The first weekend of traditional format invitationals is upon us, and the state's best programs are scattered across four states as they search for ideal conditions to foster their development. MileSplitMass will track the four major invitationals from this weekend and post updates as information becomes available.
Amherst Invitational
Eight ranked boys teams and seven ranked girls teams from the state of Massachusetts will square-off in Western Mass for what is sure to be a good early season test for those with post season aspirations. Brookline enters the meet as the #2 ranked boys team in the state after Lowell took over the top spot earlier this week. Coach Glennon has yet to put his complete varsity seven on the line together, and the drop in the MSTCA ranking is most likely due to the inactivity of the complete squad. But, this weekend may solve that problem. Speculation indicates that the Warriors will give cross country fans our first glimpse into their complete power. Regardless of the lineup, Brookline has made short work of their dual meet foes thus far, and is proving that their depth is something other teams have to address.
Wachusett (MA#15) won this event in 2010, but a lot has changed in a year. Graduation had a tremendous impact on Mountaineers, but they have improved their presence in the front pack with the rapid development of Colin and Jeremy Bennie. Last year Wachusett ended the meet with 119 total points; the exact same point total as Danbury (CT). Brian Cusack - their 6th man - was the hero that day, sealing the win with a tie breaking performance. They will need a similarly brilliant race in 2011 to fend off Danbury, who has an equally good tandem in Thomas Moore and Nick Carlsen.
Marshfield (MA#16) shares a very similar team profile with Wachusett. Joel Hubbard and Kevin Thomas went 2-3 at this meet in 2010, but they will have a much greater challenge in the front pack this year. Chernet Sisay (Brookline), Mark Perry (Brookline), Drew Beck (Oliver Ames), and Sean Provost (Keene) should all add depth to a very swift front pack. It’s tough to ask two athletes to do more than finish 2nd and 3rd, but Marshfield will need them to at least match the performance from 2010 if they want to keep their team in the mix.
The girls race is not quite as deep, but there is plenty of talent to go around. The ranked teams from Massachusetts represent the middle of the pack in the overall state picture, but the season is young and several are poised to move up. Oliver Ames, Dennis-Yarmouth, and Needham all have a shot at the podium if their depth can deliver. One team outside the top 20 who shoud remain on the watch list is Northampton. The Blue Devils suffered a rare dual meet loss to Ludlow last week, but if history is an indicator, they will find a way back into the rankings and will be a factor in this race.
The girls individual race should be just as exciting as the team race. Massachusetts Division II runner-up Jordan O’Dea of Dennis-Yarmouth headlines a very talented group of state meet contenders. Camille Blackman (Longmeadow), Abby Hurd (Nashoba), Staci Rezendes (Holyoke Catholic), Amy Graham (Frontier), and Audrey Gould (Amherst) all placed in the top 10 of this meet last year and should be fighting for a podium spot.
Massachusetts Ranked Teams Competing:
Boys |
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Girls |
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Brookline - MA#2 (D1) |
Oliver Ames – MA#11 (D1) | |
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Ludlow – MA#6 (D1) |
Dennis-Yarmouth – MA#11 (D2) | |
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Northampton – MA#7 (D1) |
Concord-Carlisle – MA#16 (D1) | |
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Amherst – MA#11 (D1) |
Needham – MA#17 (D1) | |
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Oliver Ames – MA#12 (D1) |
Ludlow – MA#19 (D1) | |
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Wachusett – MA#15 (D1) |
Nashoba – MA#20 (D1) | |
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Marshfield – MA#16 (D1) |
Holyoke Catholic – MA#20 (D2) | |
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Walpole – MA#17 (D1) |
Ocean State Invitaional
Most of Massachusetts is heading south this weekend to take on the best of Rhode Island and Connecticut at Goddard State Park. Lowell (MA#1 D1), Mansfield (MA#3 D1), St. John’s Shrewsbury (MA#4 D1), Bishop Feehan (MA#2 D2), and Newburyport (MA#7 D2) will clash with Tolland (CT) and North Kingston (RI) in the Boys Championship race. Tolland is the defending Connecticut State Champions, and North Kingston is currently ranked #3 in the state of Rhode Island. None of the teams listed above have truly raced all-out yet, so the drama should truly unfold in the second half of the race. Rest assured, Josh Lampron (Mansfield), Jonathan Green (St. John’s), and the big three from Lowell will put their foot on the gas early and test everybody’s fitness.
The girls’ race is just as compelling. The three best teams in the state of Massachusetts will go head-to-head in what should be the ultimate battle of team depth. Wachusett (MA#1 D1), Hamilton-Wenham (MA#1 D2), and Bishop Feehan (MA#2 D2) are all built the same; no national caliber superstars, but tremendous talent that can run in the front pack of any race. Those three teams will lock horns with North Kingston (RI), led by the New England Indoor 2 Mile Champion Aisha McAdams, and Greenwich Central of New York who finished 3rd here last year. Because of the depth, the pack should be thick and the top three teams may be separated by only a few points.
Bowdowin XC Classic
Only three teams from Massachusetts are heading to Wappingers Falls, NY to get a look at the site of the 2011 NXN Northeast Regional Championships course. Bancroft, Pembroke, and Weston will have their hands full with the tremendous depth produced in New York and New Jersey. Pembroke made the same trip in 2010 and finished second to national power Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) of New Jersey. But, the effort paid off, as the Titans replicated the same results at the 2010 NXN Northeast Regional Championships and punched their ticket to the NXN National Championships. Unfortunately for Pembroke, CBA found a way to get better during the off-season, and they started the 2011 season as the #1 ranked team in the nation. Pembroke has never backed down from a fight, and they know the outcome of the race is not as important as a productive day on the course at race pace.
Weston knows they are very close to being a major contender in the Northeast Region. The puzzle pieces are starting to take shape and an early season look at a championship course may make the difference in late November. There are several teams from New York that will truly press Weston, but the biggest challenge may come from LaSalle Academy in Rhode Island who is arguably the best team in their home state.
Manchester Invitational
North Middlesex and Methuen have decided to go in the opposite direction of the rest of the state as they head north for the Manchester Invitational at Derryfield Park, New Hampshire. Both will compete in the Large School Division with MA#5 Methuen having a legitimate shot at winning the boys race. Although the large school race will be competitive, the race of the day will be the Girls Elite Division where US#23 Bishop Guertin (NH) will square-off with US#25 Champlain Valley Union (VT). Both squads are incredibly deep, but Champlain Valley Union has the added advantage of representing the region at the NXN Nationals in 2010.