By MARTY OGDEN
Just looking at the geography of the United States, the five individual states which compete in the New England Championships for cross country are in the bottom half of the states if you look at both size and population. But if you combine their population, we are collectively ranked 13th in the nation, just behind New Jersey and in front of Washington. Now if Massachusetts ever decided to compete in the New England Cross Country Championships like they once did, it would put our population just behind New York and in front of Pennsylvania. If we start looking at New Englands as our “state meet”, it is on par with the biggest most competitive states in the nation. Over 250 of the top athletes in the region will descend upon Wickham Park this upcoming Saturday with the boys toeing the line at 11:30 am and the girls scheduled to start at 12:15 pm. Each state may enter six teams and any other individual placing in the top twenty-five positions in its state meet with the 25 individuals earning medals and the top three teams taking home plaques.
Boys Qualifiers Speed Ratings – Courtesy of Scott Bliss (VTHSXC.com)
Boys Individual Previews
With five states sending the best of their best, the definition of “good” takes on a whole new meaning. All conference and even all state athletes get buried in the pack and whoever emerges from the scrum truly deserves the title of New England champion.
Newtown’s (CT) Soheib Dissa has raced the Wickham course six times in his career and hasn’t been seriously challenged this season on the course. He ran 15:24 on this rough and tumble course that is not known to be speedy. Only all time greats such as Alex Ostberg and the Sherry brothers, Gavin and Callum have run faster. Dissa finished over 100m in front of Amity’s Luke Cushing at the State Open, but he should have company from Rhode Island champion Marshall Vernon of La Salle Academy who won on the fast Ponaganset course in 15:00.75, missing the 7 year old course record of 14:46.09 by La Salle’s DJ Principe. Taking second was Wickham Invite winner Sean Gray of Portsmouth who was 11 seconds back. Dissa and Vernon had a great battle at the Yale Invitational indoors when Dissa outkicked the boy from the Ocean State over the final few steps despite losing his shoe in the first couple of laps.
Hendricken’s Colby Flynn has been consistent all season and was third at states, also running 16:23 at Wickham this season. He has a great chance to help his team to a podium finish with his low stick.
Two time New Hampshire champion Matthew Giardina of Bishop Guertin was off last year at New Englands and finished 22nd but is a 14:39 5k runner on the track and should be in the lead pack. New Hampshire runner up Sullivan Sturtz of Keene is the top returner from last year’s meet and defeated Giardina in the NH Division I meet the week before their championship.
Maine’s top runner Sam Laverdiere of Lake Region was about 30 seconds behind Dissa at the Virginia XC Showcase and should be in the top 10-15 finishers. He had a broken collarbone over the summer which hindered his early season racing. Laverdiere defended his Southern Maine Regional title, clocking 16:06 at Twin Brook, 23 seconds better than last year. Aidan Ring of York hung tough for the first half of the race and finished in the runner up spot.
Emmett Johnson of St. Johnsbury cracked the top ten last year at New Englands and won the VT Division I meet two weeks ago in 16:23 on Thetford’s tough 5k course. He was followed by Teddy Tremblay of Bellows Free Academy and SJ’s #2 Andrew Thornton-Sherman who have gone back and forth against each other. All three have an outstanding shot at top 25 finishes.
Boys Team Preview
Defending New England champion Ridgefield (CT) finally put their cards on the table at the State Open running their top five all at once. With the Tigers at full strength, they not only defeated a historically strong East Lyme team, they ran the fastest combined time in course history. Ridgefield was ranked third in the last Dyestat Northeast Ranking and that was posted before the State Open which was a much better performance. They will face Vermont DI state champion St. Johnsbury who is currently ranked 4th in Northeast region. The Hilltoppers would have beaten the rest of VT D in a dual meet, scoring 23 points. But this will also be a second chance for East Lyme to go after Ridgefield as well. They were only 20 points or 30 seconds away from winning the Open, so with a slightly better performance or if someone is off from another team, they have an outside shot at the title.
From Rhode Island Bishop Hendricken has already won 25 state championships and 13 New England wins. They defeated Hanover, NH to win the Wickham Invitational and finished 8th at Great American Festival against several regionally ranked teams, including Ridgefield who was 6th. East Greenwich had their highest finish ever at the RI state meet and defeated perennial contender La Salle by a single point.
Bishop Guertin won the New Hampshire Meet of Champions and has a strong top four, but will need their number five to move up if they want to get in the top five. Pinkerton seems to always be a player at New Englands and was only 14 points behind BG at their state meet and will be looking for some revenge on their in-state rival and will try to break into the top ten.
NOTES:
NHCC will be there as part of the State Running Network to record races, snap pics and interview!
Parking: Parking facilities are available at the Wickham Park for all vehicles, including team buses/vans. Be advised that a spectator parking fee of $15 per car will be collected. There will be handicap parking available at Wickham Park. Cars illegally parked outside the Wickham Park facility, especially on Tolland Street near the back entrance to the park, will be ticketed.
Concessions: Food trucks will be available in the upper parking lot near the registration tent.
T-Shirts: Official New England Cross Country Championship apparel will be sold at the meet. Apparel can be pre-ordered at https://www.grrteesmsp.com/ until the Thursday before the Meet and post-ordered beginning on Monday after the Meet.
