2016 Eastern MA Boys XC Individual Preview (D4-D6)

D4 INDIVIDUAL 

Kevin Wheelock  SR  Melrose HS 

Setting out to not only be the best D4/small school runner in the state, Kevin Wheelock will also try to keep his top ranked squad at the #1 spot all season long. The 2015 cross country season was a banner year for the Melrose runner, as Wheelock took 2nd at Eastern MA Champs and finished 3rd overall at All-States. That certainly puts a big target on Wheelock's back this fall among his D4 competitors and other top small school competitors around the state. Though the Melrose senior had a big junior cross country season, we didn't see any action during indoor and some limited performances outdoors. That's certainly a slight disadvantage for Wheelock going into the fall, but hopefully a strong summer has him well prepared for a big senior year.  

Brian Brooks  JR  Nauset Regional HS 

Looking to represent the Outer Cape at the highest level, Brian Brooks is progressing to be one of the best small school runners in the state. Brooks first popped up on our radars last fall at the Twilight meet when he crushed the sophomore race to win in 15:55, which would have placed him 2nd overall in the varsity D2 race. A few weeks later, Brooks would finish behind AJ Ernst and a tough Melrose duo to take 4th overall at Eastern MA Champs. At the All-State Meet, Brian narrowly missed out on a top-10 finish and took 13th running 16:12. After a big leap in performances during cross country, Brooks' track times dropped and he ended the year with PRs of 4:35.5 and 9:52.8. While he might not contend for the All-State title this fall, Brian will certainly be in the mix to take the D4 title at Wrentham. 

Adam Cook  SR  Melrose HS 

Trying to make sure his teammate doesn't have all the fun at the front end of races, Adam Cook of Melrose will be keying off Kevin Wheelock all fall. It worked out pretty well for Cook in 2015, as he took 3rd in Wrentham and was 12th overall at the All-State meet. That sets Adam up to be a strong candidate for a top-5 finish at both races, especially after track seasons that brought him new PRs of 4:46 and 9:48. 

Kyle Manley  SR  Gloucester HS

Manley of Gloucester is now entering his senior year and is no stranger to coming up big on the cross country course. During the 2015 season, Kyle had a big race to finish 9th at Eastern MA Champs and then went on to take 24th at All-States. He should be considering a run at the top 10 this season, but that could be questionable due to no indoor or outdoor performances from the Gloucester harrier. It's our hope that he is healthy and ready for a strong fall to close out his career.  

Sean Conlan  SR  Melrose HS 

A lot of eyes will be on Wheelock and Cook of Melrose this fall, but make sure you also keep close tabs on Sean Conlan. Serving as an important #3 man on the Melrose roster, Sean takes on this fall after finishing 7th at Eastern MA Champs and 39th at All States in 2015. Given those previous results, it's not out of the picture for Melrose to put three in the top 5 at Wrentham and potentially have three guys in the top 15 at All-States. 

Pre-Season Eastern MA (D4) Rankings (FULL LIST)