I’ve been coming to the Belmont (Jeri Blair) Invitational for over half of its existence and watched it wax and wane over the years much like we see certain programs rise and fall with the changing currents. Always a mainstay of the Mascenic schedule, we used to use it as a mid season gauge, with enough of D3s top schools (and some from D2) to get a sense of where you’re at, and what you need to shore up in the coming weeks. I’ve seen the field so big there used to be a mixed JV race, to smaller, more weekday usual meets. But one thing is always the same, the double loop, double hill course which has that little sharp steep grind right before the end of the lap. Even when the track was under construction and the course needed to be altered, that double loop, double hill was still there.
And Mascenic is back as well. While I no longer steer the ship, for at least another season the Vikings will make the trip up to Belmont for the 43 version of the Belmont Invite. So let’s get down to the previews. In the past I’ve misrepresented what to expect, not highlighting teams individuals that deserved it (not knowing those teams were scheduled) or simply not recognizing some out of division talent. I certainly didn’t do it out of disrespect, but more embarrassingly had to make those corrections once the races were run and it was obvious I missed something. I don’t want to do so here so here we go. Looking through the schools listed in the information I have, the master list, one team stands out on both the men’s and women’s side.
Hanover, who just finished as third for girls and fourth for boys at the Manchester Invitational, are easily the class of the field team wise, and can likely boast the top individuals as well in Megan Faris and Andrew Valentino. Hanover’s JV squad, finishing fourth in the girls race and fifth in the boys race, would also likely be the favorites if their varsity teams weren’t running. Word on the street is the Varsity is prepping for Wickham Park on Saturday, so Thursday should see their JV suiting up. Regardless, the depth up in the Upper Valley on these teams is incredible, and I expect we’ll see a bunch of maroon and white jerseys to the front of both races.
But let’s get on to the rest of the preview.
Last year, Mascenic was able to boast both the team win and the individual win as Kaitlin O’Shea took the win, followed by Erin O’Shea and Skye Lambert for a 1-2-3 finish. While it’s still possible that an O’Shea stands atop the podium, there will be no team victory as this year’s team is just the sister duo. Erin has had the better season thus far, however there is a history of the sisters trading wins throughout a season so we’ll just have to see.
There should be a good battle between Gilford and Newfound here as well. Gilford finished 12th overall at Manchester, with Hopkinton the only division 3 team ahead of them. The Golden Eagles are led by Maria Tilley, and while they had a tough second mile at Manchester, I expect they’ll be good to go at Belmont.
Conversely, Newfound ran this past Saturday at the White Mountain homecoming Invitational, putting five in the top ten to win handily. It’s safe to say that a lot of teams were competing in Manchester, diluting the quality of competition, however Bears from Bristol are on a mission, having missed out on a MOC berth by one point last year. They have a real solid top three in Emerald Briggs, Ceili Irving and Addie Alpers and are motivated for sure. It’s going to be fun watching this Lakes region rivalry unfold.
After that, I’d expect to see Merrimack Valley, led by Lily Moser in the next spot. Individually, if Hanover is competing, I’d expect some version of Hanover dominating up front, whether it be Lea Perreard, Megan Faris or Lila Muirhead, with Briggs, the O’Sheas, Irving, Tilley, and Moser all looking for a top ten finish.
For the boys, again, Hanover notwithstanding, I would have to give Merrimack Valley the nod over the rest of the field. Led by Mychal Reynolds of the infamous Reynolds-Merrimack Valley fame, the Pride finished 12th in the small school race, with a solid 1:20 pack time. They should be right in the mix again, depending on what Hanover is up to.
Another interesting matchup might be between Newfound and Mascenic. Mascenic didn’t fare too well at Manchester, with their top runner finishing one spot in front of MV’s fifth scorer. However they were without their #1 in Derek Somero, and rumor is they might be Thursday as well., leaving the heavy lifting to Dylan Callahan and Dylan Buttrick. But the Vikings are young, meaning they get better in fits and starts, and with their less than stellar performance at Manchester, the time is ripe for a growth spurt.
Newfound is fronted by the “FASTER” series star Colin Foster. Also boasting a young squad, the Bears from Bristol are also developing week to week, and will likely surprise teams the closer we get to the end of October.
Individually, again depending on what Hanover’s up to, I can imagine a situation where the front of the race is mostly Hanover, with the Valentino boys and Ryan Faris setting the tempo. Behind Hanover I can see Foster tracking them with Reynolds looking to pace the chase pack.
