It will be a busy day of championship racing this weekend as teams from across the state compete in the MIAA Divisional Championships. Who are the top teams and individual runners to watch in Saturday’s competition?
Here, we break down the girls’ Division 1 races at Fort Devens with previews of Divisions 1A, 1B and 1C.
GIRLS
DIVISION 1A
Day/Time: Saturday, 11 a.m.
Teams: Lexington, Newton South, Wachusett Regional, Braintree, Framingham, Needham, Weymouth, Cambridge Rindge & Latin, Westford Academy, Shrewsbury, Andover, Brookline, Franklin, Boston Latin, Haverhill, Lowell, Acton-Boxborough Reg, Methuen, Attleboro, Stoughton, New Bedford, Taunton, Lawrence, Worcester Technical.
Runners To Watch: Jane Conrad, Lexington; Isabelle Monaghan, Newton South; Amelia Whorton, Lexington; Naomi Witt, Wachusett Regional; Chloe Dinh, Braintree; Daria Lamakina, Framingham
Top Teams: Lexington, Needham, Wachusett Regional, Weymouth
Outlook: This will be top-ranked Lexington’s final race against its Massachusetts rivals. The Minutemen have opted out of next weekend’s Meet of Champions for a chance to qualify for Nationals at Nike Cross Regionals Northeast. Saturday’s race at Fort Devens should provide a valuable confidence boost heading into the regionals.
Just short of three weeks removed from their dominating 17–61 victory over Winchester, Lexington is the odds-on favorite to capture its second straight team title and eighth in school history. The Minutemen’s biggest challenge should come from fourth-ranked Needham, but with Lexington’s ability to place all five scoring runners among the top 15, it appears evident that the Minutemen will make it three straight at Willard Park.
Individually, Lexington’s Jane Conrad appears primed for her first Div. 1A title. Conrad has broken 18 minutes three times this season, clocking a state-best 17:27.60 in a league meet back on Oct. 6. Her most recent competition was a 16th-place finish at the highly competitive VA Showcase in mid-October, where she was timed in 17:37.80. She followed that two weeks later with a victory at the ML-12 Championships, where she raced to a time of 17:37.60.
Two other runners in this field have sub-18-minute performances to their credit this fall: Newton South’s Isabelle Monaghan (17:58.0) and Lexington’s Amelia Whorton (17:59.0). Monaghan’s effort earned her runner-up honors at the Catholic Memorial Invitational, while Whorton’s best secured second place at the ML-12 meet.
The field is strong, with more than 15 runners owning season or personal bests under 19 minutes this fall. Look for Conrad to take charge, with Monaghan and Whorton battling for the No. 2 spot. There should be plenty of action behind the trio, with a number of runners capable of filling those remaining top spots.
***
DIVISION 1B
Day/Time: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
Teams: Concord-Carlisle, Chelmsford, Beverly, Wellesley, Winchester, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional, Peabody Veterans Memorial, Arlington, North Quincy, North Andover, Natick, King Philip Regional, Algonquin Regional, Marshfield, Belmont, Plymouth North, Diman Regional Voc/Tech, Durfee, Woburn Memorial, Barnstable, Waltham, Bridgewater-Raynham Regional, Springfield Central, Everett.
Runners To Watch: Maria Chopas, Concord-Carlisle; Mia McCusker, Chelmsford; Grace Corbett, Beverly; Maddie Tuxbury, Wellesley; Julia Ramsey, Winchester; Pelin Turner, Concord-Carlisle
Top Teams: Concord-Carlisle, Winchester, North Andover, North Quincy
Outlook: The competition does appear tight in this race, both individually and team-wise.
The two leaders for individual honors are Concord-Carlisle’s Maria Chopas and Chelmsford’s Mia McCusker. Chopas, the defending titlist, has raced only twice this fall, both times with success. She kicked off her season by capturing the Amherst Invitational in mid-September with a PR of 18:15.4 and followed that with a victory at the Dual County League Championships, where she was timed in 18:27.8 at Franklin Park. McCusker also has two races to her credit, with runner-up finishes at the Catholic Memorial Invitational and the Merrimack Valley Conference Championships in times of 18:16.80 and 18:22.0, respectively.
Other top runners in this field include Beverly’s Grace Corbett (18:27.40), Wellesley’s Maddie Tuxbury (18:29.0), Winchester’s Julia Ramsay (18:37.0) and Concord-Carlisle’s Pelin Turner (18:43.30), just to name a few.
At last year’s meet, Winchester defeated Concord-Carlisle by three points for the team title. Both squads are the front-runners to battle it out again, with a chance that the roles could be reversed. The third-ranked Patriots appear to have a stronger top five, with the ability to place all their scorers among the top 20, including a solid 1-2 punch featuring Chopas and Turner. The Red and Black, ranked No. 7 statewide, has a similar squad but may not have the same strength as Concord-Carlisle in those final few scoring positions. That could be the difference-maker. But you never know.
***
DIVISION 1C
Day/Time: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Teams: Billerica Memorial, Notre Dame Academy-Hingham, Milton, Central Catholic, Westborough, Somerville, West Springfield, Mansfield, North Attleborough, Bishop Feehan, Reading Memorial, Silver Lake Regional, Medford, Sharon, Hopkinton, Agawam, Hingham, Chicopee Comprehensive, Malden Catholic, Milford, South High Community, Bay Path RVT.
Runners To Watch: Kylie Donahue, Billerica Memorial; Kathryn Ford, Notre Dame- Hingham; Grace Danielson, Milton; Caitlin Donahue, Billerica Memorial; Maya Niles, Billerica Memorial; Kyla Breslin, Central Catholic
Top Teams: Billerica Memorial, Milton, Bishop Feehan, Notre Dame Academy – Hingham
Outlook: It should be all Billerica this weekend.
The two-time defending champions will once again bring a loaded lineup to this meet, with the ability to score as low as 30 points. Leading the way for the second-ranked Indians is junior Kylie Donahue, who captured the recent Merrimack Valley Conference Championships with a PR of 17:50.0, a time more than 20 seconds faster than her closest rival, Notre Dame Academy’s Kathryn Ford. Ford won last weekend’s Large School race at the Frank Mooney Invitational in a season-best 18:13.50.
As is the case with most successful teams, Billerica’s strength is its depth. The Indians have a legitimate chance to place four runners in the top 10, if not more. Among those runners are Caitlin Donahue (18:26.70), Maya Niles (18:32.0), Hartlie Siegal (18:48.90), Gianna McGowan (18:54.0) and Sabrina Gorski (19:01.0). Milton, Bishop Feehan and Notre Dame Acadewmy appear to be thew team’s vying for the next three places.
Other top runners expected to toe the line include Milton’s Grace Danielson (18:26.70) and Felicity Goode (18:41.70), along with Westborough’s Clare Hall (18:45.10).
