Time: 11 a.m.
Site: Ponaganset High
Teams: North Kingstown, Cranston East, North Providence, Toll Gate, Mount Pleasant, Cranston West, Pilgrim, East Providence, La Salle Academy, Woonsocket, Classical, Hope, Cumberland, Coventry
Athletes to Watch: Keaney Bayha, Pilgrim: Grace Doyle, Classical; Kiley DeFusco, Cumberland; Abbie Tighe, North Kingstown; Alison Pankowicz, Toll Gate; Lucy Stowe, North Kingstown; Alyssa Parenteau, La Sale Academy’ Charli McCue, Cumberland; Rose Tuomisto, Cumberland
Outlook: Bayha is our pick to win on Saturday, and for good reason. The Patriot senior has been red-hot over the last few weeks, beginning with her ninth-place finish in the HS race at the Paul Short Run on Sept. 30 where she clocked 18:39.70. She followed that effort with a PR of 18:03.40 at the Great American XC Festival a week later and an impressive 14:57.10 for 2.5 miles at the Manhattan College Invitational on Oct. 14 to finish second in the Varsity C race. Bayha ran a best of 19:16.10 at the class meet as a freshman in 2021, her best at Ponaganset. We predict she be well under that time on Saturday with another sub 19. While we feel the odds are favorable for Bayha to come out in top, it’s not necassarily a shoo-in. The field is strong in this race with several capable of challenging up front. The Clippers’ DeFusco has picked the races this fall to push the pace, running a best of 18:51.32 at the Maine Festival of Champions and 19:28.10 at the Ocean State Invitational last month. She was second to La Salle’s Caroline Cummings in last year’s race and ran her best at PHS of 19:01 at the State Meet the following week. There’s also North Kingstown’s gifted ninth-grader Abbie Tighe. She looked awfully strong in winning the frosh state meet on Monday where she ran 15:04 for 4K and was second at the Avenger Invitational on Oct. 12, going sub-19 with a PR of 18:52.36. Other runners were expect to be battling for those top positions are Pankowicz, Doyle, Stowe and Parenteau.
With the potential of four runners under 20 minutes, Cumberland appears primed to defend last year’s title. The Clippers’ depth is supreme with the ability to get six of their harriers under 21 minutes. But watch out for North Kingstown. The young Skippers gained three outstanding ninth-graders this fall with Tighe, Stowe and Maura Whitney. The trio are capable of finishing among the top 15 this weekend with Tighe and Stowe placing among the top six or eight. The depth behind them is also solid with the possibility of three more under 21 minutes. This one could be close between the two squads if most shows up with their ‘A’ games. La Salle is a legit No. 3 with Parenteau, Mia Bettez and Maeve Casey leading the way.
