Division Favorites – Pinkerton, Hanover, Hopkinton
Individuals to Watch – Ethan Fischer (Bishop Guertin), Pinkerton Boys (D’Amelio, Robie, Gustavson), Ben Groves & Isaac McNaughton (Hanover), Oliver Lehman & Levi Clapp (Oyster River), Patrick & Samuel Youngs, Broden Cox (Coe-Brown), Elijah Bodanza (Fall Mountain), Colin Foster (Newfound), Max Goupil (Hopkinton)
Annually we pen a preview based upon information available to us. To try and figure out what we can expect, all the graduating seniors from the Division meets and Meet of Champions were removed. We also attempt to consider JV State Championships and Middle School State Championships. Even with all available data, generating a preview is difficult, so if you know of anything you would like to add, please comment below. That said, there are always a few breakout stars who throw a wrench in the formula of any guess for an upcoming season and that’s what makes the whole process fun! Special thanks to those who contributed to this post. Year after year we are reminded as to how incredible and unique our state is!
Note: All times referred to in Division previews are from the 2025 Divisional Championships at Derryfield, while times referred to in the MOC preview are from the 2025 MOCs.
Division 3
The trend mentioned in the girls preview for D3, lower numbers overall and less teams competing for the championship, is true for the D3 boys as well, however not to the same degree. With 34 schools sending athletes to the meet, 24 have mostly a full roster with ten additional schools having less than the necessary 5. If the trend continues like the ladies, in a few more years we may see more schools competing with incomplete rosters than schools sending a full squad (of 5.) With that said, let’s look at this upcoming season.
Monadnock is the defending champ, and return five from the Varsity 7, which might be enough to get things done. With their returning top three inside the top twenty last year, and four in the top 50, on paper they see a bit of a drop off to their #5. Not to mention when you lose the individual State Champion to graduation you’re going to have to look to rebuilding a bit. Led by senior Chase Ruffo, sophomores Jason Lewis and Jackson Ellis, with support from junior Anthony Barassi, if things come together for the Huskies might be able to mush their way to the title.
Looking to turn the tables on the Huskies is another green team in Hopkinton. Last year I said in the Championship preview that the Hawks were the team to beat and I’ll stand by that as Monadnock ran an incredible race to steal the win. However this year that task will be harder as the Hawks return their entire varsity squad. Led by all stars Max Goupil and James Lavers, and supported by Finnegan Kovar, Liam Tripod, Micahel Crosby, Andrew Clarner and Isaac Ohl, I can see Hopkinton riding the thermals on the division.
Much like the ladies, the waters behind these two are a little murky. Portsmouth Christian, Newfound and Newmarket had some losses to their varsity rosters and while assessing each teams top returning three, mathematically PCA comes out on top however they need to add at least two more to their roster to even have a shot. Newfound has the best returner so let’s start there. Newfound will be captained by now senior Colin Foster, runnerup in this spring’s 3200, with some strong support near the front with junior Connor Hemingway. Behind these two they’re going to need some more help for these Bears to claw their way into a top spot.
PCA takes a big hit with the graduation of the leader Christian Barnes, along with Gage Hamblet, Andrew James and Brady Holt. Left holding down the fort for the Eagles are sophomore Zachery Mckeown, junior George Stewart and senior Simeon Howard. With the second best top three they will need to build the nest if they are going to make inroads at the top spot.
I feel Newmarket might have the upper hand over these two teams, as in scoring their returning top five they beat everyone else other than Hopkinton. Led by junior Benjamin Patrick, if the Mules can figure out how to bring their #4 and #5 up they would not only leap ahead of Newfound and PCA, they might be able to put a scare in Monadnock and Hopkinton. While no easy task, Newmarket is always hanging around in the top five, and at some point they will catch fire and make their bid.
After that there are enough losses to graduation to really make any predictions relatively invalid. I tried last season to go a little deeper than top five, only to have most of those predictions be way off. I think it may be worth noting though that Profile finished 10th last year and are picking up the services of #3 Thatcher Brown and #7 Caleb Reeder from the D4 Middle School State championships. Also teams that didn’t have enough individuals to score in Conant will add #1 Ben Dumont and Prospect Mountain will add #4 Zack Dyrkacz, #11 Raymond Sullivan and #12 Brent Bemis from the D3 Middle School championships, elevating their standings considerably. We’ll have to wait and see what the shakeout is over the season.
As for individuals, I would say this is Elijah Bodanza of Fall Mountain to lose. Bodanza was last year’s runner up as well as the champion in 2023. He finished 55 seconds ahead of Newfound’s Foster and more than a minute ahead of anyone else. I’d say he’s in the driver’s seat for sure. In addition to Foster, Mascoma’s Carl Russell, teammates Goupil and Lavers, Monadnock’s Ruffo and Profile’s Colin Reeder are the returners under 18 minutes.
Division 2
This could be one of the stronger years in the division in recent memory, featuring at least three teams that look very strong coming in. Hanover won the title in 2025, edging Coe-Brown by just one point. Neither team lost any of its top runners, and both should be even stronger this season.
Ben Groves and Isaac McNaughton went 1-2 at last year’s championships and will combine with Alexander Collins, who finished fifth a year ago, to give Hanover a formidable returning trio. Dylan Faris, a top-10 finisher as a freshman last year, could take another step forward, while Oliver Collins and Rhys Jones provide valuable depth. The team has even more upside with the addition of Edward White, the top middle schooler in the state.
In many years, that team could look untouchable, but Coe-Brown will be ready to give them a battle. The Bears have tremendous depth and will look to continue developing their younger athletes. Patrick and Sam Youngs, Broden Cox, and Mateo Ferguson all finished in the top 10 a year ago as underclassmen. Ben Jobin, Ben Larson, and Gus Glaser are also capable of stepping up and scoring for the team.
Oyster River also looks quite strong. Their top two runners are as strong as anyone’s, with Oliver Lehman and Levi Clapp leading the way. Brendan Banafato, Sid Sanjay, Jace Dinnan, and Ryker Andersen are also strong runners. If a couple of these guys can take a step forward, Oyster River could be in the mix for a podium spot.
Souhegan was fourth last year, and looks to be stronger this year as they return essentially their entire squad. They should be considered a pack running team as last year Ryan Quinn ran 17:45.56, Jacob Spencer 17:45.69, Drew Rigaut 17:53.53 and Thomas Arnoldy 17:54.93. That’s four runners separated by fewer than ten seconds. Add Aaron Coleman at 18:33.51 and Joel Habert at 18:37.10, and Souhegan has plenty to work with.
The key will be moving that entire lead pack forward. If Quinn, Spencer, Rigaut and Arnoldy can turn those high-17-minute performances into low-17s, Souhegan could challenge Oyster River and perhaps put pressure on the top two.
After these 4 there should be a pack of teams. Led by the Kohl brothers, Sam and George, Bow seems to be leading this pack. The Falcons also bring back George Kohl (18:52.89), Ian Sandahl (19:19.85) and Gavin Simon (19:21.86). There is plenty of youth in that lineup, and Bow could be a team that looks considerably different by October than it does on paper in August.
Merrimack Valley, led by Ben Geoffrey, projects to be next best. Jonathan Degges, Rohan Chevalier and Westin Chevalier complete a returning scoring group that gives the Pride something solid to build around. A mix of teams after these which could crack the top 6 including Kennett, Lebanon, Laconia, Con-Val John Stark and Milford.
Individually, defending champ Groves should be considered preseason favorite. He has done nothing but continue to improve each year and last track season he showcased speed and strength with some impressive doubles and triples winning more division titles. Perhaps the co-favorite should be Oliver Lehman of Oyster River. Unfortunately Lehman was hurt last fall but came back with a vengeance to have great indoor and outdoor seasons culminating with a D2 title in the 3200. Expect the Youngs brothers, Patrick and Sam, to be right with them. Both have run right around 15:30 on the track last year with Patrick also running a 4:21 in the 1600 and Sam a 9:25 in the 3200. Their teammate Broden Cox, who was 4th on Derryfield last year and followed that up with a 9:42 in the 3200 last spring, always seems to be right with them.
Last spring, where Cox ran, Lehman’s teammate, Levi Clapp was always in the vicinity, usually just ahead in the end. We haven’t even mentioned last year’s runner up Hanover’s Isaac McNaughton as well as his teammates Dylan Faris and Alexander Collins. Yes this front pack will be crowded. Don’t sleep on Mateo Ferguson of Coe-Brown, Hollis Brookline’s William Scott, or a Jacob Spencer of Souhegan. All will be in the mix and even more. Division 2 is deep. Good luck to all!
Division 1
Going into last season it looked like Division 1 was kind of done before it started. On paper, Pinkerton brought one of the most dominant teams in state history and as the season progressed that bore out. They rode that team to second place at New Englands and a strong sixth place performance at Nike Northeast Regionals. Can we expect to see that kind of performance repeat in 2026? Let’s dive in and look at the teams!
#1 Pinkerton Academy
Are they as strong as they were last year? No. Are they still very much the team to beat? Absolutely. Starting with Jason Robie they have a guy who should compete for the D1 and state championship as an individual this season. In Robie’s first season of cross country, he ended up taking an impressive 15th place at Nike Northeast Regionals which makes him not just one of the best returners in New Hampshire but the whole northeast! He’s backed up by middle distance killer Joe Gustavson who is still no slouch on an XC course and Oscar D’Amelio was Pinkerton’s top runner in a couple races last year! All three should be competing to even be in the top 5 of the division. Luckily for them, they’re not a three and done team bringing back a four and five in Owen Boucher and Leighton Klug who are both likely to finish in the top 25.
#2 Keene
Turns out the top returning teams this year are the top ending teams from last year. Tristan Woodbury had one of these seasons last year where he just seemed to get better every single week and now he finds himself as a top five returner in the division! If you’re just looking at the D1 results from last year it would be easy to miss Keene’s number two Sawyer Kress who ended the season injured. Kress ran an impressive 15:45 at the Moonlight Madness race so keep an eye out for him to be a top ten guy in the division. Keene’s top five rounds out with three guys (Aiden O’Donnell, Harvey Kossayda, Cooper Tiani) that all slot in between 20th and 30th place which means they have all the pieces they need to be successful and take Pinkerton down.
#3 Bishop Guertin
Things definitely got a little trickier from here but Bishop Guertin gets the nod as the team with the strongest returning top three. Starting with Ethan Fischer, the returning Division I Individual Champion, really helps set BG off on the right foot but he’s backed up by two potential top ten finishers in William Moores and Michael Studer who help BG’s cause. The question for the Cardinals will be if their four and five can make up the gap to put them in the conversation with our top two teams. BG is also no stranger to surprise pickups in the off season, so it’s very possible we see some outstanding freshman show up to move BG right into the mix up top.
#4 Nashua South
Nashua South is going to bring an excellent pack attack into the season with a whole group of guys who look ready to place between 10th and 30th. Their top returner Isaiah Rodriguez could easily find his way into the top ten conversation as he ended last year only nine seconds behind the 10th returner! Evan Jean is close on his heels and could also find himself in that top ten conversation if things go well this season. Pranav Dasari comes in as their third returner set to be a top thirty guy and if their four and five can keep up with him a bit this season they may be able to push BG out of that third slot!
#5 Exeter
Led by a potential top ten guy in Logan Poteet, Exeter is another team bringing a solid pack of runners back that should serve them well this season. Similarly to South, they’re a little ways back from our top three teams but with Henry Willett, Xavier Garcia de Paredes, Jackson Tooker all looking to be in the top forty it should help give them the kind of score that will take them to the Meet of Champions at a minimum!
#6 Londonderry
South, Exeter, and Londonderry all bring similarly built squads into the season with some strength up front and then it’ll fall on the pack’s shoulders to see where they land after that., Londonderry’s Patrick Ramsey might even be a top 5 finisher this year after a stellar sophomore season. Mason Hernandez looks like a potential top 25 finisher with a solid season while Joey Gainey and Aaron Modini are both top 50 returners. Londonderry only brings back four though from their varsity so it’ll be interesting to see who jumps into that fifth spot to help propel Londonderry to the Meet of Champions!
Also Watch: Nashua North
The Titans have some really solid returners (especially #10 overall Tom White) and they easily could have been in the list in one of these last few spots. It’s really going to be a battle to see who takes the last few entries to the Meet of Champions, but no one should be surprised if North is one of those teams.
The individual champion might seem like an open and shut case if you look at the results from last year’s D1 meet. Ethan Fischer won hands down taking down long time XC standout Sully Sturtz for the win. The next closest returner is Pinkerton’s Jason Robie, but I think Fischer is going to have his hands full with the no longer XC rookie. The two had some of my favorite battles in all of distance running last year through the rest of XC, indoor, and outdoor track and both sides had some epic victories. They’ve clearly established themselves as the guys to beat. After that? Keene’s Tristan Woodbury is the #3 returner and was right on Robie’s heels last year. He certainly can’t be counted out of the conversation. Some other guys we’ve got to watch are Pinkerton’s Joe Gustavson who turned into the guy to beat in the middle distance races of track this past year. Could his new found success carry over to the trails?
Salem’s Elliot Chisholm always starts the season back a little bit but roars into the mix by the end. Londonderry’s Patrick Ramsey had a huge sophomore year and could make the jump into the top guys talk this year. Don’t sleep on Bedford’s Jack Mortimer and Luke Parker who both had superb outdoor track seasons and looked ready to drop some big times this spring. A couple of injury return guys to watch are Keene’s Sawyer Kress and Pinkerton’s Oscar D’Amelio. Kress was totally out and D’Amelio sprained his ankle at the D1 championship meet and will both be hungry to make up for the end of the season not looking how they hoped.
-Ian French
MOCs!
As mentioned in the girls season preview, the Hopkinton Fairgrounds, which has professionally hosted championship events from the middle school to the NCAA level, is now the site of the NH Meet of Champions. It is an incredibly fan friendly course, but make no mistake, it is not a race track. While it is not a Derryfield with challenging climbs and blazing descents, it is a fair course incorporating enough challenge to not be a “race track” of sorts – true cross country with no pavement, all soft surface.
Given all that has been described above regarding division battles, when we sit back and consider the potential of the showdown which will be the 2026 NH Meet of Champions, we get goosebumps. It seems to be a fascinating championship picture featuring a deep Hanover squad, a talented but somewhat rebuilding Pinkerton team, a young Coe-Brown group that may have as much upside as anyone in New Hampshire as well as an Oyster River squad who will be getting their top runner back. Another fascinating feature will be the site of the MOCs as it moves to Hopkinton Fairgrounds. Will the change of course have an effect on the outcome?
Behind the big 4, Souhegan could make a significant move up the standings. Keene, Londonderry, Exeter, BG Hopkinton and the two Nashua schools all have enough returning pieces to make things interesting.
There is a lot to like about Hanover. They finished second at the 2025 Meet of Champions, but more importantly, most of their lineup returns. It starts with Ben Groves, who finished fifth overall at MOCs in 15:35.04. With the runners ahead of him hit hard by graduation, Groves enters 2026 as one of the leading individual championship contenders; especially when one considers the spring he had on the track. Then there is Isaac McNaughton. McNaughton ran 15:50.16 as only a sophomore, finishing 10th overall. That gives Hanover two runners who were already under 15:51 last November.
But their biggest strength may be what comes next. Alexander Collins ran 16:24.11 as a sophomore and Dylan Faris ran 16:25.23 as a freshman. That’s four returning runners under 16:26. And Hanover isn’t done when one considers Oliver Collins ran 16:58.89, Rhys Jones 17:08.00 and Rohan Novosad 17:21.97 as well as Middle School Champ Edward White. Seven returning runners from the Meet of Champions and the Middle School Champ? That’s depth with the front runners. On paper, Hanover enters 2026 with the most complete returning team in New Hampshire.
Now consider the returning champs, Pinkerton, which essentially graduated half of their championship varsity squad. Don’t mistake rebuilding for starting over as the Long Red Line still returns Jason Robie, and Joseph Gustavson who both took huge leaps last spring and are one of the best returning 1-2 combinations in the state. Oscar D’Amelio gives the Astros another major piece after running 16:17.29, while Owen Boucher ran 16:34.72.
So while Pinkerton has some holes to fill, its front four is outstanding and hey, its Pinkerton!
As detailed above, Coe-Brown also has seven returning MOC runners, just like Hanover, but they are slightly younger. Patrick Youngs and Ben Larson are now juniors. Samuel Youngs, Broden Cox and Mateo Ferguson are sophomores. Throw in Gus Glaser and Ben Jobin as the only seniors and that’s what makes Coe-Brown so interesting. Expect a step forward for all of these names and we have a 3 team war perhaps.
Oyster River finished fifth at the Meet of Champions last fall and brings back a strong group and with the addition of their top distance runner Oliver Lehman, the Bobcats will certainly be in the mix as a top team in NH. in addition to D2 3200 meter champ Lehman, the Bobcats return their core group of experienced harriers Levi Clapp, Siddharth Sanjay, Brendan Banafato, Jace Dinnan and sophomore Ryker Andersen. This experience is invaluable during championship season.
The final 2 New England qualifying teams should come from a host of teams. Each team will have to continue to develop throughout the season to truly contend, but rest assured, this is where some of the best competition! Souhegan, Keene, Bishop Guertin, Londonderry, Hopkinton, and Nashua North and South all should be considered contenders for New Englands if not more.
Souhegan is led by Jacob Spencer and the Sabers have a returning supporting cast which is strong and now experienced. Keene has a true top 10 finisher with Tristan Woodbury and also a solid returning core. Londonderry is similar with Patrick Ramsey but will depend on the gains made over the year by his supporting cast. BG will have the huge benefit of Ethan Fischer and his low low stick, but will also depend on the rest of the group for its team aspirations. Led by Max Goupil, D3 favorite Hopkinton is the true pack team behind him. How far up the field this pack can roll will determine how they fare on the big stage. Both Nashua North and Nashua South will depend on exactly this.
Similar to the girls side, the individual championship will be a real barn burner (not a direct reference to the barn athletes run through :)) between BG’s Ethan Fischer and Pinkerton’s Jason Robie. As Ian described in the D1 preview, they had some major battles over the indoor and outdoor track seasons. Both have ascended to new levels over that time. Considering XC courses and Fischer’s new 5000 meter PR of 14: 41, he has to be considered the slight favorite come November in Hopkinton.
At the same time, this field has the potential to be extremely deep. No one will forget Fall Mountain’s Elijah Bodanza’s bid to steal the MOC title last year. Expect him another year stronger and just as gutsy. Do not overlook Hanover’s Ben Groves either. He seems to be the total package of strength and speed which will play out well at the MOCs. Don’t be surprised if Bodanza and Groves join Robie and Fischer in the front pack. Expect the following names in a close by chase pack – Hanover’s Isaac McNaughton, Keene’s Tristan Woodbury, Pinkerton’s Joe Gustavson, Bedford’s Jack Mortimer, Newfound’s Colin Foster, Oyster River’s Olli Lehman & Levi Clapp as well as Coe-Brown boys (Youngs brothers, Cox, Ferguson). What is clear is the depth of talent in NH is just that deep!
Good luck to all!!!
