We’ve already previewed the individual races for this weekend’s RIIL State Cross Country Championships. Now, how about the team titles?
Will Saturday bring more of the same, or will we see a new champion – or perhaps two – when the state’s best teams converge at Ponaganset?
While nothing is guaranteed, and anything can and often does happen at a meet like the state championships, expect another boys’ team title for Bishop Hendricken.
The depth is just too much for the reigning state champions, who are seeking their sixth consecutive title and 30th overall.
So why are we so confident in our prediction, and perhaps in line with many others who have followed this season? Here’s a look at a few reasons why we believe it will be the Hawks’ day once again on the Chieftains’ Covered-Bridge Trail.
On paper, this is a team that could place all five of its scorers in the top 10, with all seven varsity runners potentially finishing among the top 15. A score of 20 points is within reach for the Hawks, who currently rank No. 1 in the Northeast and No. 15 nationally.
Now, consider this rather eye-opening scenario. What would happen if, for example, the Hawks’ top two runners, Colby Flynn and Shepherd Butler, were unable to compete this weekend? We ran the numbers, and here’s what we came up with. Replacing that talented tandem with the next two runners in Hendricken’s lineup, the Hawks could still win by approximately 30 points. With Flynn and Butler in the lineup, that margin grows to approximately 50.
The Hawks flexed their muscles at the Class A meet this past weekend, placing five runners under 16 minutes. Colby Flynn (first, 15:30.6), Shepherd Butler (second, 15:30.8), Andrew Williams (fourth, 15:48.2), Jeremy Dru (fifth, 15:51.2) and Colton Orr (seventh, 15:55.3) all dipped under the mark. Hendricken’s other two runners, Luke Tremble (ninth, 16:05.6) and Oliver Redmond (10th, 16:21.9), also cracked the top 10 in the Hawks’ convincing 19-72 victory over runner-up La Salle.
That’s a tough lineup to beat, and we don’t see that happening on Saturday.
Who will secure the coveted runner-up spot? Based on what we’ve seen throughout the season and how the teams performed this past weekend, Barrington gets the nod for the No. 2 position.
The Eagles looked strong in capturing the Class B title with a 25-41 victory over East Greenwich. Barrington has plenty of firepower up front, led by the trio of Brooks Mello (15:52.6), Ryan Hurlock (15:57.1) and Colby Napolitano (15:58.3), who finished 1-2-3 with sub-16-minute efforts. As a team, the Eagles averaged a crisp 16:14.0 among their five scorers, which also included Finnian Evans (16:40.4) and Calvin Mentzer (10th, 16:41.4).
Look for East Greenwich and La Salle to battle for third and fourth in the standings. The Avengers, who have demonstrated plenty of promise this fall, are led by Andrew Parisi and Jeremiah Moon, who clocked times of 16:12.07 and 16:24.51, respectively, at the class championships. East Greenwich may hold an edge over its rival, showcasing a gap of just 47.61 seconds between its five scorers. La Salle, which has a solid one-two punch featuring Will Souza (15:35.14) and Matt Lewis (15:51.73), produced a considerably wider differential of 1:30.28 at the class meet.
Rounding out the top six, and securing a trip to Maine for next weekend’s New England Championships, is North Kingstown and Chariho Regional.
Now, let’s move on to the girls’ meet.
Don’t be fooled by the score of the Class A Championship this past weekend. Continuing what’s been a solid campaign for La Salle this season, the Rams captured their fifth straight team title in Class A with a 38-59 win over North Kingstown. Cumberland was third with 70.
While it was an impressive victory for La Salle, head coach Kerrie Carpenter and her Cumberland squad were not at full strength. Just like she did prior to her previous two state titles, Carpenter sat out some of her varsity runners at the class meet, including freshman Caylee Kurbec and sophomore Natalie Crawford. With both back in the lineup, the meet could have been considerably closer, potentially giving the Clippers the edge.
Kurbec has proved this season that she’s capable of breaking 19 minutes at Ponaganset. Back in September, the Clipper freshman twice clocked times in the 19:30s on two very challenging 5K courses at the Manchester (NH) Invitational and Bowdoin Park XC Classic (NY).
More recently, she captured the Freshman State Championships, running 14:30.9 over the 4K course, an average pace of approximately 5:50 per mile. Maintaining that same pace for another kilometer would put her in the low-18-minute range. Factoring in the additional distance and the more challenging course at Ponaganset compared to Deerfield Park, we’re still projecting a time well under 19 minutes this weekend.
Crawford has a season best of 19:56.9 from the Manchester Invitational, but she’s also proven she can run considerably faster. Last year, she clocked a PR of 19:07.5 to finish ninth overall at the State Meet.
The Clippers will also have their No. 1 runner and defending champion, Cecelia “Cece” Ludwig, in the lineup. She placed third at the Class A meet in a season-best 18:54.9 and captured last year’s State Meet title with a PR of 18:17.3.
Other top runners, including Gabriella Stoothoff and Anna Bianchi, who finished seventh and eighth, respectively, at the class championships in 19:18.1 and 19:20.2, give Cumberland a formidable group. With those five runners together, the Clippers have the potential to produce a team scoring average in the low-19-minute range, possibly faster, at this weekend’s competition.
All of this statistical analysis makes a strong case for Cumberland capturing its fourth straight state title, but it certainly doesn’t make it a formality. At its best, La Salle has the firepower to bring home its 10th state title and first since 2020, returning the trophy to Academy Avenue.
In their 21-point victory over the Skippers at the Class A meet, the Rams placed five runners under 19:40, averaging a solid 19:14.8 among their scorers. Senior Alyssa Parenteau led the way, capturing her second straight class championship with a PR of 18:35.0. The other scorers included Carolina Terlato (sixth, 19:08.4), Layne Stevens (ninth, 19:22.5), Kenya Depina (10th, 19:31.6) and Satarupaa Mohan (12th, 19:36.5).
If both teams show up with their ‘A’ games, this could be a meet where a single-digit margin determines the outcome.
We’re expecting the battle for third to also create some excitement. Those teams appear to be Barrington and North Kingstown. With several talented underclassmen and veteran Evelyn Lefort leading the way, Barrington has put together a strong season this fall.. The Eagles, who finished second in the Metropolitan Division behind La Salle, won the Class B title with a decisive 31-64 victory over East Greenwich. Cross-country newcomer Carly Gill continued her outstanding season, with the sophomore taking runner-up honors in a PR of 18:31.8, the second-fastest time of the day. Lefort was third at 18:57.1. The remaining scorers included freshmen teammates Elizabeth Van Hull (seventh, 19:51.7) and Sarah Clegg (eighth, 19:52.3), along with sophomore Charlotte Ford (11th, 20:37.3).
Meanwhile, North Kingstown had an outstanding performance from senior Abby Tighe, who was second overall in a season best of 18:43.9. The remaining scorers also recorded season bests, led by Lucy Stowe (fourth, 18:55.7), followed by Maura Whitney (15th, 20:00.2), Averie Tighe (18th, 20:19.4) and Mackenzie Baker (20th, 20:28.9).
By our calculations, if both teams produce similar performances on Saturday, Barrington would have a slight edge of five points or fewer for that third spot.
East Greenwich appears to be a lock for fifth, while Moses Brown, the St. Raphael/PCD co-op, Coventry and possibly Toll Gate will battle for the sixth position.
(Above photos by Sterling Vernon @rhodeandtrack)
