CENTRAL MASS X-C PREVIEWS
GIRLS PREVIEW
A meet that was once owned by Bromfield, during the tenure of Henry Phelan and slightly beyond, the CMass DII meet is now more of an up-in-the-air affair, with Bromfield finishing 7th in 2011 and failing to qualify for the All State meet for the first time in anyone’s memory. Tyngsborough and Narragansett staged an epic battle at Gardner’s Municipal Golf Course a year ago, one in which Tyngsborough escaped with a nine-point win. Perhaps most striking from that race was its youth, featuring more freshman (8) and middle schoolers (5, including a 6th grader!) in the top 30 than seniors graduating (6). The story most likely will be the same as in 2011, these two teams doing battle, with others like Sutton, Bromfield, and Notre Dame (Worcester) duking it out for 3rd. But, as has been stated time and time again, who knows what such a young field from 2011 will do in a year’s time? Who knows where they will improve and who will have a setback? If nothing else, CMass DII will be very intriguing to watch in 2012.
INDIVIDUAL RACE
Only Lunenburg’s Jennifer Markham graduates from the entire top 10 in 2011, so expect a large pack to traverse the rolling hills of Gardner once again. Last year, it was Sutton’s Jessica Cardin who pulled out the win (17:47) by just three seconds over Tyngsborough’s Kerri Keohane in what was a spirited battle throughout. Winning the team title likely took away the sting for Keohane, but an individual title for the sophomore this time around would be a cherry on top. Incredibly, Jaylan Fraser-Mines, the 3rd place finisher, will be just an 8th grader for Tyngsborough, and must be another candidate for the top spot. The chase pack, including the Capps sisters of Narragansett (Anna and Renee), was a ways back last time around, but these two have had major track seasons, and don’t seem interested in mere top-10 finishes in this, their junior year. Not to mention, they rebounded from CMass in a big way at All States, where Renee took 10th (19:08) on the Franklin Park course and Anna 19th (19:34).
TOP 10 TEAMS
10. NORTHBRIDGE- The Rams are a fascinating team in this division, as they are one of the only veteran squads in the group. No 7th or 8th graders toes the line for Northbridge a year ago, and the top five was a well-balanced pack, which will again be led by Julie Richer, 7th a year ago at Gardner. Juniors Megan Mawn, Erica Haverty, and Callie Hansson all ran solid races at CMass, and should expect a better result from Janet Haas this time around. Haas boasts a 5K P.R. of 20:57, and will be the key to the team’s chances of moving up.
9. WHITINSVILLE CHRISTIAN- With the loss of Julia Berkowitz to graduation, the Crusaders will put a lot on the shoulders of junior Abby Epplet, who was the team’s top runner at CMass after Berkowitz fell victim to a rare off-race. Epplet will be joined by sister Angie, as well as 8th grader Kyla Gienger, beginning the theme of really good, really young runners imp[acting teams in this division. Berkowitz, who went 5:11 at All States in the spring, will be missed, but the horses are there for another run.
8. MILLBURY- 10th a year ago, the Woolies (the state’s best nickname) were paced by a 7th grader, Angie DiDomenica. Maybe even more amazing, DiDomenica wasn’t even the division’s fastest 7thgrader, that torch belonged to Tyngsborough’s Jaylan Fraser-Mines. Angie’s sister Maria will be a junior and should look to draw together the pack, one that will need to tighten up to contend with this very deep, very young division.
7. DOUGLAS- Another very young team are the Tigers, bringing back Makenzie Cyr, a sophomore, to lead the way after her 20th place (19:22) at CMass. Freshman Tess Miller will hope to move up the ranks at Gardner, while upperclassmen Emily Miller and Amanda Maguire look to build off of top-50 finishes in 2011. Another face to watch will be 8th grader Caroline Meaizin, who was not far off the pace at the Golf Course, and should fit in nicely as the team’s 5th. Should the Tigers pick up Taryn Cornadi form track, she of the 5:28 mile, they would have yet another strong performer in the mix.
6. HOPEDALE- 8th a year ago, the Blue Raiders bring back essentially everyone from a relatively young team, and should look to move up. Junior Nora DeBoer joins sophomores Lauren Bird, Jennifer Moore, Emily Guyon, Holly Johnston, and Rebecca Klei in what was essentially a freshman team in 2011. Something else to look for- incoming freshman Rita Maurais went 5:26 last spring, and would likely slot in as Hopedale’s top runner if she came out for XC. Should that transpire, the Raiders very well could move into medal contention.
5. NOTRE DAME (WORCESTER)- 4th a year ago, the graduation of top runner Katie Knox will be a big hit for the Rebels. However, they have developed a nice core around her, led by junior Jane Clark and sophomore Lane Eisenman. Clark’s range is deadly, being that she is top 200, 400, 800, a miler on the team. She went 5:22 in the spring, and should classmate and kid sister of Knox, Emily (5:33/ 12:09), join the squad, this would be the three-headed monster the team had a year ago. As said before, I assume nobody new comes out for the team when I preview them, but this would be an acquisition that might catapult NDA right into 3rd.
4. BROMFIELD- This might just be a hunch, but the Trojans have been away for a while, and are poised to come charging back this fall. 7th in 2011, they were young, topped at times by freshman Sophia Collins and 8th grader Kate Toll. To make noise and qualify for a trip to the Mountain, Bromfield needs to get back to the days of having devastating depth, the Henry Phelan teams of the first decade of the 2000’s being relentless. The horses are there, as upperclassmen Julie Gormley, Shannan Barrett, and Kate Rowatt have all showed solid promise. A 7th grader, Talbot Chipman, showed signs of breaking out this spring, going 5:53, but there’s no way of knowing where this team will go.
3. SUTTON- The Suzies (not to confused by their male counterpart Sammies), didn’t do anything wrong in the offseason, graduating only Corinne Bonder and bringing back Jess Cardin, the individual champion. But moving up will be a major challenge, since Narragansett and Tyngsborough each bring back their entire squads, and both distanced themselves quite a bit from the 3rd place team in 2011. Besides Cardin, sophomore MacKenzie George, 15th a year ago at Gradner, will be counted on to provide a 1-2 punch, but the gap to the rest of the pack simply has to close down. Sarah Gregory and Vicki Graham are candidates to do that, with perhaps freshman Taylor Arthaud getting into the mix. Cardin went 11:08 at All States in the spring, good enough for 7th, so she is as good as it gets.
2. NARRAGANSETT- The Warriors were oh so close to winning CMass in 2011, when an upstart group of middle-schoolers and distance stars from Tyngsboro spoiled the party. Then, they came back and beat Tyngsborough at All States, placing 7th to the Tigers’ 8th. These two teams look so close on paper now, with Gansett perhaps holding the edge in experience, with Tyngsborough holds it in youthful exuberance. If Tyngsborough has the best 1-2 punch, then Gansett has the best trio, with Renee and Anna Capps being joined by junior classmate Kylie Chartier. The three return as top-10 contenders, with the twins given an outside chance at the 1-2 finish. What the Warriors need is a closer finish from sophomore Jasmine Bancroft and Michelle Beaulieu than 34-38 from 2011, and they will win the meet. This meet is like flipping a coin- if they face off 10 times, expect each to win 5.
1. TYNGSBOROUGH- A nice recipe for success- win it all a year before, don’t graduate anyone from your top 7, and then have an 8th grader and three 7th graders be a part of the equation. As noted before, this group was bested by one place at All States by the Warriors of Narragansett, and is in no way a shoe-in to repeat. Their youth seemed to be a factor at Franklin Park, however, and they will be a year older and wiser. This team has everything you could ask for: a 1-2 punch in Keohane and Fraser-Mines, that could feasibly go 1-2 in the whole race, a solid mix of youth and experience, and 7th graders Makena Hunt and Jessica Gendreau, who could feasibly get MUCH better along the way. Coaching middle schoolers is a scary thing to some coaches, but the Tigers did it right in 2011 and can be expected to do it again in 2012.
BOYS PREVIEW
2011 saw a start to finish dominance of the Central Mass. DII boys championship by Hopedale, who placed 7 runners in the top 15, and nearly won the dual meet with the rest of the class. But, four of the Blue Raiders’ seven graduate, leaving the door open a crack for the rest of the class to come and win it. Since 2007, when the tiny school of Hopedale won the All State DII meet, there hasn’t been a better finish at All States from a CMass team than their 4th place from last year (Whitinsville was also 4th in 2009). This meet has been a two-horse race in recent years between Hopedale and Whitinsville, but teams like Bromfield and Parker Charter are coming closer to knocking down the door. Although a top 4 All State finish might be tough to come by with the likes of Pembroke and Bishop Feehan in the way, this meet on the rolling greens of Gardner ought to be fun to watch.
INDIVIDUAL RACE
Three of the top 10 boys from 2011 return, making for a pretty interesting battle between them. Only problem? They’re all from Hopedale. Paul Maurais, Matt Doran, and Anthony Tandy will have to outduel Bromfield sophomore Price Day and Whitinsville sophomore Jamison Koeman on the podium. Should the Three Amigos take the top three spots on the podium, and much can happen to get in the way of it, this team would be just about impossible to beat. Day and Koeman will be asked to break up that dominance, or their teams just might not have a chance. My guess- the order stays pretty much the same in 2012.
TOP 10 TEAMS
10. TYNGSBOROUGH- These young Tigers have this in common with their female counterparts- they are still very much wet behind the ears. While the girls team might thrive in such a situation, the boys team will come along more slowly. But, sophomore Jacob Sword and freshman Kevin Morris have shown signs that they are ready to take on the pressure and contend in this division. Junior Cody Robson is another candidate to lead the way.
9. BLACKSTONE-MILLVILLE-The Chargers are hoping to charge up the pack in Gardner, and attempt not to slip too far from last year’s 6th place finish. Despite graduating both Derek Tata and Vendenis Evan (who placed an incredible 4th on the fairways a year ago), there is reason for optimism. 8th graders Zach Taylor, Chris Tringali, and Nathan Carroll anchored the pack at CMass in 2011, and should only get better with a year of seasoning.
8. TAHANTO- The Stags bring back three strong athletes from last year’s 8th place CMass team. Senior Nate Richards was the lone All State qualifier, and he hopes to return, perhaps with company. Bruno Souza and Anthony Pacheco were in the meet’s top-60, and with a bridging of the pack to these three, Tahanto can only move up.
7. MURDOCK- The Blue Devils from the Winchendon Regional School have a solid top three returning, each who have some experience performing at the biggest meets. While Murdock was only 12th in 2011, a closer look shows that they asked 4 middle schoolers to shore up their backside, something that happens much less frequently on the guys’ side than the girls. Kyle Blouin, Dan Fournier, and Dan Denette will have their hands full, as they are tasked with developing these young stallions into racers. Should that happen, expect to see the Devils move up the charts.
6. UXBRIDGE- Andrew Reardon was a stalwart for the Spartans in 2011, and leads a group full of optimism after an 11th place finish at CMass. They are my bet for biggest mover in 2012, thanks to a huge collection of juniors, led by Brady Phillips and Luke Maloney, as well as Andrew Ross and Josh Lavigne. Call me crazy, but I love junior-heavy teams, they of tons of experience, without the weight of the world of senior year in their way.
5. AUBURN- The first of five likely contenders for All States, although anything can happen, the Rockets bring back the nucleus of a team that was 7th in 2011. This might not be the last we hear from them either, as only Matt Lavalee is a senior from the returning top 7. The pack includes sophomores Matt Healey and Tom Gannon, as well as juniors John Byland, Matt Nelson, and Aidan Foley-Foster. The team needs to close the gap to leader Lavalee to move up from this ranking in 2012.
4. PARKER CHARTER- The tiny Charter school from Devens boasts the Panthers, a team that narrowly missed a trip to All States to Bromfield by just 9 points. Gone are the top two, Keith Rossi and Rocky Ethier, but freshman Zach Rolfe, the only 8th grade boy to qualify for All States in 2011, and seniors Andrew Hilton and Joe Gale will lead the charge back. Rolfe went 10:35 in the spring, showing that he may just be the next big thing to come out of Central Mass.
3. BROMFIELD- Perhaps tired of existing in the shadows of the girls team, one of the most accomplished programs in the history of the state, the boys broke out last year with a 3rd place finish on the links of Gardner, and made the All State meet, placing 14th there. While they do lose Nicholas Kronauer and Ellis Toll to graduation, they are to be led by sophomore Price Day, a possible individual candidate. The importance of a low score in a meet like this will be high, given how close 3rd place will likely be (again). But Bromfield needs Drew banker, Sam Dyer, and Nick Steele to close in on Day in hopes for a return trip to All States. The target will be on their back this time around.
2. WHITINSVILLE CHRISTIAN- The Crusaders are one of two Central DII programs to dominate the trophies this past decade, the other being Hopedale, the favorite once again. Losing the 1-2 punch of Nathan Swaim and Thomas Rodger, both top 10 finishers in 2011, they would seem out of the conversation for the win. However, they are very much a favorite for a trophy, as sophomore Jamison Koeman leads a five-man pack, all of which were in the top-30 a year ago. Nathan Brookhouse, Max Kuik and the Solano brothers, Gabe and freshman Dan, should benefit from a great track season. Of note, Dan was the fastest freshman 400 runner in the state in 2012, going 50.09, while his older brother Gabe broke 2:00 in the 800. Speed like that can kill if it gets tight at Gardner. Hopedale might want to put it away early.
1. HOPEDALE- How can they be #1… Chris Kivior, Peter Berdos, Aaron Maurais, and Nick Bird, all top-15 finishers from CMass in 2011, have graduated? For starters, Paul Maurais, Matt Doran, and Anthony Tandy are the top 3 returnees from the class, meaning they ought to win the dual meet with the rest of the class by going 1-2-3. But, this isn’t a dual meet, and they will need to replace those four seniors. Hopedale is a program, not a team. They regenerate better than anyone in this region, and will do so with a group of middle schoolers, 10 of whom broke 13:00 for 3000 meters, four of whom broke 12:00. Expect freshman Thomas Spillers and sophomore Yaroslav Borodenko to emerge from this group and join the meet’s top-20, if not better. Hopedale dominated in 2011, scoring just 32 points ahead of a very good Whitinsville team. This time around, that total could be in the 20’s or under. Look out for this rise of this group. I hope Bishop Feehan and Pembroke are paying attention.
Central Mass State Meet Results