High school cross-country preview

Boston College High finished third at the Division 1 All-State Cross-Country meet last season, but the Eagles could be primed for a run to the top as they return three of the better harriers around in Greg McGrath, Shamus Larnard and John Wilson.

Defending champion Brookline will be in the mix as usual with Altamo Aschkenasy and Lysander Duffield back. Patrick Noonan leads a talented group in Lexington, while Jack Graffeo is back for Westford Academy and will be one of the top runners to watch in any event he competes in. Reading could be a sleeper as Chris Barbato and Tim Connolly will be among the top runners in Div. 1C.

Other runners to watch in Div. 1 include Alex Friedman (Newton South), Paulino Guevara Mateo (Cambridge), Jared Rife (Belmont) and Ethan Sholk (Lincoln-Sudbury).

In Div. 2, Danvers will be one of the top teams in the state as William Conklin, Jonathan Rooney and Charlie Garlin are back. Ludlow has a pair of top runners in Joseph Keroack and Logan Walsh back. Marblehead will lean on Nate Assa and Will Cerrutti, while Caleb Barnes returns for Melrose.

Others to watch in Div. 2 include Luke Chisum and Will Jackson (Wayland), Silas Gartner (Falmouth), Greyson Duane (Groton-Dunstable), Lowell Copps (Bishop Stang), Grant Sullivan (Dover-Sherborn), Michael Mohoric (Newburyport), Luke Zahurak (Walpole) and William Child (Ashland).

Parker Charter is clearly the team to beat in Div. 3 as they have Henry Jacobsen, Nathaniel Henshaw, Jett Johnson and Connor Stach back. Hamilton-Wenham has a solid 1-2 combo in Ben Rich and James Regan, while Ben McWaters (Bromfield) and Jack Tutun should be among the top runners in the division.

Seamus Tully and Ethan Levesque are Greater Lowell’s top returnees, while Frontier has Evan Hedlund and Luke Howard back. Other top runners include Jackson Beauparlant (Pentucket), Everett Pacheco (Monument Mountain) and Benjamin Harwood (Lenox).

On the girls side, look for Oliver Ames to be among the best in Div. 1 once again. The Tigers feature an impressive trio in Braelyn Graham, Hannah Dupill and Iole Apostoli. Weymouth will be in the hunt as Gracie Richard and Isabella Galusha are back. Wellesley out of the Bay State Conference has Bridget Reidy and Emma Tuxbury as its top runners. Newton North returns Maggie Abely and Ciara Evans.

All-Scholastic Aoife Shovlin and Sophia Juanes Seto are Cambridge’s top runners, while Abigail Hennessey and Emily Wedlake are back for Westford Academy. Evie Lauzon and Sophia Francis are the top runners for Arlington.

Others to watch in Div. 1 are Naomi Witt (Wachusett), Emelia Smith (Attleboro), Eleanor Bullock (Barnstable), Kate Leonard (Chelmsford), Madeline Courtemanche (Central Catholic), Elyse Srodawa (Hopkinton) and Megan Moran (Westfield).

In Div. 2, hopes are high in Northampton as Maeve O’Neil is back for her senior season. Highly-touted Emily Flagg and Emma Wierenga are back for Whitinsville Christian, while Medfield counters with Chloe McCormack and Anna LaRowe. Tri-Valley League rival Holliston returns two of the top runners in Div. 2 in Maggie Kuchman and Annabelle Lynch.

Some more runners to watch for in Div. 2 include the likes of Marrietta O’Connell (Marblehead), Ila Zollo (Walpole), Lucy Connell (Longmeadow), Kay Dickson (Minnechaug), Lauren Raffetto (Canton), Lily Sallee (Wakefield), Madeline Mahoney (Nauset), Elise Casso (Falmouth Academy) and Maddie Hussey (Archbishop Williams).

Bromfield will be at the top of Div. 3 once again as they are led by Evelyn Wool and Rosie Bradley. Hamilton-Wenham will be heard from as Grace Rich, Asa Labell and Charlotte Madden return, while Olivia Pendleton and Siena Lauze are back for Dennis-Yarmouth. Other top runners back in Div. 3 are Susan Wisniewski (Pentucket), Katelyn Massey (AMSA), Amelia Desilets (Monument Mountain), Megan Bettez (Gardner),
Cameron Davis (Oxford), Annabella Lamoreaux (Sutton), Avery Murphy (Murdock), Viriginia Krezmien (Mohawk Trail), Ava Burl (Triton), Julia Parsons (Amesbury) and Isabella Duarte (Tyngsboro).