It’s Championship Time!
And it’s also Prediction Time!
Throughout the week, we’ll take a look at all six girls’ and boys’ race at Saturday’s RIIL Class Championships. Here’s our take on the Class B meet, held at the conclusion of the meet.
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Class B Championships – Girls
Day/Time: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Teams: Chariho Regional, West Warwick, Portsmouth, Ponaganset, Johnston, Mount Hope, Davies Tech, Barrington, East Greenwich, Lincoln, Smithfield, Central Falls, South Kingstown, North Providence
Runners To Watch: The race for the individual title could come down to a pair of newcomers to high school cross country – South Kingstown freshman Emma Morrissey and Barrington sophomore Carly Gill. Both have made a positive impact this season and should be among the contenders for the individual state title next week. Morrissey raced to a PR and state-leading 18:10.0 at last week’s Skee Carter Memorial Invitational. Demonstrating the maturity of a veteran this fall, she was unbeaten against her Southern Division rivals. The South Kingstown freshman did suffer her only loss of the season at Monday’s Freshmen State Championship, but it came against another state title hopeful, Cumberland’s Caylee Kurbec. Both runners shattered the course record for the 4K course, with Kurbec crossing the line in 14:30.84 and Morrissey clocking 14:46.50. Their times were well under Morrissey’s previous mark of 14:58.63, set in her victory in the Frosh race at the Injury Fund Carnival. If anything, that setback against Kurbec could provide extra motivation this weekend as Morrissey pursues the individual crown. However, Gill is someone she can’t take lightly. The talented sophomore, who was a top middle-distance star for the Eagles last year on the track, claimed key victories this fall at Injury Fund, the Highland Park (MA) Invitational, and last week’s East Bay Challenge in Portsmouth. At East Bay, she won by two minutes and clocked a PR of 18:45.39. Her performance suggests she’s ready to contend at Saturday’s competition. Barrington senior Evelyn Lefort, a runner-up in this race in 2025, could also be near the front pack. She was the No. 2 runner for the Eagles all season long and was also a member of the sub-19 club this fall. In her last competition prior to this Saturday’s meet, she was tenth overall at the Catholic Memorial (MA) Invitational with a PR of 18:49.20. A similar effort to what she accomplished at the Oct. 17 meet at Franklin Park, could put right in the mix for a top-3 finish. East Greenwich freshman Julia Fuimarello, who was fourth at Skee Carter with a best of 19:10.98, is another runner to keep an eye on this weekend. Others that should fare well on the Chieftains’ covered-bridge trail are Barrington freshman Sarah Clegg (19:12.50), East Greenwich senior Kayla Siedliski (19:24.95), Barrington freshman Elizabeth Van Hull (19:45.30) and Chariho sophomore Meridan Alge (19:53.0)
Team Outlook: Two schools stick out for team honors – two-time defending champion East Greenwich and Barrington. A slight edge might go to Barrington, which is seeking its first title since 2023. Behind the 1-2 punch of Gill and Lefort, the Eagles have a strong supporting cast that features three underclassmen. Barrington has the potential to have four of its runners across the line before the Avengers third finisher with Clegg and Van Hull placing among the top 10.
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Class B Championships – Boys
Day/Time: Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Teams: East Greenwich, Ponaganset, Johnston, Barrington, Chariho Regional, West Warwick, South Kingstown, Central Falls, Portsmouth, North Providence, Davies Tech, Mount Hope, Smithfield, Lincoln
Runners To Watch: East Greenwich and Barrington, two squads we expect to battle for the team title, should have several athletes among our front-runners this weekend. The top individual contenders appear to be Barrington junior Ryan Hurlock and senior Brooks Mello and East Greenwich sophomore Andrew Parisi. Hurlock and Mello have been consistent this fall, posting strong times at select meets over the past two months. Most recently, the Eagles duo recorded sub-16-minute times at the Catholic Memorial Invitational at Franklin Park on Oct. 17. Hurlock finished sixth overall in 15:45.30, while Mello placed seventh in 15:46.0 on a course similar to the one at Ponaganset. Meanwhile, at Stanley Park in Westfield, Mass., Parisi continued his breakout season by winning the individual title at the MSTCA Dick Atkinson Invitational with a PR of 15:50. Barrington senior Colby Napolitano is another contender to watch after finishing third in this race last year. He turned in his best performance of the season at the Catholic Memorial Invitational, clocking 16:00.7. The four runners have posted their season-best times on established 5K courses, offering a useful indication of what could unfold this weekend. This could be one of those races in which a competitive pack of three or four runners remains in contention into the closing stages. Another runner to watch is Smithfield sophomore Mason Smith, who was second at last week’s Skee Carter Memorial Invitational and ran a best of 16:20.51 at the MSTCA Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational on Oct. 10. There’s also East Greenwich sophomore Jeremiah Moon and sophomore Quinn Connolly that could figure in the mix. Just to name a few. Both went sub 16:30 this fall.
Team Outlook: As mentioned earlier, the team battle will come down to East Greenwich and Barrington. Barrington does seem to have the advantage, but not by much. Both teams have gaps of less than a minute between their five scoring runners. Based on time run this season, the Eagles and the Avengers could have four runners finish in the top 10 with runners like Smith and younger brother, freshman Colin Smith, capable of breaking up the party. This is a meet that could be determined by the all-important fifth man, or a sixth-runner tie-breaker. We believe it’s that close. Smithfield does appear to be a solid contender for the No. 3 spot.
