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 boys’ Division 2 race at Wrentham with previews of Divisions 2A, 2B and 2C.
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BOYS
DIVISION 2A
Day/Time: Saturday, 11:45 a.m.
Teams: Longmeadow, Boston Latin Academy, Walpole, Marblehead, Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical Institute, Canton, Melrose, Greater New Bedford RVT, Northeast Metro Regional Vocational, Minnechaug Regional, Grafton, Tantasqua Regional Senior, Revere, Leominster, Brockton, Dartmouth, Whitman-Hanson Regional, Shepherd Hill Regional, Duxbury, Somerset Berkley Regional, Whittier Regional Vocational Technical, Fitchburg, Norwood Senior, Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical, Westwood, Holyoke, Putnam Vocational Technical, Masconomet Regional.
Runners To Watch: CJ Deliso, Longmeadow; Jacob Abebe, Longmeadow, Bradon Spiess, Boston Latin Academy; Adam Kramer, Boston Latin Academy, Finn O’Connor, Longmeadow
Top Teams: Longmeadow, Walpole, Boston Latin Academy, Essex North Shore
Outlook: Unless some of its team members oversleep and miss the bus, it’s safe to say that Longmeadow will be the team to beat this weekend. The Lancers, who finished third in Division 2A last year after capturing the Division 2B title in 2024, are absolutely loaded. On paper, this squad has the potential to score in the low 20s if everything goes according to plan.
Longmeadow is coming off an impressive 35-64 victory over Amherst-Pelham to capture the Class A title at last weekend’s Western Massachusetts XC Championships. All five scorers posted personal-best performances at Stanley Park. All five could finish among the top 10 on Saturday, led by CJ Deliso (15:18.40), Jacob Abebe (15:24.20), Finn O’Connor (15:51.60), Aiden Kretschmar (16:18.60), and Henry Cournoyer (16:31.60).
The key here is depth. While contenders like Walpole, Essex North Shore, and defending champion Boston Latin Academy have some quality runners, none appear to match Longmeadow’s depth. In fact, the Lancers could potentially have all seven varsity runners across the finish line before some of their competitors’ fifth runners.
Individually, Deliso gets the nod as the favorite following his victory at the Western Mass meet. Abebe should be right there with him, just as he was this past weekend. Boston Latin Academy’s Bradon Spiess (15:34.0) and Adam Kramer (15:46.0), who recorded their personal bests with respective third- and seventh-place finishes at the Bay State Invitational, have the ability to score high, too.
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DIVISION 2B
Day/Time: Saturday, 1:15 p.m.
Teams: Groton-Dunstable Regional, East Longmeadow, Amherst-Pelham Regional, Ashland, Dracut Senior, Pembroke, North Middlesex Regional, Wayland, Northampton, Newburyport, Ludlow, Burlington, Tewksbury Memorial, Burncoat, Chicopee, Scituate, Foxborough, Bedford, Wakefield Memorial, Holliston, Falmouth, Middleboro, Medfield, Marlborough, Nashoba Regional, Danvers, Nauset Regional, Chelsea, Hanover.
Runners To Watch: Andrew Kosiba, Groton Dunstable; Nick Rivera, East Longmeadow; Calvin Miller, Amherst-Pelham; Zachary Mazzaferro, East Longmeadow;
Top Teams: Amherst-Pelham, Groton-Dunstable, Northampton
Outlook: There is potential for a sizable lead pack to develop late in this race, as the competition appears wide open. The top seed based on season-best times is Groton-Dunstable’s Andrew Kosiba, who captured the Bay State XC Invitational title on Oct. 3 at Wrentham. Kosiba also claimed the individual title at the Midland-Wachusett League Championships a few weeks ago, clocking 15:53.60.
East Longmeadow’s Nick Rivera, who finished third at the Western Massachusetts XC Championships, and Amherst-Pelham’s Calvin Miller, who placed fourth in 15:42.0, are two others who could figure prominently in the mix. East Longmeadow’s Zachary Mazzaferro (15:39.70) is another contender, along with several others who could make for a crowded battle for the top spots down the stretch.
Defending champion Groton Dunstable, 2025 runner-up Amherst-Pelham and Northampton should be battling for the team hardware with Amherst-Pelham getting a slight edge.
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DIVISION 2C
Day/Time: Saturday, 2:45 p.m.
Teams: Weston, Whitinsville Christian, Dedham, Wilmington, Dover-Sherborn, Archbishop Williams, Swampscott, Manchester Essex Regional, Oakmont Regional, Martha’s Vineyard Regional, Pope Francis Preparatory, Lowell Catholic, Apponequet Regional, Medway, Watertown, Saugus, Auburn, Saint Mary’s, Falmouth Academy, Keefe Technical, Dighton-Rehoboth Regional, Salem, Norton, Bishop Fenwick, Bishop Stang, Arlington Catholic, North Reading, Saint Paul Diocesan Jr/Sr, Minuteman Regional.
Runners To Watch: Hunter Waechter, Weston; Benjamin Barron, Whitinsville Christian; Henry Humphreys, Dedham; Matthew Fitzgibbon, Weston; Cooper Hunt, Wilmington; Jackson Doyle, Dover-Sherborn
Top Teams: Weston, Whitinsville Christian, Swampscott, Dover-Sherborn
Outlook: This is a race that could come down to the top two finishers from last month’s Small/Medium School race at the Twilight Invitational: Hunter Waechter of Weston and Benjamin Barron of Whitinsville Christian. Waechter captured the victory with a PR of 15:29.40, while Barron finished second in a personal-best 15:34.10.
The No. 3 seed based on season-best times is Dedham’s Henry Humphreys. He’s the only other runner in the field to break 16 minutes, having clocked 15:59.60 in a 10th-place finish at Twilight.
Other top contenders include Weston’s Matthew Fitzgibbon (16:03.90), Wilmington’s Cooper Hunt (16:04.0), and Dover-Sherborn’s Jackson Doyle (16:04.70), among others.
The team favorite is defending champion Weston. The Wildcats, ranked No. 18 in the power rankings, have a strong lineup with the potential to place their top three finishers among the top 10. Whitinsville Christian shapes up as a solid No. 2, with the potential to challenge Weston if its runners deliver strong performances.
