2016 Western MA Boys XC Individual & Team Preview

Comprised off all schools west of the Quabbin Reservoir, the Western Massachusetts region has always proven to be an area that produces fierce rivalries and tough competitors. The Fall of 2016 should be no different, as from the Pioneer Valley to the top of Mt. Greylock we expect to see plenty of fast times, close team battles, and new faces looking to make their name well known throughout the state!  Below you will find a rundown on the Top Teams and Top Returners in Western Massachusetts, as well as a full list of Individual Pre-Season Rankings! 


Team

If you're familiar with the cross country scene in Western MA, you know that Amherst has held firm grip on the team title for many years. Since 2005, the Hurricanes have won 5 Western MA title, while the others mostly to Northampton and Ludlow. Though last year the boys from Holyoke flipped the script and took their first ever team title. Perhaps we are at the start of the new era, as the Holyoke boys return a very strong squad that should once again claim the top spot. If the Crusaders make it back-to-back titles, they will be the only other team besides Amherst to repeat in the last 15 years. 

In the hunt for top D2 team, Mt Greylock boys are looking primed and ready to make it an impressive seventh straight team title. The only real challenge will be Cathedral, who could make it interesting if they see improvement in their #5-#7 runners. 

D1 Boys Virtual State Meet (FULL LIST)

1Holyoke High School561251533--
2Northampton High School62412131617--
3West Springfield High School7938192425--
4Amherst-Pelham Regional High School83610112729--
5Pittsfield High School1612022343847--


D2 Boys Virtual State Meet (FULL LIST)

1Mount Greylock Regional High School391391214--
2Cathedral High School-Springfield5746131618--
3Mohawk Trail Regional High School139822283249--
4Monument Mountain Regional High School148533353639--
5Lenox Memorial High School148710264560--





Individual


Cameron Correia SR  HOLYOKE HS (D1)

Entering the 2016 season as the top individual returner in Western Mass, Cameron Correia also bears the burden of being the top runner for defending the Western Mass D1 team Champs. In 2015, Correia displayed very strong growth from his sophomore season and was a true "rock" for the Holyoke Crusaders in November. Putting up respectable performances at regular season meets such as the Twilight Invitational, Cameron really flexed some muscle when he mixed it up with the likes of Liam Sullivan and Owen Wright to finish 3rd at PVIAC Champs. A week later at Stanely Park, Correia would welcome the return of Joel Ramos to the Holyoke line up and the duo would help capture the schools first ever Western Mass D1 Team title. As the Holyoke squad returns a very strong core for 2016, we expect Correia to be more than ready to take on another big fall in Western Massachusetts. 

Joel Ramos SR  HOLYOKE HS (D1)

After a solid sophomore campaign in 2015, Ramos's junior year cross country season was short and sweet. Not donning the purple and black until Western MA Champs in mid-November, Joel made it count by finishing 3rd overall and helping Holyoke secure their first team title. A week later, Ramos would be the Crusaders top finisher at the All-State meet running 16:09 and leading Holyoke to a Top 10 finish. During the indoor season, Joel had some decent performances and chalked up a few personal bests. Unfortunately, we wouldn't see anything from Ramous during the spring season. Last fall, Ramos showed us that he can be a prominent contender in the Western MA region and potentially the state. Though his inconsistency in terms of being a reliable racer had us a little weary in making him the regions top returner. If he present force all throughout this fall, Holyoke will be a very hard team to beat. 

Ethan Milsark  SR  Northampton HS (D1)

Running as the consistent #2 man for the Northampton Blue Devils in 2015, Ethan Milsark now finds himself in the driver seat this upcoming fall. As Liam Sullivan has graduated and headed off to Cornell, Milsark will look to build off his former teammates success and hopefully create a little magic of his own this fall. In 2015, Ethan saw his best racing at the right time, as he finished in the Top 10 at both PVIAC Champs. and Western Mass Champs. We fully expect Milsark to be adequately be prepared this fall and hopefully he can pull along a few teammates to challenge the boys down the road in Holyoke. 

Jack Yanko SO Amherst HS (D1)
It might be a bit of heavy lifting for only a sophomore, but Jack Yanko of Amherst will be the one to take the reigns for the Hurricanes this upcoming fall. Despite being an underclassmen, Yanko has already proven his worth with some very fine racing during his freshman year. Winning a few Freshman only races last fall, Jack also served as Amherst's #2 man all season and helped them secure close runner-up finishes at both PVIAC and WMass Champs. On the track, Yanko continued letting the good times roll and posted solid marks for a first year. While Amherst might not have the power house squads they have had in previous years, the pieces are in play for the Hurricanes to still make some noise in the Pioneer Valley.

Dean Vogel  SR  West Springfield HS (D1)
Dean Vogel is our official "dark horse" pick for this upcoming fall. He was always a present contender in the lead packs of Western MA, but never struck it rich. We think after very successful indoor and outdoor campaigns, Vogel is well prepared to make another big leap in his running and vie for the top individual spot in Western Massachusetts. 

Connor Meehan  SR  Drury HS (D2)
It will be his senior year and Connor Meehan will be looking to go out on top. The Drury senior took a distant second last fall to his Mt. Greylock rival, but we expect things to be different this November. Primarily staying put in North Adams for a majority of the season, we only got a glimpse of Meehan during the championship meets at Stanley Park. Performing well at both Western MA Champs and the All-State Meet, Meehan also saw great success on the track in the spring and really showed some speed at Western MA Champs. Meehan is the heavy favorite to lead Western Massachusetts D2, but he better not sleep on his rivals down the road at Mt. Greylock!


PRE-SEASON WESTERN MA (D1) RANKINGS (FULL LIST)

PlaceAthleteYrTeamTimePoints
1Cameron Correia11Holyoke High School15:56.761
2Joel Ramos11Holyoke High School16:09.632
3Dean Vogel11West Springfield High School16:13.243
4Ethan Milsark11Northampton High School16:20.284
5Izalen Lugo10Holyoke High School16:21.445
6Jack Yanko9Amherst-Pelham Regional High School16:32.346
7Willard Mckinstry11Chicopee Comprehensive16:46.897
8Nathaniel Merck10West Springfield High School16:54.838
9Gabe Piepergerdes11Westfield High School16:57.009
10Ai Foucault Etheridge10Amherst-Pelham Regional High School17:00.4610
11Aidan Shea9Amherst-Pelham Regional High School17:01.2711
12Phillip Hempstead10Northampton High School17:01.2712
13Jonathan Dean10Northampton High School17:04.2813
14Connor Crowley11Ludlow High School17:11.5414
15Pat Morrison10Holyoke High School17:14.3515



PRE SEASON WESTERN MA (D2) RANKINGS (FULL LIST)

PlaceAthleteYrTeamTimePoints
1Coonor Meehan11Drury High School16:28.44--
2Evan Arthur11Mount Greylock Regional High School16:30.101
3Cameron Castonguay11Mount Greylock Regional High School17:06.142
4Sam Culver10Mount Greylock Regional High School17:12.603
5Matthew Ashe9Cathedral High School-Springfield17:15.954
6Owen Brandriss10Mount Greylock Regional High School17:17.155
7Jacob Fink9Mount Greylock Regional High School17:20.266
8Timmy Sears11Cathedral High School-Springfield17:23.987
9Carsten Carey9Frontier Regional High School17:29.098
10William Carroll10Cathedral High School-Springfield17:31.889
11Jesse Seid9Mount Greylock Regional High School17:34.2910
12Jack Davis11Southwick-Tolland Regional High School17:35.5511
13Seth Hoynoski10Mohawk Trail Regional High School17:40.7612
14Bahu Abdul-wadud11Monson Jr. Sr. High School17:42.9413
15Harry Burns10Lenox Memorial High School17:52.9814