We might as well keep it going.
We’ve covered the teams. Now let’s talk about the runners.
With the season-opening Injury Fund XC Carnival set for Labor Day weekend, we still have a little time before the cross-country season officially gets rolling. So, after unveiling our top 10 teams for this fall, it’s now time to turn our attention to the individuals we believe could make their mark this season.
Over the next week, we’ll spotlight some of the runners we expect to lead the way, building up to Injury Fund. Some, of course, will be familiar faces based on what we’ve seen from them in the past. After all, looking back at last year’s State Meet, we still have 12 runners returning who finished among the top 10 in the boys’ and girls’ races combined.
But there are also a few newcomers that we have our eye on this season, and should not be ignored. As usual, it’s going to get interesting.
In no particular order, here’s some of our picks this season to place among the top finishers on the girls’ side.
(All photos by Sterling Vernon @rhodeandtrack)
FAVORITES
Let’s start with our lone defending champion, Cumberland High junior Cecelia “CC” Ludwig.
As we stated in our team preview, Ludwig’s forte is cross country. After winning back-to-back junior high state crowns while at McCourt Middle School, the Clipper standout continued her excellence on the dirt trails at the high school level, finishing third as a freshman in 2024 before winning it all in 2025.
While the competition is tight, Ludwig is our favorite to do it again this fall, with the possibility of dipping under 18 minutes at Ponaganset. She captured last year’s crown in 18:17.27, winning gold by nearly 30 seconds. A few weeks later, she was the top Rhode Islander at Nike Cross Regional Northeast at Bowdoin Park in New York, clocking 18:27 on a more challenging 5K course than the Chieftains’ covered-bridge trail.
Ludwig, who plays basketball during the winter months, had a strong track season this past spring. She ran a PR of 4:42.48 for the 1,500m at the Class A Championships and was fourth in the event, as well as the 3,000m, at the State Meet. She’ll be ready this season.
There are plenty of things working in Ludwig’s favor. She has another year of experience under her belt, a talented team to train with each and every day, and a competitive field that includes several runners who could challenge her on Nov. 7. If she does win, the margin of victory should be far less based on our returnees and some newcomers.
But for now, the reigning champion remains the one to beat.
Saint Raphael Academy’s Mackenzie Lickert was always up for the challenge last fall.
A strong season on the trails culminated with a Class C title and a runner-up finish at the State Meet, where she ran a personal best at Ponaganset, clocking 18:44.97. The SRA standout wasn’t finished there, however, closing out the season with a PR of 18:37.90 to place among the top 30 runners at the Brooks Northeast XC Championships at Franklin Park.
Coming down with the flu the week leading up to the indoor state meet derailed any chance of a victory in the 3,000-meter run, where she placed fourth overall. But the Saints senior bounced back and earned a much-deserved victory at the outdoor State Meet.
You can never count out Lickert when it comes championship time. She’s a consistent runner with a host of top finishes against the state’s elite, and her experience racing at the front of the pack makes her a formidable challenger once again this fall.
There’s no doubt that La Salle’s Alyssa Parenteau will be looking to contend with our front-runners this season.
The Rams senior was seventh at last year’s State Meet, a week after winning the Class A title with a best of 18:42.09 on the Chieftains’ covered-bridge trail. Parenteau has the talent, and certainly the credentials, to be considered one of the favorites this fall.
Following cross country, she enjoyed a stellar year on the track, highlighted by a pair of 1,500-meter crowns at the indoor and outdoor State Championships. The gifted Parenteau, who posted bests of 2:15.21 in the 800m and 4:39.97 in the 1,500m during her junior campaign, has the range to make her move if the race is close on Nov. 7.
She also has the benefit of training with a strong La Salle squad that could be battling for the team title, giving her another reason to be ready when the gun is fired at Ponaganset.
POTENTIAL CHALLENGERS
After starting off strong, Coventry’s Molly Richardson had to deal with a series of injuries that derailed the end of her inaugural cross-country season and wiped out nearly her entire indoor campaign.
Prior to the injuries, Richardson demonstrated the talent that helped her win a junior high title a year earlier. As a ninth-grader, she placed 15th in the Championship race at the Ocean State Invitational and won the Skee Carter/Bronco Invitational, where she posted a 5K best of 18:35.68.
A healthy Richardson earned second-team All-State honors at the outdoor State Championships, where she was the runner-up in the 3,000 meters with a PR of 10:30.04. Over the summer, she continued to show her potential, placing third at the Run4Kerri road race while averaging under six-minute pace with a time of 23:49 for four miles. She also clocked 1:04:32 at the Blessing of the Fleet 10-Miler.
Both performances are encouraging signs that Richardson has the potential to make a significant impact this season if she can remain healthy throughout the campaign.
***
When we write articles like these, it’s rare that we include freshmen, who have yet to prove themselves at the high-school level. But with South Kingstown’s Emma Morrissey, were making an exception.
The Rebels’ promising underclassman has already given us reason to believe she could crack the top five this fall based on what she accomplished over the summer. The 14-year-old runner, who placed third at the 2025 junior high states, put together an impressive three-race stretch that showcased her potential.
Morrissey was the 10th female finisher and 77th overall at the Blessing of the Fleet, clocking an impressive 1:03.47 for the 10-mile course. The Wakefield native followed that performance with a time of 25:36 at the Run4Kerri before placing fifth at the Bobby Doyle 5-Mile Classic in 30:59.7.
***
North Kingstown’s Abbie Tighe could also figure into the mix. Tighe earned a spot on the first-team, all-state squad for the third straight year after placing fourth last fall with a season best of 18:54.91.
DARK HORSES
Other runners that have the potential to make some noise are Cumberland freshman Caylee Kurbec, North Kingstown’s Lucy Stowe, Barrington’s Evelyn Lefort and North Smithfield’s Julia Dowling, just to name a few.
