The cross-country season will soon be here and once again we have a plethora of talented athletes that will traverse the courses this season. The early-prognosis - and from what we heard from several coaches over the last few month - is that East Greenwich and La Salle Academy are the favorites to win this year's boys' and girls' team titles at the State Meet, scheduled for Nov. 4 at Ponaganset. Who are the top athletes that we should keep our eyes on for individually supremacy? During the next week, we'll let you know who we feel are the strongest contenders this fall.
Here's our latest...
DJ Principe, La Salle Academy
It goes without saying that DJ enjoyed a very-successful junior season in cross country and track. He concluded it at the end of June at the Nike Elite Camp where he ran an all-time best for the mile of 4 minutes, 7.66 seconds in a feature HS event at the U.S. Olympic Trials. DJ also won his first national title by taking the 5K at the New Balance Nationals on June 17 where he smashed his state record with a time of 14:37.09.
In cross-country this fall, DJ will not only be the odds on favorite to win his third straight individual title, but one of the top contenders to take either the Nike Cross Nationals or the Foot Locker Nationals, whatever race he chooses. Last December he was 17th at NXN.. The La Salle senior will be minus his two talented teammates and training partners, Jack Salisbury and Matt Bouthillette, who both are now competing for Georgetown University. But that doesn't mean DJ will not be pushed this season. His No. 1 nemesis will be North Kingstown sophomore Sam Toolin who had a spectacular year in 2015-16. In X-C, he finished fourth overall at the State Meet and was ninth at the NXN Northeast Regionals, just missing a spot to the nationals down in Oregon. We're guessing DJ will be tough to beat in his quest for a three-peat and should break the state record of 15:09 he set at last year's meet. We believe there is even potential for the gifted harrier to dip under the magical 15-minute barrier on Ponaganset's covered-bridge trail.