Yes, it’s that time. Get ready — this one’s going to be good.
This weekend, runners and teams from across the Northeast — and a few from beyond — will converge on Warwick’s Goddard State Park for the 17th annual Ocean State Invitational, presented by Marathon Sports and New Balance.
The action begins Friday afternoon, when the middle school runners take the stage. On Saturday, the high-schoolers get their turn, with 14 races scheduled from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. And right in the middle of it all are the featured Championship races — the spotlight events where the best of the best line up.
At last year’s meet, 25 girls broke 20 minutes for the five-kilometer course, while 41 boys dipped under 17 minutes. The stage is once again set for fast times and elite competition.
Here’s our preview of the top individuals on the boys’ side, which features several MA runners.
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John Bianchi, Natick (MA) – The senior class dominated the top 10 at last year’s race, with Bianchi one of just two non-seniors to break into that group, placing sixth overall in 16:01.1. He’s among two, possibly three runners on this list who appear capable of extending the Bay State’s streak to three straight individual titles. In 2023, Westford Academy’s Paul Bergeron struck gold, followed a year later by Boston College High’s Shamus Larnard.
After his high finish at Ocean State, Bianchi stayed consistent on the trails, placing among the top three in his next six races, including a runner-up finish at the Division 1B Championships. He also earned eighth at the Meet of Champions, clocking 15:59.4 at Fort Devens. His success carried over to the track, where the Redhawks’ standout posted lifetime bests of 1:57.4 for 800m, 4:12.15 for the mile, and 9:16.10 for the two mile—marks that all point toward a strong senior campaign.
So far this fall, he’s opened with back-to-back victories, running 15:04 for 2.9 miles in a league meet with Brookline and Milton, then 16:30 for 5K against Wellesley and Braintree. BIanchi is one of those runners that will always put himself among the front-runners, always will make the race honest if the pace starts to slow. Look for him to utilize a similar strategy with hopes of making it a three-peat for Massachusetts.
Sam Leone, East Lyme (CT) – Leone’s specialty is the middle distance with PRs of 1:55 for the 800m and 4:12.71 for the 1,600m, the latter earning him a silver medal at the CIAC State Open this past June. But you can’t ignore what the East Lyme junior has done in cross country. He was 12th at Ocean State last year where he was timed in 16:12.70. He was second at the Class MM Championships and tenth overall at the CIAC State Open. Leone has competed in just one race so far this season and it produced a victory with a quick 15:39 in a meet against Fitch.
Everett Pacheco, Monument Mountain (MA) – Pacheco returns to Ocean State after placing 18th at last year’s race where he was timed in 16:24.40. We believe the Monument Mountain senior will improve on that time signficantly this weekend, both with his time and overall placement. Pacheco followed his performance against some of the region’s best with several highlights, including a victory in the Div. 2 race at the WMass XC Championship, a second-place finish in the Div. 3B race and an upset win at the Meet of Champions.
He thrice went under 16 minutes for 5K with his best coming at the WMass meet where he crossed the line in 15:29.94 on the difficult terrain of Stanley Park. Pacheco, who owns best of 4:16.89 for the mile and 9:09.11 for 3,200m, should certainly be in the mix on Saturday.
Silas Gartner, Falmouth (MA) – While we think the race will be close for individual honors, Gartner is our pick to win it all this weekend. The Clippers’ gifted senior looked fantastic in his victory this past weekend at the MSTCA Frank Kelley Invitational where he clocked 9:07.95 for 3,000 meters at the Wrentham Developmental Center. A year ago, Gartner captured the Div. 2B crown, the Meet of Champions title, and qualified for Foot Locker Nationals with a tenth-place finish at FL Northeast. He consistently ran in the 15:30–15:40 range for 5K last fall, including a 15:30.72 win at the Kelley Invite’s Championship race.
While he’s earned success on the track oval with bests of 9:09 for the two mile and 4:12 for the mile, his forte is cross country. Expect him to dictate the pace on Saturday with his eyes on the prize.
Greyson Duane, Groton Dunstable (MA) – Yet another MA runner that could be among the lead pack on Saturday. Duane was 20th in this race last year as a sophomore with a time of 16:31.2. A year earlier as a freshman, he ran a best at Goddard Park of 16:20.7. Like some of our top runners in this field, Duane is a sub 4:20 miler and also has some speed in his legs with bests of 1:56.71 for the 800m and 52.64 for the 800m.
Landon Sarney, Oliver Ames (MA) – One breakthrough race at the Div. 3 Championships this past June signaled that Sarney has reached another level in his development as a bona fide distance runner. On June 3, the Oliver Ames senior broke the 9:20 two-mile barrier for the first time, clocking a triumphant 9:15.87 to edge pre-race favorite Nathaniel Assa by just half a second. Sarney followed that effort with a third-place finish at the Meet of Champions.
This weekend marks his first statewide or regional competition since those races. He’s also a few weeks removed from a strong season-opener where he blazed to a winning 5K time of 15:26 in a dual meet with Mansfield, a race he won by 44 seconnds. Keep an eye on the Pirates’ standout, who appears to have made the jump to elite status.
Arthur Ferris, Saint Raphael Academy (RI) – Ferris is a name to watch this weekend. The Burrillville transfer was 12th at last year’s State Meet for the Broncos and a third-place finisher at the Class C meet. Since joining the Saints, he’s made major strides, highlighted by PRs and podium finishes at the outdoor states (fourth in the 1,500m, 4:00.1; fifth in the 3,000m, 8:51.58), plus a 4:18.78 1,600m best at New Englands.
This will be Ferris second race of the season after cruising to a 16:47 win in a league meet with Barrington. Ferris, who owns a best 16:15.18, should be focused and ready to contend on the regional stage.
Gavin Shipperley, North Kingstown (RI) – The Skipper senior was 30th in this race last year where he was timed 16:44.20. Shipperley made significant strides after that performance, including placing fourth at the Class A Championships (PR, 16:02.77) and earning a spot on the first-team, all-state squad with a seventh-place finish at the State Meet. Shipperley is unbeaten in his first two league meets this season, including a leisurely 17:48.8 victory this past Monday against Narragansett and Exeter/West Greenwich, a race the Skippers had the top 29 placements. His latest effort points to an all-out effort this weekend. How fast that will be is the questions. We’re figiring at least 16:20 on Goddard’s fast layout.
