The last two years at the Brooks Northeast Championships — formerly the Foot Locker Northeast Championships — the Bay State has sent its share of runners to Nationals in San Diego, including multiple top-10 finishes. In 2024, four athletes punched their ticket out west, all from the boys’ race. A total of five made it in 2023 with three boys and two girls solidifying a spot.
So who will make it this year among the elite competitors toeing the line at Saturday’s meet?
There are a limited number of runners entered in the girls’ and boys’ Championship races, which determine who will earn their ticket to the Brooks XC Nationals at Balboa Park on Dec. 13. Among that select group are several legitimate harriers with a real chance at qualifying.
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The girls’ race features a talented field that includes three returnees from last year’s top 10, led by recent PA state titlist Virginia Krauss. Based on speed ratings, Krauss holds the top seed heading into the race. The Saucon Valley senior won her fourth consecutive Division 1A title at the PIAA XC Championships. She also claimed last year’s regional crown in 17:34.40 at Franklin Park — a time she may need to better this weekend if she hopes to defend her title.
Ranked No. 2 is an athlete with the potential to take the win — Westford Academy’s Abby Hennessy. The University of Washington–bound senior will be three weeks removed from her dominant victory in the Div. 1A race at the Meet of Champions, where she smashed the Willard Park course record in 17:15.2 on the challenging five-kilometer layout.
If the predicted weather holds — sunny skies, cool temperatures, and light wind — there’s little doubt Hennessy is capable of dipping well under 17 minutes. She’ll be rested, and she has already proven she can run that fast: on Oct. 24 she captured the Dual County League title at Franklin Park in 16:46.6. Where she may hold a distinct advantage over Krauss is in the closing stages, should the race come down to the wire. Hennessy owns 4:34 mile speed compared with a 4:55 best for her rival.
Canton’s Lauren Raffetto and Westford Academy’s Emily Wedlake are two other top runners from Massachusetts who will be lining up against the Northeast’s finest, with a likely top-20 or top-30 finish as a reasonable goal.
Judging by the entries, the state could potentially have at least two runners place in the top 10 this weekend. Two-time Division 2 state champion Silas Gartner of Falmouth will be aiming for his second trip to Nationals. Gartner was tenth in 2024, running 15:35.10. Like last fall, he has enjoyed similar success on the trails leading up to Saturday’s race and should be in the mix again.
Another runner to keep an eye on is Greg McGrath of Boston College High. The Eagles’ gifted senior won the Div. 1A race on Nov. 8 despite dealing with a slight injury. We’re unsure whether that injury contributed to his seventh-place finish at the Meet of Champions, a race in which he was considered the favorite. If it did — and if the injury is now behind him — he cannot be counted out this weekend. Don’t forget, it wasn’t long ago that McGrath ran a stunning 14:43.50 to win the Catholic Conference Championship at Wrentham. A healthy and ready McGrath could place in the top five with an outside shot at the win. Based on his season résumé, he ranks among the top 10 individuals in the field.
There’s also Hopkinton’s Sean Finnegan, who was third in the Div. 1 race at the Meet of Champions, clocking 15:40.59. Finnegan, the Div. 1C winner, also competed at Nike Cross Regionals Northeast last weekend, placing 29th in 16:18.20.
Other strong runners in this race include Colin Kurtz, Lexington’s Patrick Noonan, and Weston’s Matt Fitzgibbon.
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SCHEDULE
8:30 a.m. – 9-12 Boys & Girls Youth 3K
9:00 – 13-14 Boys’ & Girls’ Youth 3K
9:30 – Freshmen/Sophomore Boys
10:10 – Freshmen/Sophomore Girls
10:50 – Marty Lewis Championship Boys
11:30 – Phil Zodda Championship Girls
12:10 p.m. – Fleet Feet Junior/Senior Boys
1:30 – Open Race
