This past weekend featured two of the biggest invites of the season for the Bay State, so it should come as no surprise this week’s rankings contain a lot of movement. Some teams confirmed what we already believed, while others seemed to come out of nowhere. A few teams struggled, perhaps due to the unseasonably warm weather Saturday. The Championship Races at Ocean State went off smack dab in the middle of the afternoon. Still, there was a lot to celebrate.
Concord-Carlisle remains atop out list, and the case against them has practically vanished. They won the Varsity C Race at Bay State like it was a dual meet. They’ve already run well on Fort Devens, as their entire team from last year’s MOC is back. Their biggest issue now is figuring out who will be their top seven, as they’ll have to leave some fantastic runners on the sideline.
Saint John’s Prep moves into out #2 spot after winning the Ocean State Invite. Considering the teams present, it was a major win for a team that continues to climb the rankings. Lexington remains at #3 despite a valiant effort on Saturday. They were runner up in the Championship Race and won the Varsity 1 Race. The depth that they and Concord-Carlisle have is astounding. Seeing their “JV” teams race each other would be as entertaining as anything the Bay State could provide.
If you were at the Bay State Invitational, you were probably wondering where Cambridge Rindge & Latin would land on our list. They slot in at #4. You’re also probably wondering, how did we miss them? We’re still asking ourselves that. However, their #2 and 3 runners did not run XC last season. (One is only a freshmen) They also saw some massive PRS on Saturday. Kieran Eichler came into the season with a 17:29 5K PR and lowered that to 16:03. Whatever is going in Cambridge, we’re excited to see what the Falcons have in store the rest of the season.
Walpole debuts on our list at #16, after finishing runner up to Concord-Carlisle in the Varsity C race at Bay State. They looked strong early on in their dual meet against Brookline, but this confirms their status as a team to look out for in Division 2. Speaking of Division 2, we had high hopes for defending champs, Longmeadow, heading into the season, and they confirmed that on Saturday at Ocean State. They move up six spots after finishing seventh in the Championship Race.
Reading also moves up a spot after winning the Varsity A race at Bay State. Could they challenge Lexington for the Middlesex League title? We’ll get an idea soon. Mark 10/7 on your calendars, as Reading hosts the Minutemen in what should be one of the best dual meets of the season.
- Concord-Carlisle
- Saint John’s Prep +4
- Lexington
- Cambridge Rindge & Latin
- Brookline
- Boston College High School
- Reading +1
- Natick
- North Andover
- Catholica Memorial +2
- Parker Charter
- Longmeadow +6
- Wellesley +3
- Amherst-Pelham Regional
- Oliver Ames
- Walpole
- Newton North
- Boston Latin Academy
- Groton Dunstable
- Newton South
Honorable Mentions: Arlington, Hopedale, Littleton, Shrewsbury, Marshfield, Bromfield, Hudson
