Pre-Season Virtual Meet: Girls Eastern Division 3 Championships Chuck Martin Aug 27, 2014

Yes it's only a virtual meet, and we have many races to run until November 8th. Let's try to kill some time and check the D3 Girls meet. 

Bishop Feehan may have lost Abbie McNulty but they return the nucleus of the 2013 team. The Shamrocks will once again be the favorites to win another Eastern Mass Championships.

Pre-Season Virtual Meet: Boys Eastern Division 1 Championships Chuck Martin Aug 24, 2014

It's early in the season, but Milesplitmass has the data from last year to keep us looking ahead to November. Here is the Division 1 Boys virtual meet based on 2013 performances. We know many new kids will rise from nowwhere, and Milesplitmass understands all those factors, so this is just a glimpse virtually into the future. It's all in good fun until we have our first few big meets. It should be a dog fight between Lowell, Lexington, Cambridge, Brookline, Peabody as well as others.

Pre-Season Virtual Meet: Girls Eastern Division 1 Championships Chuck Martin Aug 23, 2014

It's early in the season, but Milesplitmass has the data from last year to keep us looking ahead to November. Here is the Division 1 Girls virtual meet based on 2013 performances. We know many new kids will rise from nowwhere, and Milesplitmass understands all those factors, so this is just a glimpse virtually into the future. It's all in good fun until we have our first few big meets. Mike Miller's Weymouth team on paper is leading the pack. The Weymouth girls are led by the Higgins sisters and Ashley Betts, three girls that may place in the top 7 at the Eastern Mass meet. This data is compiled from the 2013 Cross-Country season, and a complete list is available to subscribers of MileSplit Insider.  

X-C Boys Central D1 Fastest 50 Returning Athletes Chuck Martin Aug 21, 2014

North Middlesex senior Chris Skelly is the top returner in Central Division 1. Skelly ran 15:34.62 at last year's Twilight meet. As a team, Saint John's HS brings back a handful of guys in the top 15 of this division and are likely to take home a team title. This data is compiled from the 2013 Cross-Country season, and a complete list is available to subscribers of MileSplit Insider.

 

X-C Girls Central D2 Fastest 50 Returning Athletes Chuck Martin Aug 20, 2014

The top spot for D2 central is pretty much up for grabs. Seconds separate top returner Lauren Bird of Hopedale, Ryleigh Levensailor of Ayer and Kerri Keohane of Tyngsborough. For the team title though, Tyngsborough should have no problem nabbing a trophie. This data is compiled from the 2013 Cross-Country season, and a complete list is available to subscribers of MileSplit Insider.

X-C Girls Western D1 Fastest 50 Returning Athletes Chuck Martin Aug 19, 2014

Emma Gonzalez of Amherst-Pelham Regional leads the D1 West girls with an 19:04.20 5K. Both Amherst-Pelham and South Hadley carry a hanful of girls in the top ten and should have a close battle for the D1 title. This data is compiled from the 2013 Cross-Country season, and a complete list is available to subscribers of MileSplit Insider.

X-C Girls EMass D6 Fastest 50 Returning Athletes Chuck Martin Aug 17, 2014

Olivia Lantz of Manchester Essex returns as the top D6 runner. However, this spring Lantz ran for Glouchester in a higher division, and may be leaving Michelle Alessandro of Dover Sherborn to fill her shoes as the D6 champion. This data is compiled from the 2013 Cross-Country season, and a complete list is available to subscribers of MileSplit Insider.

X-C Boys EMass D5 Fastest 50 Returning Athletes Chuck Martin Aug 16, 2014

Nick Carleo of Newburyport is the fastest Division 5 returner as well as the fastest overall returner for boys based upon his times from the 2013 season. Carleo ran 15:28.70 at last year's Eastern State Championships and was the Division 2 All-State Champion. This data is compiled from the 2013 Cross-Country season, and a complete list is available to subscribers of MileSplit Insider.

X-C Boys EMass D4 Fastest 50 Returning Athletes Chuck Martin Aug 16, 2014

Austin Scola of Medfield is the fastest D4 returner with his 16:03.80 from last year's Easter State Championships.  Also to watch in this division is Everest Crawford of Gloucester whot tore up the track this past winter and spring.  This data is compiled from the 2013 Cross-Country season, and a complete list is available to subscribers of MileSplit Insider.

X-C Runners Beware of the SAT Exam / Divisional Meet Conflict ! Chuck Martin Aug 03, 2014

Please plan ahead, because the MIAA State Divisional Championships and the SAT Exam are both scheduled for November 8th. Although the MIAA seems to be an easy target nowadays, they are not to blame for this testing date change. For as long as I can remember, the SAT date has always been the first Saturday in November. This typically collides with our MSTCA Coaches Invitational and it has been widely accepted over the years as a perfect fit. The Coaches meet doesn't offer any team scoring, and the athletes compete by grade. Many coaches take the weekend off from competing, while others utilize it for a final tuneup before the Divisional meet.  It was the perfect situation and it was something we all accepted into our schedules as coaches. It is now added onto the biggest Cross Country saturday of the fall, and I guess we are going to have to accept this as the way it will be for another 40 years.

X-C Girls Fastest 50 Returning Athletes Chuck Martin Aug 03, 2014

The Cross-Country coverage has started on Milesplitmass, and we will be releasing all kinds of "Fastest 50" lists in the upcoming days.  Olivia Lantz from Manchester Essex / Gloucester and Catalina Dominick of Danvers battled it out at the All State finals, but it is little known Anoush Shehadeh of Phillips Academy that leads our "Fastest 50" list in Massachusetts. This data is compiled from the 2013 Cross-Country season, and a complete list is available to subscribers of MileSplit Insider.

Boston: Are you Ready For Some Track and Field ! Chuck Martin Jan 24, 2014

Even though the Patriots have fallen off the radar, Boston sports fans have something really special on tap for this weekend. If you like fast paced, high energy, and some record breaking performances get over to Boston University for some Track and Field action. The Track and Field community will be in store for a real treat, as the Nike Oregon Project and it's superstars will be invading the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic. The Alberto Salazar led squad will attempt a few records, and for those who were lucky enough to catch it last year, the Boston University facility was as electric as a playoff game. Lets walk you through the schedule of events.

The History of Massachusetts Cross Country Chuck Martin Nov 16, 2011

1959- The Boston Schools had a custom tradition at their Boston Schools Meet. The winner of the race had to catch some kind of livestock after his race and then take it home by bus. This tradition went on for over ten years. In 1959 Tom Joyce won a duck, after catching it he rode  the MTA Bus to his house. “Oddly enough the duck gave me no trouble, I put him on the seat beside me. My Mom wants me to keep the duck for awhile, but my Dad had no comment.”said Joyce.  Last place received a turtle. In 1951, George King received a rabbit.