It’s only a matter of time before we get our first real glimpse of some of the top teams and athletes this cross-country season. The Injury Fund Carnival on Aug. 31 will give us a good sampling of what to expect from our top returnees. By the midway point, and with a few in-state and out-of-state competitions under their belt, the picture will become clearer.
The next few weeks, Ocean State Running will be preview how we expect things will transpire on the dirt trails. We’re going to break it down by classes (Class A, Class B and Class C). Here we feature Class B girls.
***
Class B Girls’ Cross-Country Preview
Teams: Chariho, West Warwick, Tolman, Lincoln, Ponaganset, Davies Voke, Mount Hope, Shea, Portsmouth, East Greenwich, Johnston, South Kingstown, Central Falls, Smithfield
Top Returnees: Jessica Deal, Mount Hope; Allie Kaull, Portsmouth; Olive Willis, East Greenwich;
Teams To Watch: Portsmouth, East Greenwich, Mount Hope, South Kingstown
Outlook: The favorite for the individual title is Deal. The Huskies’ junior was second in this race the last two years. In 2022, she took runner-up honors to East Greenwich’s Reese Fahys, who is now a sophomore at Providence College. She grabbed the silver to graduating senior Erin vonHousen of Chariho last fall. A first-team, all-stater in her two seasons, Deal has proven the uneven terrain is her forte and will certainly be eyeing her first class title. She has a best of 18:45.96 from her fifth-place showing at last year’s State Meet. Kaull is also someone that can’t be ignored. She was fourth (19:41.89) in this race in 2023 in her first season of cross country. She clocked a best of 19:22.42 at the Maine Festival of Champions and went 19:33.04 at the New England Championships. We think she’s capable of much faster based on what she did during her track seasons last year. She was the Eastern Division 3K outdoor champion with a best of 10:21.43. She also had a PR of 4:50 for 1,500m.
This year’s meet will be without defending titlist Barrington, which moved up to Class A. Portsmouth, a third-place finisher in 2023, appears to be the favorite. The Patriots will have all seven of their harriers back on the line this fall. East Greenwich, Mount Hope and South Kingstown could all figure in the mix, too. It might all depend on who does best with the incoming freshmen class.
