#17 Amherst Pelham Regional
The Amherst-Pelham Regional girls return for the 2026 season poised to defend their Division 2A crown. Genevieve Dole was their top performer in the postseason, coming in 12th at the 2A race and 36th at the Meet of Champions. She ran a PR of 20:15 to help Amherst top rival Northampton at the Western Mass Championships.
Marit McDonald returns with the top 5K time, 19:44 at the Twilight Meet. She was their #2 runner at the Meet of Champions where Amherst was fifth. However, it was Ella Austin who was their top runner at the 2A Meet at Northfield Mountain, finishing just ahead of Dole in 11th. She covered the state’s toughest course in an impressive 21:26 with Dole just behind in 21:27. If you haven’t caught on, the theme here is that anyone of these girls are capable of the leading the Hurricanes this fall. That makes them a scary team to compete against.
Filling out the rest of the top five should be Quynh Ly and Ella Jamate. Ly has a best of 20:18 from the Bay State Invitational. Jamate has run 20:51 making her the fifth fastest returnee on paper. While Amherst Pelham may not have as flashy of times as some other teams on this list, they’ve run well on tough courses and when it matters most. Keep an eye on their top three. Don’t be surprised to see that trio finishing together in the top 15 at races this year.
Projected Top 5
Marit McDonald 19:44
Genevieve Dole 20:15
Quynh Ly 20:18
Ella Austin 20:20
Ella Jamate 20:51
