Nike Cross Regionals Northeast is still two months away.
But Bishop Hendricken coach Jim Doyle knows that preparation for the Nov. 22 race in Wappingers Falls, N.Y., begins long before the starting gun sounds. He also knows the quality of talent on his squad, a team that could be a factor when the regional championship arrives.
Every meet and every workout is geared toward the championship season, including NXR-NE, where the Hawks have a legitimate chance to contend for one of the two qualifying spots to Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon.
(Cover photo by Sterling Vernon @rhodeandtrack)
For Doyle, a crucial part of that preparation starts Saturday, when his Hawks kick off a grueling three-week stretch of top regional competitions with the annual Bowdoin Park XC Classic. The meet is held on the same challenging five-kilometer terrain that will host NXR-Northeast.
Coming off Colby Flynn’s individual victory last year, Hendricken will return to defend its team title in one of the two varsity races.
“The No. 1 goal is to get experience for Nike Northeast Regionals. That’s why we’re there,” Doyle said. “We’ll also try and go away with the win in our particular race and build our confidence up on the course. It will be interesting.”
Hendricken is entered in the Varsity II Race, which begins at 10:30 a.m. The Hawks are expected to be at full strength, with recent transfers Jeremy Dru of East Greenwich and Colton Orr of North Kingstown set to make their Hendricken debuts in a major competition.
Flynn will also be at the starting line after Achilles issues led Doyle to take a cautious approach with his star runner, keeping him out of the season-opening Injury Fund Carnival on Sept. 5. Flynn returned to competition Tuesday in a league meet against East Greenwich and Classical.
“It’s the first time we used just about everybody. We kept three of our top guys out of the meet. It was the first time we were able to use Jeremy Dru and Colton Orr, because they were transfers,” Doyle said.
The meet served more as a workout than a true test. Hendricken’s top nine finished ahead of East Greenwich and Classical’s top runners, with the Hawks running together in a 16:41 threshold effort. They followed that with another mile at a 5:22 threshold pace.
“Basically, yesterday the goal was to get through the meet, use it as a workout,” Doyle said. “That was our workout preparation for this upcoming race on Saturday.”
So far, Doyle likes what he sees from his Hawks. Saturday’s race will provide the first true test of his team’s capabilities. Dru and Flynn have yet to show their full cards, but both have the potential to contend for the state title this season. Flynn was second last year behind recent graduate and current University of Virginia freshman Sean Gray.
“Jeremy is in fantastic shape. He works very hard. Colby has some Achilles issues, but he’s running well,” Doyle said of Flynn, a runner-up at last year’s states.said Doyle about Flynn, a runner-up at last year’s states. “He ran Tuesday with our group of guys. He’s going to run Saturday. We’re taking it day by day. The mileage isn’t what I’d like it to be. There is nothing I can do. I’d rather play it safe. He’ll be there. He’ll be a factor.”
Shepherd Butler, the New England 3,200-meter champion this past spring, has also impressed Doyle early in the season. Andrew Williams, Luke Tremble, Christian Nunez, Oliver Redmond and Micah Dru have added to the depth Doyle believes could make Hendricken a formidable team.
“Andrew Williams is running extremely well,” he said. “A big surprise is Luke Tremble. He ran low 16 (minutes) at Injury Fund and is only a sophomore. He’s running really, really good. I am happy with what he did. Jeremy’s brother, Micah, also is running well. He looked good yesterday. We have a solid team. If everyone stays healthy, we should be fine.”
Hendricken will continue to face some stiff competition over the next two weekends. The Hawks travel to New Jersey on Saturday, Oct. 3, for the Shore Coaches Invitational at Holmdel Park, one of the most difficult 5K courses in the country. From there, they’ll be tested again Saturday, Oct. 10, at the prestigious Manhattan College Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park in New York.
It’s all about preparation for what awaits when championship season begins. Starting Oct. 28, the Hawks will compete in the Class Championships, state meet, New Englands and NXR-NE on four consecutive Saturdays.
“You’re going to have to manage that. It could be difficult. It depends on the intensity. Each time you go out there, it gets tougher and tougher,” Doyle said. “We’re going three weeks in a row now. Why are we going three weeks in a row? We’ve got to get used to that. Next week we go against Christian Brothers Academy in New Jersey. The following week we’re in New York, at the Eastern States (of the Manhattan Invitational). Then we get a two-week break, which is good, and then we’ve got four weeks of competition.”
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Per usual, Hendricken isn’t the only school that will be in Wappingers Falls this weekend for the Bowdoin Park Classic.
Fresh off a second-place finish in the Large School girls’ race at the Manchester Invitational in New Hampshire, Cumberland will return to defend its crown in the Varsity II race. The Clippers scored 49 points last year to defeat Princeton (N.J.) by 14 points. La Salle Academy will also make the trip for its first major meet of the season. The Rams will have both their boys’ and girls’ squads competing this weekend.
