Strong contenders muddy field
COVID-19 all but decimated the cross country season last fall, save for a few meets, but the talent level is deep this go-round, with several harriers vying for a state title.
Bishop Feehan sophomore Lauren Augustyn will be one to keep close tabs on after her high places at the Frank Kelley Invitational and the MSTCA Cup event. Whitinsville Christian returns Molly Lashley and Haverhill standout Finleigh Simonds is also back. One of the most intriguing runners should be Newton South speedster Amelia Everett. The junior battled Weston returnee Julie Hohenberg in the mile at All-States, coming away with the win 4:55.89 to 4:56.31. Her speed should transfer nicely onto the smooth, rolling Wrentham Developmental Center course.
Wrentham, with its European-style loop layout, will also be the site of the Frank Kelley Invitational (Sep. 25), the Bay State Invitational (Oct. 2), the Frank Mooney Coaches Invitational (Nov. 6), and divisional championships (Nov. 13). Other meets on the fall docket include the enormously popular McIntyre Twilight Invitational at the Barnstable Fairgrounds (Oct. 15-16), the MSTCA Relays (Sep. 11) at Highland Park in Attleboro and the Stanley Park Invitational in Westfield (Oct. 23).
Littleton’s Riley Clark should be a top 10 competitor in the major meets along with Ava Bullock of Banstable and Emma Forde of Natick. Hamilton-Wenham has a history of producing distance runners and Abby Beville is the latest General among the state’s elite. Daphne Theiler of Sharon and Nipmuc’s Emma Nadolski look strong, as does Paige
Joyce of Notre Dame Academy, Kimmie Harding of Groton-Dunstable and Lily Fin of Wellesley. Summer Bejarano
of Silver Lake is a South Shore talent, as is Olivia Langlan of Marshfield and freshman Ella Bates of Weymouth. The Bay State Conference is talented once again with Everett, her teammate Lily Bulczynski, Audrey Fitzpatrick, Lily Jin and Grace Wheelan of Wellesley, and Natick’s Lauren Hughes.
Holliston sophomore Carmen Luisi will be heavily favored in most every race she competes in and has a strong kick on hand when needed. Her teammate Ella Bosselman completes a strong 1-2 punch while Notre Dame Academy’s Paige Joyce, Nashoba’s Caroline Collins and Molly Kiley of Andover should be among the front-runners. Look for Ashlynn Witt of Wachusett, Phoebe Rubio of Pentucket and North Andover’s Gabrielle Harty to be competitive as well. Martha’s Vineyard has a strong returnee with
Adrienne Christy.
There will be plenty of milers and 2-milers who ran well in the spring in the thick of the competition this fall. Concord-Carlisle’s Samantha Evans, Shae Regan of Littleton and Katie Sobieraj all had success in the mile, as did Medfield’s Alex Lusby, Shea Podbelski of Norton, Arlington’s Simone Harrison, Phoebe Rubio of Pentucket, Olivia Pickett of Wachusett, Newburyport’s Hailey LaRosa and Murdock’s Avery Murphy. Oakmont’s Fiona Picone, Newton North’s Hannah Hicks, Rachel Starr of Boston Latin, Narragansett’s Kylie Marion, Hopkinton’s Autumn Tumbleton and Emily Morgan of Medfield all have plenty of speed and strength on the track and should be contenders this fall.