course, so he should be well prepared for a strong showing this weekend.
Don’t overlook Halpren, either. The Division 2A winner posted a time of 16:46.22 and could be a factor in the front pack.
As for the team competition, the ultimate prize appears to come down to Boston Public Schools and Groton-Dunstable, ranked No. 18 and No. 19, respectively, in the New Balance Power Rankings. BPS claimed the Division 2A title with a 46–80 win over Walpole, while Groton-Dunstable ran away with the Division 2B crown, scoring 59 points—79 more than Amherst-Pelham. Walpole and Longmeadow could be in the mix, but it would take quite a few things to break their way for them to contend for the title.
