RI Harriers Heading To NXN-NE, Foot Locker NE

At the NXN-NE Regionals, La Salle's DJ Principe has to be listed as the favorite to snare individual honors. Principe established the current course record of 15:23.30 at Saturday's same venue when he captured his second straight title at the Bowdoin X-C Classic in late September. He's won the Class, State and New England meets this past month with relative ease, setting up an all-out effort on a course that suits his style of running. According to the speed ratings, a few of the top runners that will be pushing Principe are New Jersey's Jordan  Brannan of Colt Neck and his fellow state rivals Alex Roth of Princeton, Jack Shea of Cherokee and David Rosas of Don Brosco. In Principe's victory at Bowdoin this fall, Brannan (second) and Roth (fifth) were among the top finishers. Brannan was recently second at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions and dipped under 15 minutes for 5K by taking second at the Shoreline Conference Championships on Oct. 28 in 14:56. He also has done 8:26 for 3K. Roth was third and Rosas was fifth at the Meet of Champions, both running sub-16 on a tough Homdel Park venue. But based on how he has done this season, including his 14:32 effort at the Great Amercian X-C Festival, it appears all these runners and anyone else will be viewing the back of Principe's singlet and will need to bring their 'A' game to try and defeat him. He was third last year.

Team-wise, Principe and the Rams rank the highest among R.I. schools competing at No. 8. According to the ratings, Christian Brothers Academy (NJ) and recent New England champion Staples (CT) are the favorites to take the top two slots and an automatic berth to the Nationals in Portland, Oregon on Dec. 3. It appears La Salle will need a mammoth effort on Saturday to even earn an at-large bid. 

To earn a berth individually, runners must finish in the top 5 among those not on a team that has already qualified. Last year North Kingstown's then-freshman Sam Toolin missed a berth by two spots after placing ninth overall. Could La Salle freshman Max DiMuccio pull of the inevitable this year?  Don't count him out! He was third at the State Meet and fifth overall at the New England's. He's also broken 16 minutes three times and ran a fast 16:38 at the Bowdoin Classic in September. If he can get that time under 16 or at least close, a trip to Oregon is possible.

Also, keep an eye on Barrington's Mars Bishop, second at the State Meet, and Cumberland's Ben Drezek, a fourth-place finisher at the states.

In the girls' race, Randi Burr of Westerly is listed among the  cream of the crop with a chance to advance to the nationals. Returning regional winner Aislinn Devlin of Downingtown West (PA), who ran 17:54 at the 2015 race, is back. She was ninth at the Nationals. She won her state meet a few weeks ago and ran 17:12 at her district meet. Anna Juul of Unionville (PA) is also in the field and was third at the regionals last year.  There's also Caroline Fischer, the freshman from Bishop Guertin (NH), who was third at the New England's. Burr ranks No. 6, according to the speed ratings. Remember top five earn a trip.