By Patrick O’Brien
XC is Back! Since 2019, Bobcat has been hosted at Demeritt Hill Farm in Lee. It is a tough course that definitely shows who put in the work over the summer. For many teams, it is also the first race of the season. The course is three loops of consistent rolling hills, with the biggest climb coming in the final quarter-mile of the race.
This field of girls teams feels like one of the strongest we’ve seen in a long time at Bobcat, featuring 5 teams ranked in the top 10.
This starts with Oyster River (NH #1), who bring back 6 of their 7 runners from last year’s state championship winning squad. Mackenzie Cook, Haley Kavanagh, Haley Bezanson, Neely Roy and Madelyn Cook can all be expected near the front of the race.
Exeter (NH #3) comes in as another very strong team on paper, as they return their entire top 7 from last year. Standout Sophomore Eli Cross should lead the way for the Blue Hawks. Classmates Brianna Paterna, Austin Williams and Izzy Bremer will likely also be close behind.
Hopkinton (NH #5) is another team that returns a majority of their varsity runners from last year. They will likely start with a low-stick with sophomore Madeleine Lane, 2023 D3 Champion. Shaylee Murdough also returns, having placed 12th at Bobcat 2023.
Bedford (NH #8) is a team that is always in the mix. Mia Moranti, Abigail Durocher and Raissa Caridade are their top returners from a year ago. One other interesting entry is Mikita Barry, one of the best middle distance runners in the state during indoor track.
Newmarket (NH #10) is the final ranked team at Bobcat. They are led by Senior Eilis McKenna, and will look to confirm their top 10 status in this strong field.
Individually, look for Cook and Kavanagh out front on their home course for Oyster River. Joining them near the front could likely be Cross of Exeter, and Lane of Hopkinton, and Bezanson, Roy and Maddy Cook of Oyster River,.
On the boys side, it looks wide-open, as 4 different teams could contend for the win.
Londonderry (NH #6) is the highest ranked team in attendance. They should be led by Juniors Carson Fitzgerald, Josh Twomey and Jack DiBuono and could be looking to make a statement early in the season.
Oyster River (NH #8) will likely be looking to defend their home course. They are anchored by a strong class of Sophomores in Oliver Lehman, Levi Clapp and Brendan Banafato. Senior Mitchell Keesee should provide some veteran leadership for this young team.
Bedford (NH #9) should have a deep team and will be ready to compete with anyone. Sophomore Jack Mortimer is a breakout candidate after a strong outdoor season. Ethan Pulsifer, Ryan Jung and David Casado could also contribute to their chances.
The wild card here is Belmont Hill School from Massachusetts. They showed up as an unknown last year and stole the show, beating Bedford by 6 points for the win. They will likely count on Fitz Courtney and William Trautz to help them try to defend the title.
Individually, Jake Pitre of Sanborn is the top returner from last year and one of the top returners in the state. Those looking to challenge him could be Exeter’s Spencer Mann, Alvirne’s Brent Dunning, Londonderry’s Twomey and Fitzgerald, Oyster River’s Lehman, Bedford’s Mortimer, and Newmarket’s Jaron Labranche.
As with previous years, NHXCTF will be there recording the races which will be uploaded to our YouTube page ASAP as well as snap pictures! Good luck to all!
