Predicting who will capture the girls’ crown at Saturday’s RIIL State X-C Championships could be as difficult as picking a winning Powerball ticket. Take your pick — it’s a gamble, no matter who you believe will strike it rich on the covered-bridge trails of Ponaganset.
We’re expecting this one to be close. We’re expecting a sizable lead pack to still be bunched together late in this race. Who will make the decisive move to break from the pack and emerge the winner? There are several runners capable of doing that this weekend.
Let’s start with our Class A victor, Alyssa Parenteau of La Salle Academy. Parenteau ran a smart, controlled race to capture the most important cross-country win of her high school career. The Rams’ talented junior admitted she held back from going all-out — and still clocked a personal record of 18:42.09, improving her best time by more than 30 seconds. No doubt, this victory will give her a big boost of confidence heading into this weekend’s race. A similar strategy on Saturday could equate to a victory. Parenteau has been consistent all season, so we don’t expect that to change. She knows how to run races like this.
Cumberland’s CC Ludwig enters the weekend as the top returnee from last year’s State Meet, where she finished third overall. The Clipper sophomore placed second to Parenteau at the Class Meet, clocking a season-best 18:51.95. In 2024, she saved her best for last, cutting more than a minute off her time with a new PR of 18:40.06. While another drop like that may be unlikely, Ludwig certainly appeared to have plenty left in the tank this past weekend and could make another significant leap on the big stage. She’s already shown she can deliver when it matters most — and, like Parenteau, she’ll be fueled by the pursuit of a team title.
You can’t overlook Jessica Deal. The three-time all-stater from Mount Hope won the Class B meet with a time of 19:31.58. While her time was the slowest of all the winners, and eighth fastest of the day, the takeaway is that she won. Judging by how relaxed the Huskies’ senior looked when she finished, Deal likely had more left in the tank had she been pushed. Championship time is when Deal shines the brightest. A first-team All-Stater her first two years, Deal overcame a challenging fall last season to deliver her best race when it mattered most, placing tenth at states in 19:14.03, a season best. Don’t forget what she did at the outdoor states this past spring, clocking a massive 14-second PR of 4:36.88 to finish runner-up in the 1,500m. During her sophomore year, Deal ran her all-time best of 18:45.96 at the states. Could she run a time like that this weekend? It would certainly put her in the running for that illustrious gold medal. Based on her history, we’re certainly not counting her out.
St. Raphael Academy’s MacKenzie Lickert is another harrier that has to be listed among the contenders. She took top honors at the Class C meet where she cruised to a PR of 18:56.78, one of only three athletes to dip under 19 minutes for the day. Lickert placed eighth at this meet last year, running a then best of 19:02.42. She be looking to elevate her status to a first-team all-stater. Could it be with a victory on Saturday? It’s certainly within reach.
There’s also North Kingstown’s Lucy Stowe. The Skipper junior had an off-day at the class meet where she finished 14th in 20:18.80. We’re predicting that she’ll rebound from that race with a strong performance this weekend. Just a few weeks ago, Stowe raced to an all-time best of 18:20.20 at the Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational in Cape Cod. She’s capable of going sub-19 with the right kind of race.
Other top runners in this race are La Salle’s Sabrina Ghamrawi and Stella Pelagio, North Kingstown’s Abby Nicolopoulos, Barrington’s Evelyn Lefort, and North Smithfield’s Julia Dowling, just to name a few.
The potential is there for this one to be a classic duel between some of our state’ finest harriers this fall. There’s no question that the race for individual honors could come down to final stretch the final few meters
(Above photo by Sterling Vernon @rhodeandtrack)
