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 C meet, which kicks off the day at Ponaganset.
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Class C Championships – Girls
Day/Time: Saturday, 10:30 a.m.
Teams: Burrillville, Prout, Scituate, St. Mary’s Bay View, Narragansett, PCD/St. Raphael’s Coop, North Smithfield, Exeter/West Greenwich, Rogers, Juanita Sanchez, Block Island (Individuals), Moses Brown, Blackstone Valley Prep, Westerly
Runners To Watch: Defending champion MacKenzie Lickert of Saint Raphael Academy will have a bull’s-eye on her singlet in this race, but repeating as champion won’t be easy. We expect her to have company for a good portion of the race. Lickert enters this weekend’s competition with a season-best time of 19:09, recorded in a Metropolitan Division meet on Sept. 15 against Tiverton and host Barrington. The SRA senior finished second at last year’s State Meet with a personal-best time of 18:45. She received a confidence boost in one of her final races before this weekend’s competition. On Oct. 6, Lickert established a course and school record of 16:40 on the Saints’ 2.85-mile course at Slater Park, giving her added momentum heading into the championship race. Who are the runners that could pose a threat? North Smithfield senior Julia Dowling is another contender to watch. She won this race as a sophomore in 2024, edging Lickert by just 0.04 seconds. Dowling finished fifth at last Thursday’s Skee Carter Memorial Invitational in a season-best 19:15.23. She placed third at last year’s meet. Block Island sophomore Keira Closter is another runner who could challenge the leaders. She should be well-rested and ready for a strong performance, having competed in just four races before this weekend, two fewer than at the same point last fall. Her most recent outing was a fourth-place finish in a Metropolitan Division tri-meet with South Kingstown and North Kingstown. Closter recorded a personal-best 19:15.7 at the season-opening Injury Fund Carnival. Exeter/West Greenwich senior Lily Chabot (19:54.20) and Moses Brown freshman Catherine Tang (20:13.20) are two other runners who could contend for top finishes.
Team Outlook: With a team capable of having all seven of their runners in the top 20, Moses Brown appears primed for its fourth straight title and fifth in the last six years. Burrillville and St. Rays-PCD coop could be fighting for the No. 2 spot.
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Class C Championships – Boys
Day/Time: Saturday, 10 a.m.
Teams: St. Raphael Academy, Narragansett, Burrillville, Juanita Sanchez, Rogers, Moses Brown, North Smithfield, Scituate, Exeter/West Greenwich, Prout, Westerly, Blackstone Valley Prep, Tiverton, Providence Country Day
Runners To Watch: It appears the real battle in this race may be for second place. The clear-cut favorite is last year’s runner-up, Leo Woodman of Providence Country Day. Woodman made a statement with his dominant victory at last week’s Skee Carter Memorial Invitational, where he clocked a personal-best 15:46.81, finishing a convincing 30 seconds ahead of Smithfield’s Mason Smith. We’re predicting another solo performance from the PCD senior, whose seed time is nearly a minute faster than that of the No. 2 seed, Moses Brown’s Ben Glew (16:40). Much as he did at the Skee Carter Invitational, Woodman should take control from the gun and should make this race his own by the midway point. Don’t be surprised if he eases up after exiting the woods and making the right-hand turn near the tennis courts for the final 600-meter stretch. By that point, he should have a sizable cushion, allowing him to conserve some energy for the State Meet on Nov. 7. Woodman finished 10th at that meet last year and undoubtedly will be aiming for a top-seven finish to earn a spot on the first-team All-State squad. Woodman’s best time at Ponaganset is 16:25.99, which he recorded at last fall’s state meet. Look for him to lower that mark considerably, whether he eases up late or not. An all-out effort could produce a time comparable to last week’s performance. Glew appears to have the edge for the silver medal, but he could face a challenge from Burrillville senior Drew Gaulin, Westerly junior Patrick Fowler and North Smithfield senior Derek Mallon, all of whom have posted season-best times in the low 17-minute range.
Team Outlook: History could be made on Saturday. It looks as though Moses Brown could win the school’s first-ever team title. Led by Glew, the Quakers have the ability to have three runners in the top 10 with senior Braden Pyle (17:25.30) and junior Oscar Li (17:29) capable of making the cut. Senior teammate Ian Whitely is another sub-18 guy. North Smithfield and PCD are strong contenders for the runner-up spot.
