When the competition is close and there really is no clear-cut favorite, what’s the common phrase you often hear us say?
Take your pick!
We’d like to make a prediction on who we think has the best chance to capture the girls’ individual title at Saturday’s RIIL State XC Championships, but we really can’t. It’s that difficult. It’s that close. Not just two or three runners. We feel this is a race where at least six or seven have a legitimate chance at winning it all at Ponaganset.
In the history of the State Meet – and we’ve had many – we can’t recall a meet quite like this, where there is potential to still have a decent-sized lead pack in contention in the closing stages. Three or more runners could still be battling it out by the time they reach the football field for the final 100-meter stretch.
Okay, here we go. In no particular order, here are our picks on who we believe will be our top contenders this weekend.
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Cecelia “Cece” Ludwig, Cumberland High
We have to begin with our defending champion. After finishing second at the Class A Championships last fall, Ludwig became the first Cumberland runner to win a state title in 37 years with a PR of 18:17.27, a best by 34 seconds! The Clippers junior, who has run in just a limited number of races this season, was third at the Class A meet this past weekend, clocking a season-best of 18:54.89.
With the field that will be assembled for this weekend, we’re thinking a time in the low 18-minute range could win this race, possibly even faster. Can you say sub-18? Is Ludwig capable of doing that? She proved last year that she can produce her best effort when it matters most. So why not?
Ludwig will also have the added motivation of a team title on the line. A repeat title could go a long way for Ludwig and the Clippers in what is expected to be a fierce battle with teams like La Salle Academy and North Kingstown.
Don’t count her out!
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Alyssa Parenteau, La Salle Academy
For the second straight year, Parenteau was our Class A champion. The Rams senior was tough as nails this past Saturday. She bolted from the start, built a solid cushion on the chase pack early and made her rivals play catch-up for the remainder of the race. They never did catch the Providence College-bound runner, who produced the second-fastest time of the day with a PR of 18:34.92.
After winning last year’s class title, Parenteau finished seventh overall at the State Meet. History will not repeat itself this time around. The La Salle standout has been mega-consistent and successful since last year’s meet. During the winter, she won her long-awaited individual crown in the 1,500-meter run at the indoor state meet, something she repeated when the competition shifted outdoors.
Parenteau likes to take charge in a race like this. Look for her to be one of the runners pushing the pace this weekend. We’re not anticipating that she’ll go out quite as fast as last weekend, when she hit 5:35 at the first mile. But don’t expect her to hold back too much. She does have a legit shot at winning her third individual state title and first in cross country. Like Ludwig, she does have some added motivation with the Rams in the mix for a team crown.
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Emma Morrissey, South Kingstown High
Since the first State Meet in 1972, just four freshmen have won an individual state title. Could Morrissey become our fifth in that 54-year span? No doubt! The Rebels’ gifted ninth-grader staked her case this weekend by capturing the Class B title with the fastest time of the day, 18:24.22.
Morrissey won the race by seven seconds over Barrington’s Carly Gill and certainly looked as though she had more in the tank. And has she been pushed? That will happen this weekend, and we believe the Rebels’ talented underclassman will respond with an even faster performance on Saturday. Will it be enough? It could.
Except for her loss to Cumberland’s Caylee Kurbec at the Freshman State Championships on Oct. 26, no one has beaten Morrissey this year. She’s got the mental toughness and maturity to be a champion, something she showed after her setback to Kurbec, when she rebounded with her class title.
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MacKenzie Lickert, St. Raphael Academy
The Saints senior, a runner-up at last year’s State Meet, captured her second straight Class C title this weekend. In a race where she held back in the early stages, Lickert clocked a season best of 18:50.42.
She’ll be ready on Saturday. She has the momentum going into this meet. On Oct. 5, Lickert set a school record of 16:50.0 for 2.85 miles at Slater Park. Five days later, she ran a best of 15:23.60 for 2.5 miles at the Manhattan University XC Invitational.
Don’t expect Lickert to be leading this race at the beginning. But we can guarantee she will be nestled nicely in the top pack throughout this race, giving her a shot at pulling off the win and becoming the Saints’ second state champion since 2023, when former great Rory Sullivan broke the tape.
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Carly Gill, Barrington High
Could the first time be the charm?
In her inaugural year of cross country, Gill has a chance at coming out on top this weekend. The Eagles sophomore was second to Morrissey at the Class B meet, where she ran a PR of 18:31.75, the second-fastest time in the state this year.
Gill had to take a short break from running early last month due to a minor injury. It’s all behind her now, which she demonstrated by winning the East Bay Challenge in Portsmouth in a previous best of 18:45.39. She then followed up that performance with her strong runner-up finish in Class B.
She’ll be in the mix with our contenders.
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Abbie Tighe, North Kingstown High
Most of our top contenders at this weekend’s meet have only run a limited number of races to prepare themselves for peak performances come championship time. Tighe is one of them. In just her third race this season, the Skipper senior was right on point at the State Meet, placing second overall with a season best of 18:43.88.
Tighe will be looking to join an elite group of runners this weekend. A top-seven finish will earn her a spot on the first-team All-State squad. She was seventh in this race as a freshman in 2023, second as a sophomore and fourth last year.
Could she be No. 1 on Saturday? It’s not too far-fetched.
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Caylee Kurbec, Cumberland High
Here’s another ninth-grader who could surprise the competition on Saturday. Despite a strong first season, we may not have put Kurbec on this list prior to Oct. 26. It all changed on that day when the Cumberland frosh defeated Morrissey with a course record of 14:30.84 for the 4K course.
Head coach Kerrie Carpenter held her out of the Class Championships this past weekend so that she’ll be well-rested this weekend. She has a best of 19:30.40 from the Manchester (NH) Invitational back in mid-September.
Kurbec should be well under that time this weekend. Her 14:30 time says she’s ready for a time in the mid-18-minute range or faster.
Other runners not to overlook this weekend are Cranston West’s Molly Richardson, Barrington’s Evelyn Lefort, North Kingstown’s Lucy Stowe and Toll Gate’s Mea Ayotte
