Once again, there’s no denying who owns the No. 1 spot in our Power Rankings. With its recent second-place finish in the Eastern States Championship race at this past weekend’s Manhattan College Invitational, Bishop Hendricken continued its outstanding season and firm grip atop the state.
It’s in the next few positions where things start to get close — real close. La Salle has competed the past few weeks without its No. 2 runner, Eamon O’Brien, who was recently seen wearing a boot. The rumor is he might be returning soon, and that, alone, could shake things up considerably in the battle among the Rams, North Kingstown, and Barrington, ranked third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in last week’s poll.
Barrington and North Kingstown went head-to-head this past weekend at the Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational in Cape Cod, with the Eagles finishing fifth and the Skippers taking eighth. Points-wise, the two were separated by just 19 (223–242). Their times for their top five scoring runners were nearly identical as well — a 15:55 to 17:14 spread for the Skippers and 16:04 to 17:16 for the Eagles. That’s about as close as it gets.
Based on that, we’re giving the edge to Barrington, which moves up to No. 3, followed by North Kingstown at No. 4. La Salle slips to No. 5 for now — but that could all change once the Class Championships wrap up. A healthy Rams squad is certainly capable of reclaiming that third spot (or higher), something it could very well prove at the Class A meet.
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TOP 10 – BOYS
- Bishop Hendricken
- Cumberland
- Barrington (4)
- North Kingstown (5)
- La Salle (3)
- East Greenwich
- Portsmouth
- Chariho
- Smithfield
- Pilgrim
Honorable Mention: Saint Raphael Academy
