For the next two weekends, Rhode Island will not be hosting any type of invitational meets. But nonetheless, several teams will be traveling outside the borders to face some stiff competition.
Bishop Hendricken and the La Salle Academy girls will be traveling the furthest among our local contingents, both entered in the always-competitive Great American X-C Festival in Cary, N.C. This is a meet that consistently attracts some of the best schools on the east coast (and beyond). In last year's meet, perhaps a preview to bigger and better things later in the season, the La Salle boys captured the featured Race of Champions race with a narrow 132-140 decision over Marietta, Ga. The Rams accomplished the feat despite missing their top runner, Jack Salisbury.
La Salle's Eliza Rego was fourth overall at the Great American X-C Festival last year with a personal best of 17:38.29.
La Salle will not be back to defend its title, focusing instead on the upcoming Manhattan Invitational at New York's Van Cortlandt Park on Oct. 10. But the Lady Rams will be making the long trek to N.C., and there's a good chance they'll be among the top 3 in the ROC race. In 2014, coach Kelly Martin and her squad finished second to Blacksburg, Va. This year's team lost just one runner to graduation, current Duke freshman Sheridan Wilbur. The Rams have an equally-talented squad this season that includes all-staters Eliza Rego, Karina Tavares and Barrington transfer Grace Connolly, who was fifth at last year's state meet as a ninth-grader. Hendricken, the recent Manchester Invitational winner, should also fare well in the ROC event. Last year, the Hawks won the seeded boys' race.
Cumberland's Sean Laverty was second at last year's Maine Festival of Champions.
The Cumberland boys' and girls' squads will make their yearly homage up north for the Maine X-C Festival of Champions. The boys' team has won this event four times in the meet's 13-year history, including last year where the varsity averaged 16:43 for the 5K course. It could be more of the same this weekend with a Clipper squad that looks just as strong (if not, stronger) this fall. Sean Laverty, who was second last year, is the top-ranked entry. Classical's Joe Murphy, competing as an individual, is No. 2, and Cumberland's Ben Drezek is No. 4. The Lady Clippers do boast the returning individual champion with senior Amy Laverty back to defend her 2014 title where she was timed in 19:01.02. Burrillville will also be sending its boys' and girls' squad to Maine.
The East Greenwich boys and girls will be heading to Thetford Academy, Vt., for the 24th annual Woods Trails Run. This meet will take place on the same challenging layout as the New England Championships in mid November. The Avenger boys were second at last year's meet and should once again be in the mix with a team that ranks No. 3 in the state and this past weekend was third at the Bowdoin X-C Classic in N.Y.
Barrington, Ponaganset and the Prout School will also be among the field at Woods Trails with the Eagles' Emma McMillan the returning girls' champion. She captured last year's event in less-than-ideal conditions with a time of 18:54.83, nearly a minute ahead of the second-place finisher.