Winning is never easy.
Those four words couldn't be closer to the truth when referring to this Sunday's State Meet.
Once again, La Salle Academy will be the clear-cut favorite to win the team titles on Ponaganset's covered bridge course. For the boys, they'll be looking to make it three straight and for the Lady Rams, they're hoping for a fourth consecutive title and record seventh in the last nine years.
But on both sides, the La Salle squads will have to contend with several teams that possibly could put an end to their dominance.
Let's begin with the boys. We're not going out on a limb when we say that La Salle's DJ Principe will win tomorrow. Principe has been dominant all year and should be teetering in sub 15-minute land when he crosses the finish line. No one else in the field is capable of running that fast. The Rams also have fantastic freshman Max DiMuccio, who's capable of finishing in the top five. That's a lethal 1-2 punch! But as you know, a team title is not determined by two runners. Do the Rams have enough ammunition to fight off their challengers? Absolutely! All seven of the Rams' top seven have run 16:50 or faster for the 5K distance, including junior teammates Domenic Campagna (16:17.40) and Joseph dos Reis (16:21). That's legit! But here's the thing. If a few of those runners has an off-day, something that is certainly possible on cross-country's biggest stage, a few other possible contenders could slip in and make things happen.
The first, and perhaps biggest threat to the Rams' reign, is Bishop Hendricken. We all know the impact of pack mentality, and the Hawks are quite impressive in that department. The Hawks finished second to the Rams at the Class A meet, 29 points behind. But here's where the Hawks excelled. A mere 17 seconds separated the top five finishers - senior Jeffrey Venter (eighth, 16:37), sophomore Aidan Tierney (ninth, 16:38), junior Sean Meehan (13th, 16:51), sophomore Jon Iamarone (14th, 16:53) and senior Dan Ruggiero (15th, 16:54). If this quintet can repeat that performance at the States, they could win on Sunday.
The dark horse is Barrington, the Class B champions. The Eagles' top runner Mars Bishop is capable of battling for the runner-up spot at the States. He should at least finish in the top five. But he's not the only talented runner on the Eagles' squad. Barrington has six of its harriers that have dipped under 17 minutes. Granted their best times were run at Goddard Park, a course that is certainly conducive to faster times than most other courses in the state. But looking beyond that, the Eagles are still a contender, a long-shot maybe, but still a contender.
Cumberland, East Greenwich and North Kingstown are among other teams capable of placing among the first six with a chance of squeezing into a top-three position.
How about the Lady Rams? Who among their rivals has potential to create havoc on Sunday? Like the boys, La Salle has two of its runners that could finish in the top five, junior teammates Grace Connolly and Emily Kane, who were 1-2 at the Class A meet, which the Rams won. In all, La Salle has the talent to have all five of its runners in the top 25-30 positions with senior Alyson Walsh, junior Emily Wilson and sophomore Gabriella Celico capable of running less than 20 minutes this weekend. That's tough to beat. But what if that doesn't happen? Who could step in and spoil the party?
Remember what we said about Hendricken and pack mentality? Guess what? Cumberland is one of those squads that know how to bunch them together. In a conversation with Cumberland coach Nessa Malloy before the Class A meet, one that the Clippers placed fourth overall, she stated that her team was not competing at full strength and focusing more on the upcoming State Meet. The Clippers were without one of their top runners in the race, junior Grace Henson. In other words, what you saw at the class meet this past weekend is not a true representation of what this Clipper team can do. Cumberland's strong six of senior Julia Dempsey, freshman Adah Anderson, senior Colleen Enestvedt, sophomore Emily Haviland, junior Anna O'Callaghan and Henson has potential to run times in the 19- to low 20-minute range. If at least five of them can do that on Sunday, things could look good for the Clippers.
There's also South Kingstown, a team that has five of their runners that have done low 20 minutes or faster this season, including defending state titlist Ellie Lawler. You also can't forget North Kingstown, a consistent power in track and cross country. The Skippers have a threesome of sophomore Lily Nunnery, senior Wyndom Chase and junior Emma Sammartino that have all gone under 19:40 this fall.
It will be tough. It will be an uphill climb. But anyone of these teams can give La Salle problems if things are going their way and not in the Rams' favor.
