Picking the top cross-country teams in the state before the season begins is never easy. A lot can happen over the course of three months. Athletes can experience breakthrough seasons, newcomers can emerge as key contributors, and, of course, injuries to important runners can quickly change the outlook for a team.
But we’ll do our best to set the stage for what we expect will be another exciting season on the trails. For some of the state’s top teams, the outlook appears fairly straightforward if everything goes according to plan. For others, however, the picture is far less clear, and where they’ll ultimately finish by season’s end remains anyone’s guess.
Beginning with No. 10 and counting down to No. 1, here’s our preseason ranking of the top 10 girls’ teams in the state. As always, if we’ve given your team a little bulletin-board material based on our rankings, you’re welcome. It certainly won’t be the first time.
(Above photo by Sterling Vernon @rhodeandtrack)
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No. 7, Coventry High
Last year’s results: Third (7-2), Suburban Division; Fifth, RIIL Class A Championships; Tenth, RIIL State Championships
Key returnees/runners: Molly Richardson, sophomore, 18:35.68; Marlee Salvo, sophomore, 20:54.43; Leah Brosseau, sophomore, 21:08.60; Ava O’Connell, sophomore, 22:34.81; Zoey Powell, junior, 22:45.80; Sophia Cooper, junior, 23:31.85; Evelynne Considine, senior, 25:19.55
Outlook: Now things are starting to get a little more interesting. This is where we feel the teams are a lot closer, almost creating a two-tier field—the top three teams and the remaining four.
We’re putting Coventry at No. 7, but there’s a possibility the Knotty Oakers could crack the top six come the State Meet. The 2025 team finished fifth at the Class A Meet and 10th overall at the State Meet. Coventry lost just one runner from last year’s squad, with six of the seven who competed at the states returning. And that doesn’t even include sophomore Molly Richardson. The talented underclassman was the Knotty Oakers’ top runner all season last fall, but missed both the Class A and State Meets due to an injury.
We had a chance to talk with Richardson a few weeks ago at the Run4Kerri Road Race, where she finished third overall in 23:49 for the four-mile course. That’s equivalent to a sub-18:30 pace for the 5K distance. She indicated that an injury that lingered throughout the year now appears to be behind her.
At her best, Richardson could do some damage up front. Behind the gifted sophomore are Salvo and Brousseau, both of whom averaged seven minutes per mile or faster for the 5K distance. That’s a legitimate 2-3 combination, especially among the state’s second-tier teams.
The good news for the Knotty Oakers is that they have a young squad. Four runners are sophomores and two more are juniors. A breakthrough performance from a freshman could certainly help matters for Coventry.
