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September 12. 2012 2:12AM
Athletes to watch: The familiar faces in Divisions I and II have departed, creating an opportunity for any of a host of harriers to claim individual honors. In D-I, Bishop Guertin's Griffin Gagnon and Concord's B.J. Smith come in with the best credentials. Aaron Bellomo of Hudson's Alvirne, Justin Trott and Seamus Cullinane of Winnacunnet, Dan Damato of Keene and Chris Poggi of Pinkerton have the speed and endurance the podium requires. It's a good bet the Division II champion will be wearing either a Souhegan or Hanover singlet. The Marauders' Noah Williams commands a slight edge over the Sabers' Jason Bender, but Coe-Brown Northwood Academy's Jeremy Brassard can surprise both. In Division III, Bow's Andrew Weckstein seeks to repeat as champion.
Defending champions: Only one winner from 2011 returns to defend a title – Bow's Andrew Weckstein (16:49). Bishop Guertin is the defending Division I champion and has won three of the past four division titles. Durham's Oyster River ran to Division II laurels in both 2010 and 2011, as did Division III's Bow.
Champions now in college: Dylan Lafond of Manchester Central was the only New Hampshire harrier to run a sub-16 minute 5K at the division meets at Manchester's Derryfield Park last year, claiming the Division I title in 15:59. He won again, a week later, at the Meet of Champions at less-demanding Mine Falls in Nashua with a time of 15:41.9. He runs at Mount Olive College, N.C., and won the season-opening Mount Olive Invitational in 16:06. Colton Ham of Penacook's Merrimack Valley copped Division II honors a year ago with a time of 16:10. He runs at Franklin Pierce University and posted a first leg 10:10 split for the Ravens' three-man “A” relay team, which finished seventh in a six-miler at the recent Skyhawk Relays at Stonehill College.
NHIAA boys' cross country preview: New faces, from start to finish
The Scoop
Teams to watch: Hampton's Winnacunnet, which last won a cross country championship with back-to-back golds in 1965-66, is a serious Division I contender, fueled by the running prowess of Justin Trott, Seamus Cullinane and Matt Guerin. Perennial podium teams Bishop Guertin of Nashua, Pinkerton of Derry, Manchester Central and Londonderry were hard hit by graduation, but depth keeps them in the battle. Nashua North, which qualified for the Meet of Champions last year, receives points from Craig Hammond, Zach Taylor and Justin Carter and will challenge. Bedford joins the D-I ranks. Amherst's Souhegan and Hanover stage a battle throughout the regular season and into the championship round. Strategy dictates the champion as the Sabers' Jason Bender, Ryan Hinrichs, Patrick Lynch and Tanner Kent match up against the Marauders' Noah Williams, George Voigt, Sam Merrens and Jesse Brown. Two-time champion Bow and Hopkinton command the Division III ranks.Athletes to watch: The familiar faces in Divisions I and II have departed, creating an opportunity for any of a host of harriers to claim individual honors. In D-I, Bishop Guertin's Griffin Gagnon and Concord's B.J. Smith come in with the best credentials. Aaron Bellomo of Hudson's Alvirne, Justin Trott and Seamus Cullinane of Winnacunnet, Dan Damato of Keene and Chris Poggi of Pinkerton have the speed and endurance the podium requires. It's a good bet the Division II champion will be wearing either a Souhegan or Hanover singlet. The Marauders' Noah Williams commands a slight edge over the Sabers' Jason Bender, but Coe-Brown Northwood Academy's Jeremy Brassard can surprise both. In Division III, Bow's Andrew Weckstein seeks to repeat as champion.
Defending champions: Only one winner from 2011 returns to defend a title – Bow's Andrew Weckstein (16:49). Bishop Guertin is the defending Division I champion and has won three of the past four division titles. Durham's Oyster River ran to Division II laurels in both 2010 and 2011, as did Division III's Bow.
Champions now in college: Dylan Lafond of Manchester Central was the only New Hampshire harrier to run a sub-16 minute 5K at the division meets at Manchester's Derryfield Park last year, claiming the Division I title in 15:59. He won again, a week later, at the Meet of Champions at less-demanding Mine Falls in Nashua with a time of 15:41.9. He runs at Mount Olive College, N.C., and won the season-opening Mount Olive Invitational in 16:06. Colton Ham of Penacook's Merrimack Valley copped Division II honors a year ago with a time of 16:10. He runs at Franklin Pierce University and posted a first leg 10:10 split for the Ravens' three-man “A” relay team, which finished seventh in a six-miler at the recent Skyhawk Relays at Stonehill College.
An exodus of stellar scholastic harriers to college competition has left the boys' field wide open as the New Hampshire cross country season opens in earnest this week.
Gone is the Division I and Meet of Champions winner. Gone is the Division II champion. In fact, gone are 16 of the initial 20 finishers at last season's D-I Meet and 15 of the top 20 runners at the MOC.
The lone returning champion running to the New Hampshire trails in 2012 is Andrew Weckstein of Bow, who edged Moultonborough's Joe Smith at the Division III Meet a year ago. Both runners recorded times of 16:49, and both are striving for quicker performances and added success this season.
The team competition is equally up for grabs this fall. At last November's MOC, Bishop Guertin of Nashua, Pinkerton of Derry, Manchester Central, Oyster River of Durham and Winnacunnet of Hampton finished 1 through 5.
Only Winnacunnet returns four of its five scoring team members. The top-ranked Cardinals bring back one, and the Astros, Little Green and Bobcats return just two each.
Division I
Not known for producing standout cross country teams, Winnacunnet is gearing to move into the spotlight this season. The Warriors' last state championship on the trails came more than 40 years ago, but Justin Trott, Seamus Cullinane and Matt Guerin ran among the top 10 returning harriers at the D-I Meet last October and make the Seacoast squad the team to beat this October.
Trott, a sophomore then, and Cullinane equaled or bettered the D-III championship time.
The best returning time in the division belongs to Bishop Guertin's Griffin Gagnon, who finished ninth over the Derryfield Park hills in 16:29. He was the only underclassman to run in the top 10.
Concord's B.J. Smith (11th, 16:30), Alvirne of Hudson's Aaron Bellomo (18th, 16:40) and Trott (20th, 16:42) round out the top returnees.
However, Bedford competes in the division this season and carries four of its scoring runners, including Tristan Winship (11th, 16:57) and Sam Daly (21st, 17:13) from last year's sixth-place D-II team.
Division II
Amherst's Souhegan fell five points shy of winning the division in 2011. That should not be the case in 2012, but the Sabers will have to contend with Hanover, which always seems to find its way to the podium.
Souhegan's youth carried the Sabers all the way to Rhode Island last season where they finished fourth among New Hampshire teams and 15th overall at the New England Championships. Each of the team's scoring runners, Jason Bender, Ryan Hinrichs, Patrick Lynch, Tanner Kent and Jake Kittredge, returns.
The Marauders seasoned their young runners a year ago and finished third to Oyster River and Souhegan. Noah Williams is the top returning harrier in the division (fourth, 16:29) and is tied with BG's Gagnon for the quickest Derryfield championship time by a junior last year.
Teammates George Voigt, Sam Merrens and Jesse Brown make Hanover a formidable foe.
Vying for individual honors with Williams, Bender and Hinrichs will be Coe-Brown of Northwood's Jeremy Brassard, who led all underclassmen with a sixth-place finish at the MOC, Oyster River's Thomas Caulfield and the Portsmouth duo of Brian Reaney and Beckley Stearns.
Division III
The small schools bring experience to the championship season in 2012. Along with Weckstein, who kicked off the campaign with a win at the recent Early Bird Invitational at Gunstock, and Smith, eight of the division's top 10 runners will contend again this season. Just eight of last year's first 25 were seniors.
Bow is the two-time defending champion, but Hopkinton is poised to snap the Falcons' streak.
Leading Bow's bid for laurels is defending individual champion Weckstein, a junior, and seniors Alex Evans and Ben Evans. Pacing the Hawks over the hills are seniors Sam Smith, Cam DeBrusk and Alex Bostic and junior Cody Roberge.
All were top 20 finishers in 2011.
Fall Mountain of Langdon harrier Levi Frye will press Weckstein and Joe Smith for individual laurels. Sam Smith, Colby Clark of Sanborton's Sant Bani, Conor Terhune of North Sutton's Kearsarge, DeBrusk and Tim Fafard of New Ipswich's Mascenic will join the chase.
Gone is the Division I and Meet of Champions winner. Gone is the Division II champion. In fact, gone are 16 of the initial 20 finishers at last season's D-I Meet and 15 of the top 20 runners at the MOC.
The lone returning champion running to the New Hampshire trails in 2012 is Andrew Weckstein of Bow, who edged Moultonborough's Joe Smith at the Division III Meet a year ago. Both runners recorded times of 16:49, and both are striving for quicker performances and added success this season.
The team competition is equally up for grabs this fall. At last November's MOC, Bishop Guertin of Nashua, Pinkerton of Derry, Manchester Central, Oyster River of Durham and Winnacunnet of Hampton finished 1 through 5.
Only Winnacunnet returns four of its five scoring team members. The top-ranked Cardinals bring back one, and the Astros, Little Green and Bobcats return just two each.
Division I
Not known for producing standout cross country teams, Winnacunnet is gearing to move into the spotlight this season. The Warriors' last state championship on the trails came more than 40 years ago, but Justin Trott, Seamus Cullinane and Matt Guerin ran among the top 10 returning harriers at the D-I Meet last October and make the Seacoast squad the team to beat this October.
Trott, a sophomore then, and Cullinane equaled or bettered the D-III championship time.
The best returning time in the division belongs to Bishop Guertin's Griffin Gagnon, who finished ninth over the Derryfield Park hills in 16:29. He was the only underclassman to run in the top 10.
Concord's B.J. Smith (11th, 16:30), Alvirne of Hudson's Aaron Bellomo (18th, 16:40) and Trott (20th, 16:42) round out the top returnees.
However, Bedford competes in the division this season and carries four of its scoring runners, including Tristan Winship (11th, 16:57) and Sam Daly (21st, 17:13) from last year's sixth-place D-II team.
Division II
Amherst's Souhegan fell five points shy of winning the division in 2011. That should not be the case in 2012, but the Sabers will have to contend with Hanover, which always seems to find its way to the podium.
Souhegan's youth carried the Sabers all the way to Rhode Island last season where they finished fourth among New Hampshire teams and 15th overall at the New England Championships. Each of the team's scoring runners, Jason Bender, Ryan Hinrichs, Patrick Lynch, Tanner Kent and Jake Kittredge, returns.
The Marauders seasoned their young runners a year ago and finished third to Oyster River and Souhegan. Noah Williams is the top returning harrier in the division (fourth, 16:29) and is tied with BG's Gagnon for the quickest Derryfield championship time by a junior last year.
Teammates George Voigt, Sam Merrens and Jesse Brown make Hanover a formidable foe.
Vying for individual honors with Williams, Bender and Hinrichs will be Coe-Brown of Northwood's Jeremy Brassard, who led all underclassmen with a sixth-place finish at the MOC, Oyster River's Thomas Caulfield and the Portsmouth duo of Brian Reaney and Beckley Stearns.
Division III
The small schools bring experience to the championship season in 2012. Along with Weckstein, who kicked off the campaign with a win at the recent Early Bird Invitational at Gunstock, and Smith, eight of the division's top 10 runners will contend again this season. Just eight of last year's first 25 were seniors.
Bow is the two-time defending champion, but Hopkinton is poised to snap the Falcons' streak.
Leading Bow's bid for laurels is defending individual champion Weckstein, a junior, and seniors Alex Evans and Ben Evans. Pacing the Hawks over the hills are seniors Sam Smith, Cam DeBrusk and Alex Bostic and junior Cody Roberge.
All were top 20 finishers in 2011.
Fall Mountain of Langdon harrier Levi Frye will press Weckstein and Joe Smith for individual laurels. Sam Smith, Colby Clark of Sanborton's Sant Bani, Conor Terhune of North Sutton's Kearsarge, DeBrusk and Tim Fafard of New Ipswich's Mascenic will join the chase.
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