New Hampshire vs. Massachusetts at Alvirne
One of New Hampshire’s most distinctive cross country traditions returns Saturday, October 3, as Alvirne High School hosts the 22nd Annual Battle of the Border. The 5K course winds through the fields and trails surrounding Alvirne’s Hill House Farm, and the meet adds something most invitationals cannot offer: state bragging rights. In addition to the normal individual and team races, New Hampshire and Massachusetts are matched by the placement of their top five teams.
Girls Varsity — A Deep Team Battle
The girls race has the potential to be one of the most interesting team competitions of the weekend because several of New Hampshire’s current top-10 programs appear on the entry list.
As of September 28, Hopkinton is ranked No. 4 in New Hampshire, Pinkerton No. 5, Bedford No. 8 and Alvirne No. 10. That gives the Granite State plenty of firepower before even considering Nashua North, Portsmouth, Windham and the other schools entered.
Hopkinton may have the most intriguing lineup as they seem to be racing their top lineup with Maisie Emerson, Rose Afflerbach, Hannah Clarner, Ellison Gregory, Madeleine Lane, and Ella Lundquist. Look to Lane for the win and the ultimate low stick which makes Hopkinton becomes particularly dangerous. Earlier this season she won the Woodbridge Classic in California, while Emerson finished third in the Manchester Invitational Small School race in 19:47. Afflerbach was 11th there in 20:49. That gives the Hawks the potential for multiple runners very near the front.
Pinkerton brings another formidable group. The Astros have proven front pack runner in Sookie Folsom. At Manchester, Folsom ran 19:44 and finished 17th in the loaded Large School race and sixth among all New Hampshire runners in the combined results. A finish near the front Saturday would immediately put Pinkerton in a strong podium position. Look for teammates Naomi Ebhaleme, Catrina Boyington, and Meghan Mullaney to be right there as well.
Don’t overlook Bedford. The Bulldogs may not have the single low number that Hopkinton or Pinkerton can potentially produce, but their pack has been excellent. At Manchester, Nora Buxton, Riley Moushegian, Kate Barwell, Julia Malnar and Grace Boll all finished between 21:16 and 22:07 — only 51 seconds separating the five.
Then there is host Alvirne. The Broncos have quietly become one of the more interesting stories in Division I. The now ranked Broncos are led by Olivia Cartagena and Saleena Ramboer. Running at home should only help. Few teams will know the twists, turns and rhythm of the Alvirne course better.
Nashua North could also shake things up, especially at the front. The Titans’ entries include Rosalie Neveu, who ran 20:11 at Manchester and finished 11th among New Hampshire runners in the combined results. Also watch for Windham. Led by Hazel Perks their pack always seem to improve as the season progresses. The Green Wave of Dover has previously been ranked as well and are led by Janelle Poulin.
Mass is represented by MA#9 Greater Lowell Tech and MA#17 Notre Dame Academy. Watch for them to potentially steal the show team wise.
Girls Individual Race
Hopkinton’s Lane is certainly the favorite. Teammate Emerson has already demonstrated she is one of the better harriers in the state. A 1-2 finish would certainly help their chances. Pinkerton’s Folsom has been consistently in the front pack over the past few years. Those three give the race a strong starting point.
Behind them, Afflerbach has been consistently strong for Hopkinton, while Nashua North’s Neveu belongs in the conversation for sure. Bedford’s pack should begin arriving not too far behind, and Alvirne will be looking Ramboer and Cartagena to lead the Broncos on their home course. Also watch for Sanborn’s Sophie Thurlow, Raymond’s Leah Unger, and Pelham’s Addison Martin.
That interstate element is exactly what makes the Battle of the Border fun. Someone from Massachusetts invariably has the opportunity to disrupt the expected New Hampshire order.
Boys Varsity — Pinkerton Brings the Firepower
If there is one thing we have learned during the first month of the 2026 season, it is that Pinkerton can put a lot of good runners on the starting line.
The Astros enter the week ranked No. 2 in New Hampshire, while Hopkinton is No. 6, Portsmouth No. 8 and Bedford No. 10.
Pinkerton‘s entry list is loaded with familiar names. Will this be the first week their big three of Oscar D’Amelio, Joseph Gustavson, and Jason Robie get to race together. We are hoping we get to see that: Pinkerton at full strength! Along with Demitri Rufo, Marcus Sowa, and Leighton Klug, the Long Red Line has some serious depth.
Looking to challenge the NH D1 powerhouse will be D3 rising power Hopkinton. They have the pack power to at least keep Pinkerton honest with Max Goupil, James Lavers, Liam Tripod, Finnegan Kovar, Michael Crosby and Jax Marshall among their entries. Goupil has been one of the state’s most consistent runners and Lavers only continues to improve breaking 17 this past weekend was on the unrelenting Black Bear course.
Bedford is another team to watch. Luke Parker has emerged as a legitimate front-runner, running 16:59 at Manchester. Behind him, Bedford has plenty of depth. As they continue to improve so will Bedford.
Portsmouth also deserves attention. The Clippers are currently ranked eighth in New Hampshire and are led by sophomore Gavin Leader, junior Nicky Biedleman and senior Luke Boynton. These continue to improve and if they can pull their 4-5 with them, watch out!
Londonderry may be in reloading mode, but their front runner Patrick Ramsey, will keep them relevant in the meantime as his teammates gain valuable experience and improve. Nashua South possesses perhaps the biggest individual threat of all in Isaiah Rodriguez. Rodriguez was 6th best in NH at Manchester a couple weeks ago. They also have a nice pack forming behind him. This week may be another nice step forward for South.
Of the Mass contingent, Catholic Memorial is currently ranked 12th in Mass! They could take the whole thing if firing off of all cylinders. Greater Lowell Tech is the other ranked Mass school at #20. Both should be considered for the potential podium spot.
Boys Individual Race
This one could be excellent. Pinkerton could put multiple runners into the lead group, especially if Robie makes his season debut. D’Amelio has already won the Bobcat Invitational and ran 16:24 at Manchester while Gustavson has consistently been close behind. They will all be in the lead pack.
Nashua South’s Rodriguez has already shown he can run with that group. His 16:28 at Manchester was only four seconds behind D’Amelio. Hopkinton’s Goupil continues to knock on the door, and teammate Lavers is coming off his excellent Black Bear performance. Bedford’s Parker, Londonderry’s Ramsey, Salem’s Alexander St. Laurent and Portsmouth’s Leader give the field even more depth.
Then come the Massachusetts runners, which is where the “Battle” part of the Battle of the Border becomes important. Watch for Greater Lowell’s Matthew Guerin as well as Catholic Memorial’s Gerard Stock and Daniel Kaleba to be in the front pack. The Bay State is also quite strong so watch for potential contenders from the other Mass schools: Chelmsford, Greater Lawrence Tech, Innovation Academy, Lowell, and Methuen.
That makes predicting the final top ten difficult — and that’s exactly the point. Let the battle begin, the border is up for grabs.
