Several Rhode Island cross-country teams will get one final tune-up Thursday before next weekend’s class championships, with the 20th annual Skee Carter Memorial/Bronco Invitational and the East Bay Challenge highlighting the day’s action.
At Burrillville Middle School, 25 teams are registered for the Skee Carter Invitational. About an hour away, eight schools will compete at Portsmouth’s Glen Park in the East Bay Challenge.
The Skee Carter Invitational will feature the defending girls’ varsity champion, Coventry’s Molly Richardson, who dominated last year’s race to capture the title. Then a freshman, Richardson averaged six minutes per mile over the 5K course, winning in 18:35.68 — nearly 40 seconds ahead of Exeter/West Greenwich’s Lily Chabot.
Richardson returns Thursday after a strong performance at the Catholic Memorial Invitational in Boston. On the challenging 5K course at Franklin Park, the Coventry sophomore clocked a personal-best 18:33.0. It will be interesting to see what time she posts on a course more conducive to fast times.
One of Richardson’s top challengers could be South Kingstown freshman Emma Morrissey. Aside from winning the freshman race at the Injury Fund Carnival early in the season, Thursday’s meet will mark one of Morrissey’s first major statewide tests.
She appears ready for the challenge. In a dual meet against North Kingstown on Oct. 5, Morrissey defeated North Kingstown all-staters Abbie Tighe and Lucy Stowe in 18:42. She also clocked a season-best 18:33 in late September against Southern Division rivals Narragansett and Rogers.
Chabot will also be in the field. She owns a best of 19:14.2 from last year’s race.
On the boys’ side, top entries include Smithfield brothers Mason and Colin Smith, Providence Country Day’s Leo Woodman and Moses Brown’s Ben Glew.
Woodman finished second in last year’s race with a PR of 16:22.9. The PCD senior, who placed 10th at the 2025 State Meet, turned in another strong performance at the recent Manhattan University Invitational. On Oct. 5, he finished fourth in the Letter F race in 13:03.9 over the 2.5-mile course at Van Cortlandt Park.
Mason Smith, a junior, ran a personal-best 16:10 at the MSTCA Bob Glennon Invitational two weeks ago. His younger brother Colin, a freshman, also impressed at the meet, clocking 16:36.7.
Glew turned in his best performance of the season at the Hopkinton XC Festival in New Hampshire on Oct. 10. The Moses Brown junior finished 38th overall in 16:40.0.
SKEE CARTER INVITATIONAL
At Burrillville Middle School
4 p.m. — Varsity Boys
4:30 p.m. — Varsity Girls
5 p.m. — Junior Varsity Boys and Girls
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Barrington is the team to beat in the boys’ race at the East Bay Challenge.
The Eagles occupy the top five seeds, putting them in position to score a low 15 points if the seedings hold. Leading the way are junior Ryan Hurlock and senior Brooks Mello, who both broke 16 minutes in Boston this past weekend at the Catholic Memorial Invitational.
Hurlock clocked a PR of 15:45.30 to finish sixth, with Mello close behind in seventh in 15:46. Teammate Colby Napolitano also ran well, posting a best of 16:00.70 at the meet, held at Franklin Park.
In the girls’ race, Barrington newcomer Carly Gill is the top seed. Gill recorded the fastest time of the day at the season-opening Injury Fund Carnival last month, clocking an all-time best of18:46.12 at Deerfield Park.
Portsmouth’s Lucy Walker is the No. 2 seed after breaking 20 minutes for the first time at the recent Twilight Invitational, where she was timed in 19:57.70. The Prout School’s Ella Procaccianti, who owns a best of 20:06.70, and Barrington’s Charlotte Ford, with a best of 20:40, are the next two seeds.
EAST BAY CHALLENGE
At Glen Park, Portsmouth
4:45 p.m. — Girls’ Race
5:15 p.m. — Boys’ Race
