CROSS COUNTRY PREVIEW- WESTERN DIVISION I
BOYS PREVIEW
Had this been set up as a dual meet, Westfield vs. Western Mass. DI, Westfield could very well have sealed it by going 1-2-3 with Blake Croteau, Matt Jacobson, and Tim Dostie, and needing not to rely on its pack to come through at all. Since it isn’t a dual meet, you can bet that Westfield will be looking to develop its middle pack of 4-5-6 to stay on top of the crowd at Northfield. In 2011, the three juniors were all in the top 8, but big gaps to #4 and #5 left the Bombers 3rd, behind perennial powerhouse Amherst and Ludlow. Amherst graduates its top 5 runners, and while they can never be counted out, are also no longer the favorites. Ludlow loses individual champ Daniel Crowley, but brings back a strong team from its runner-up squad. With potential cracks in the Amherst armor showing, it will be up to those two teams, as well as possibly a Northampton or a Holyoke to dethrone the Western Mass. Powerhouse in 2012.
INDIVIDUAL RACE
Westfield’s three-man show would seem to give them an edge over the competition in the individual race, but we have seen this play out at divisional meets before. Croteau, Jacobson, and Dostie might feel better to pack in together and worry less about the individual title than securing a team win. Should that be the case, give the edge to Ludlow’s Brian Crowley, last year’s 7th place finisher (17:11), who also ran 9:46 at WMass in the 2 mile this spring, about 10 seconds ahead of Croteau, Westfield’s top finisher in that meet. A darkhorse might have to be Northampton sophomore Benjamin Hill, who ran 33rd as a freshman, but then followed that up by going an excellent 10:16 in the spring. That time for a freshman shows not only talent, but smart coaching… expect him in the top 5 this time around.
TOP 10 TEAMS
10. LONGMEADOW- Graduating their top three runners, Steve Tignor and Mike Mueller will be tasked with avoiding a fall from the 6th place finish from 2011.
9. PITTSFIELD- The graduations of top runners Peter Wilke and Matt Hoag will be a hit to the Generals’ chances, but a solid trio returns from WMass in Cody Lucido, Ethan Winslow, and Matt Nesti. Track runners like Dan Brien and Jonathon Lee could actually make this a very formidable group, but we’ll have to wait and see whether they can improve upon the 7th place finish at the Mountain from a year ago.
8. EAST LONGMEADOW- A team with some upside from 2011’s 10th place finish, the Spartans have a dynamic duo of Ian Fullerton and sophomore Jack Moynihan to lead the way. If Scott Besser can bounce back from a disappointing divisional performance, he’s right there with these two as well. Buy low on this surprising team, and you just might be selling high.
7. AGAWAM- The Brownies, 8th in 2011, will miss Mike Andre and Ricky Schoolcraft, their top two from a year ago, but do return a nice corps of Tyler Roberts, Kevin Urban, and Ben Parzich, all seniors. They’ll need a guy like Mike O’Connor to step in and close down the gaps in order to get closer to the coveted top 3 positions, but they are a solid program to contend with.
6. MINNECHAUG- Senior Sam Fisher is among the top 10 returnees from 2011, and will be needed to lead the way for the 9th place team from 2011 to move up. The Falcons hope Colin Morse, Ben Ferraro, and sophomore Colin Laliberte have the chops to fill the pack in. If the addition of an upstart track star in junior Sam Conway were to come to fruition, this ranking would shoot up a few places- but I never like to make guesses, we’ll see how it plays out.
5. HOLYOKE- Do yourself a favor Western Mass.- don’t underestimate this team. 5th a year ago, Rhys Duquette returns with an eye on the individual title, and his cast of characters include Guillermo Godreau-Rivera and Richard Landry, each top-50 guys from 2011 with eyes on a top-25 finish this time around. Depth could be an issue, as getting in #4 and #5 is much more important than any other slots.
4. AMHERST- After a WMass win in 2011, as well as a region-best 6th place finish in a deep All State field (one in which they were considered a potential champion), the Hurricanes lose their entire top 5. So, why the high ranking? For one, there is a winning tradition in Amherst, both genders, that can’t be denied. For another reason, they might just have enough back to make a run to another All State meet. Gabe Fishman and Isaac Hare Steig are seniors, and each ran well enough to be top-20 returnees in the class. It will take a trio of juniors, Ryan Stender, Alec Snyder-Fair, and Owen Gauthier to bridge the gap to those top two runners. This group had a solid spring, and could find a way to the podium in November.
3. NORTHAMPTON- Graduating their top two runners, Sam Coates-Finke and Alex Sullivan, the Blue Devils will rely on a deep pack to avoid last year’s fate- a dreaded 4th place WMass DI finish. Seniors Samuel Shanky and Charles Hale should lead them to do just that, with two sophomores, Benjamin Hill and Aidan Gilson not far behind. Without a doubt the best name in XC, Sequoia Grettenberg, another senior, will give the Devils some needed pack depth. This team is very well-coached, so expect them to be in the picture for a WMass title when it all shakes out.
2. LUDLOW- With Dan Crowley and Jacob LeBlanc gone to graduation, some of the optimism from the Lions’ camp might be tempered. However, they do return six runners who broke 18:00 in XC, led by individual contender Brian Crowley. Senior classmates Jake Zina and Drew Manuel ran outstanding races to hold down 2nd place for the team in 2011, and now have the experience to join Crowley further up the line. It might very well come down to how Sean Egan (10:40 2 mile) runs to his potential, who needs to better his 57th place finish from a year ago.
1. WESTFIELD- In some ways, I’m taking liberties on this pick that I promised I wouldn’t take, wondering if some track guys will make a move to XC. Croteau, Jacobson, and Dostie need help in the 4-5 department, and that will likely come from Artie Cruz, much improved during the spring (10:38), and sophomore Ruslan Davledzarov. During the spring season Benjamin Doiron (another sophomore) and Tim Stocker also broke 11:00, and could provide key depth for a great team. Besides, if they score six points through three runners, there isn’t much else they will need to do. That, of course, is a big IF.
GIRLS PREVIEW
We’ve become accustomed to seeing Amherst winning the West- a deadly combination of great coaching, impressive hill running, and a toughness that many teams in the Eastern part of the state get to see during outstanding performances at the All State Meet. A year ago, Amherst was again golden at Northfield, but this time only by 5 points over Longmeadow, who will lose Camille Blackman, but return her sister Manon, who will challenge for the individual title. Amherst loses individual runner-up Audrey Gould, but they return four from 2011’s top-25 in WMass, the same number that Longmeadow returns. This appears to be a two-horse race, but Ludlow and Pittsfield will be right there in case either team slips up. Like the boys, making it back to the Mountain a week after WMass will be the goal, because when you know the terrain, anything can happen.
INDIVIDUAL RACE
Perhaps the state’s most wide-open race, the top three girls from 2011 graduated, so it truly is anyone’s to win. Mel Devoney of Amherst is not only the top returner, finishing 4th (20:48) a year ago, but also posted one of the state’s best 2 mile times (11:19.25) in the spring. Lauren Farry of Pittsfield was 10th at WMass in 2011 (21:24), but at 11:21.87, showed a huge improvement in the 2 mile during the spring. Serena Savage of South Hadley, Blackman of Longmeadow, and Emmy Zimmermann of Amherst lead another large group of potential chasers, but expect a very large lead pack going up a very large mountain.
TOP 10 TEAMS
10. WESTFIELD- Although not recipients of the praise their male counterparts received, the Lady Bombers have a squad of their own worth making note of. Sierra Swords graduates, but she does leave behind a strong pack, led by Jen Gresty and Allyson Morin. Morin was the team’s breakout star in the spring, running 5:24 and 11:23, and could be a dark horse candidate for a win in WMass DI.
9. BELCHERTOWN- Under the tutelage of the greatest distance runner in their school’s history, All State mile champion Madison Granger, the Orioles were 9th in 2011, and Granger was 3rd, a minute back of the Gould/Blackman duel. However, Belchertown has senior Devyn Hebert and sophomore Fiona Bernardin to keep things going in a positive direction.
8. EAST LONGMEADOW- The Spartans bring back their entire top four, led by junior Meredith McGowan, whose 13th place finish at WMass in 2011 shows off her ability to run the big hills. To move up a great deal from this spot, East will need contributions from sophomore Caitlin O’Reilly, as well as Brianna Hobbs and Nina Pham.
7. MINNECHAUG- The Falcons were 6th a year ago, and should come close to that position once again, with a solid unit returning from that squad. Abby Foley, Katie Metayer, and Maddie Feuhr return as the top pack, and despite the graduation of top runner Lindsey Bernard, the Wilbraham-based Regional should get a boost from a nice track season by Kylie Cardosa. As is the case with every team in this division, if Minnechaug can benefit from a soccer transfer or incoming freshman, it might just be the boost it needs to move into medal contention.
6. AGAWAM- Three years ago, the Brownies showed up with a 4x800 team led by Jen Kapinos and Jenny Dudek that went 9:18 and made a lot of people ask, “who were those kids?” The answer was, and still is, the next Western Mass. Distance powerhouse, one that is well-coached and by no means afraid of coming East to dominate. 7th in XC a year ago, that talent hasn’t quite caught up to the trails, but this could be the year that all changes. Ashley Monahan is an individual title hopeful, she of the 2:19 800 meters in track. Her speed makes her dangerous late, but could the Mountain sap it from her? Gina Lopez and Ashley Piatrowski bring some youthful talent as well, and this team is more likely to go up form this prediction than down.
5. PITTSFIELD- A team that was largely freshmen and sophomores in 2011, the Generals surprised a lot of people by making the All State meet behind Amherst and Longmeadow. They will not be able to fly under the radar as they did a year ago, and will duke it out with Northampton and Ludlow for the final spot again. Sophomores Lauren Farry and McKenzie and Makayla Powers will need to avoid a sophomore slump, which Farry looks poised to do, given her monstrous spring season. That clmixed with an 11:21 run at the MIAA Championship meet in the 2 mile at Fitchburg State, clearly showing that Farry saw no ill effects from the multiple moves of the meet. Juniors Whitney Sullivan and Molly Daly will be the keys to the back of the pack, giving them hope for another All State trip.
4. NORTHAMPTON- A team with the most upside in perhaps the entire state, the Blue Devils are young, tough, and deep. Perhaps underachieving to a 5th place finish in 2011, this group came back on the track with a vengeance, adding some great distance talent to a tradition of great sprinting teams. Eliana Zimmermann might contend for the individual title, and at first glance, only Joni Sullivan and Ameta Wanar will be there to pull a pack together. But, on closer inspection, a talented group of sophomores coming from the track will be there to secure a potential All State berth. Mariel Lutz (5:34, 12:32), Margret Mahoney (5:43), and Amelia Gilson can give Northampton what it needs, and what it lacked in the end in 2011- a deep, close pack.
3. LUDLOW- Much less touted than their boys counterparts, the Lady Lions will roar this fall, thanks to a solid corps of young and returning veteran runners. A strong top three pack of sophomore Kierra McCarthy, Madison Foye, and Alexa Repko will lead the charge from a team that narrowly missed an All State bid a year ago, but can avoid a redux of that fate this time around. Jessica Pashko and Silwia Lipior showed great improvements on the track, and should those translate to the trails, this team will extend its season another week.
2. LONGMEADOW- How do you replace the irreplaceable? A start is by having her little sister lead your team the following season. While Camille Blackman is not walking through that door, sister Manon could very well be as good when it’s all said and done. For the team to knock off Amherst Regional, though, they’ll need more. Sophomore Allison Haryasz is poised to have a breakout season, having gone 19:43 on the fast PVIAC course, and having miled in the winter at a sturdy 5:40. Seniors Rachel Lyons, Allie Santiago, and Ashley Kratovil will provide the pack for a team that was just five points away from winning WMass a year ago.
1. AMHERST- When you talk about programs in Western Mass., most talk first (and many only) about the Hurricanes. The departure of Audrey Gould might make some skeptics wonder if they can continue, but a quick peek at what they have returning should leave little doubt. Senior Mel Devoney is the division’s top returner, and she is joined by classmates Emmy Zimmermann and Sarah Vannah. Something Amherst does better than anybody is bring under-the-radar runners to the forefront their senior years. Devoney, a relative unknown until this fall, went 11:19 in the spring after placing 3rd in her class. With expected improvements from Lily Gould and Kate O’Brien, I expect Amherst to continue the winning tradition that defined them for well over a decade.