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.
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DIVISION 3 – GIRLS
Qualifying Teams:Norwell, East Bridgewater, Pioneer-Chinee Immersion, Monument Mountain, Sandwich, Lunenburg, Hopedale, Norfolk County, Bromfield, Mohawk Trail, Hampshire Regional, Old Rochester Regional, Hamilton Wenham, Lenox, Sutton, Sturgis Charter East, Abington, Nantucket, Parker Charter, Greater Lowell Tech, Mount Greylock, Tyngsboro, Frontier Regional, AMSA
Day/Time: Saturday at 1:15 p.m.
Runners To Watch: Katherine Murray, Norwell; Emma Genovese, Millis: Grace Rich, Hamilton Wenham, Asa Labell, Hamilton Wenham; Olivia Coronella, Lunenburg; Aubrey Birtwell, Norwell
Top Teams: Greater Lowell Tech, Hampshire Regional, Mount Greylock, Sandwich, Norwell, Hamilton Wenham
Outlook: Individually, Murray gets the favorite’s nod. The Clipper sophomore has put together another strong season on the trails, and all signs point to a victory on Saturday. At last weekend’s Division 3A Championships at Willard Park, Murray cruised to her second straight title, clocking 18:59.79.
The talented underclassman, who placed third at last year’s Meet of Champions as a freshman, has been remarkably consistent all season. She owns a 5K best of 18:04.30 from her win at the Bay State Invitational on Sept. 27. Murray also claimed runner-up honors at the Twilight Invitational in mid-October, finishing in 18:11.30 in the Small School race, and made it two straight South Shore League crowns on Oct. 23, where she ran a near PR of 18:06.70.
The expected competition behind Murray could get interesting, as several runners are capable of challenging for top spots. The biggest threat to Murray appears to be Genovese. The Millis freshman won the Div. 3C race unchallenged, finishing in 19:18.59 — more than 20 seconds ahead of her closest pursuer. She was the Tri-Valley League runner-up with a time of 18:18.10 at Wrentham and went slightly faster at Twilight, placing third behind Murray in 18:17.90.
There’s also Rich, the Div. 3B champion in 19:24.90. This will be her third time competing at Willard Park. Back on Oct. 11, the Hamilton-Wenham junior was second overall at the Devens Pre-Championship Classic, crossing the line in 18:57.93. Her teammate, Labell, finished second In Div. 3B this past weekend with a time of 19:27.66 and owns a season best of 19:08.06 from that same Devens meet.
Coronella, the Mid-Wach League champion and third-place finisher in Div. 3B, and Birtwell, the runner-up in Div. 3A, could also be in the mix for high finishes.
As for the team title, take your pick. Several squads could be vying for the top prize, with any of the contenders mentioned above capable of winning with the right kind of race.
Hamilton-Wenham and Norwell both feature a strong 1-2 punch, with Rich and Labell for the Generals and Murray and Birtwell for the Clippers — all four with the potential to finish among the top five or 10 overall. Mount Greylock, meanwhile, has the ability to keep its top five packed tightly together. At last weekend’s divisional meet, just 37.71 seconds separated the Mounties’ scoring five.
Greater Lowell Tech and Sandwich are also legitimate threats, each boasting depth and balance inn their lineups. As often the case in meets like this where several are evenly matched, the all-important fifth runner could play a key factor on Saturday.
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DIVISION 3 – BOYS
Day/Time: Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
Qualifying Teams: East Bridgewater, Quabbin, Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion, Gardner, Pentucket, Carver, Maynard, Belchertown, Bromfield, Southest Regional, Hamshire Regional, Hudson, Hamilton Wenham, Mount Greylock, Hopedale, Frontier Regional, Triton Regional, Lenox, Greater Lowell Tech, Parker Charter, Amesbury. Innovation, Littleton
Runners To Watch: Nathaniel Henshaw, Parker Charter, Ben McWaters, Bromfield; Quinn Cook, Hopedale; Maurice King, Greater Lowell Tech
Top Teams: Parker Charter, Greater Lowell Tech, Bromfield
Outlook: We’re expecting the race for individual honors to be a close one with the potential to have three or more still in contention in the late stages. We’re listing Henshaw as a slight favorite. The Parker Charter senior won the Div. 3C crown this past weekend with a solid time of 16:11.39. He also captured the Small School title at Twilight at 15:41.90 and nearly matched that time to take the CMAC North Division crown with a 15:42.0 effort at Fort Devens.
McWaters, who finished second in Div. 3C, is also a strong contender. He claimed the Mid-Wach Championship title with a personal best of 15:46.96.
You can’t ignore Quinn, too. The Hopedale freshman has the ability to hang with our front-runners. He was third behind Henshaw and McWaters this past weekend and went sub-16 at Twilight, clocking 15:57.60. The tall and slender frosh always looks smooth and composed. It wouldn’t surprise us if he stole the show with an upset performance.
Eleven runners in the field broke 17 minutes last week at the divisional states. This should be an excting race to watch with some intense battles cominng down the stretch.
Parker Charter, ranked No. 10 in the latest power rankings, appears poised to secure a second consecutive title. The Panthers, who claimed the Division 3C championship, have the depth to place all five scorers ahead of most teams’ third runners. In addition to Henshaw, freshman Jett Johnson, Cypress Lance, Zephyr Schermerhorn, and Danny Gamson all have the capability to finish among the top 20. Greater Lowell Tech, Bromfield, and Mount Greylock also enter as credible threats.
