With the dual-meet season starting up in just a couple of days, we’ve decided to put together a preseason ranking of the top 15 teams we believe will have the most success this fall. This ranking was made using a combination of Athletic.net data, knowledge of cross country courses, and knowledge of the teams themselves.
Honorable Mentions — Arlington and Amherst-Pelham
Both of these teams barely missed making the list, but we still thought they were worth talking about.
Although both are strong teams, Amherst-Pelham edges out Arlington by a bit. Arlington’s times seem to be deceiving due to the easy conditions of the Woburn Country Club at the M12 League Meet. On paper, it looks like their team’s 5K times range from 15:38 to 16:40. However, it’s reasonable to question whether the M12 League Meet course produced times comparable to a standard 5K, so those marks may need to be viewed with some caution. The Arlington team is led by senior Owen Merrill and has a strong pack of its No. 2–4 runners within 20 seconds of each other.
Just ahead of them is Amherst-Pelham. They enter the season as the No. 4 team in Division 2 and No. 2 in Division 2B. They are led by front-runner Calvin Miller, who, if all goes right, should be in the running for individual state champion as well. Right behind him is Peter Nedeau, coming into the season with a 5K PR of 16:07. If he can catch up to Miller, Amherst could be looking at one of the scariest 1–2 punches in Division 2.
Amherst’s No. 3 and No. 4 runners both enter with PRs below the 17-minute barrier, but their main problem is with their No. 5 runner. On paper, incoming sophomore Jeremiah Hayslip enters with a PR of 17:56. If Amherst hopes to challenge the rest of Division 2, their No. 5 will have to move up and challenge their third and fourth runners.
No. 15 — Catholic Memorial
Our first team in the top 15 is Catholic Memorial. They return a deep team with a lot of up-front talent. Leading the pack is Daniel Kaleba (16:04), with three more strong runners right behind him: Gerard Stock (16:17), Jude Kaleba (16:32), and Theo Fitzpatrick (16:33).
Though, just like Amherst-Pelham, their main problem lies with their No. 5. On paper, Finn Rosenbaum enters the season with a PR of 17:58. If he can move up over the course of the season, the team could set itself up for a chance to take home a trophy at the Division 1C meet in November.
No. 14 — Weston
Last year’s Division 2C champions are in the hunt to reclaim their title and may even be looking farther than that. Weston returns two runners below the 16-minute barrier in Mathew Fitzgibbon and Aarav Mehta. Both runners should be able to work off each other in every race to form a solid 1–2 punch.
Hunter Waechter enters as their No. 3 with a PR of 16:14, and with good training might be able to join the pack with his two teammates. To round out this team, Weston has two more returners under the 17:30 barrier. Division 2C better watch out for the talent Weston is bringing back in 2026.
No. 13 — Parker Charter
This year, Parker Charter hopes to continue its dominance over Division 3. Last year, they placed four runners in the top 20, with Nathaniel Henshaw becoming the individual Division 3 champion. Although Henshaw graduated, they still return three of those runners who finished in the top 20.
The team appears to be led by incoming sophomore Jett Johnson. Last year, Johnson was one of the top freshmen in the state. Let’s see if he can continue that momentum.
The team then returns three more runners under 17 minutes: Cypress Lance (16:14), Danny Garrison (16:20), and Zephyr Schermerhorn (16:44). All three will contribute heavily to the team as Parker Charter looks to remain at the top of Division 3.
No. 12 — Longmeadow
This pick may surprise some, but we believe Longmeadow has the capability to take back its Division 2 crown in a meet that could be just as close as last year. On paper, it looks like the squad is led by incoming junior CJ Deliso, but in actuality, they will more likely be led by Jacob Abebe.
Abebe suffered an injury last fall that took a toll on his entire sophomore campaign, though looking at his spring season, it appears he’ll be back in full shape this fall. For the first half of last fall, he was their No. 1 as well, beating teammate Ethan Halpern, who went on to become the individual Division 2A champion.
After their front two, they return three more strong runners in Aidan Kretschmar (16:37), Finn O’Connor (16:51), and Ryan Katsafanas (17:07). Don’t sleep on Longmeadow, as they are the main sleeper pick for Division 2. They’re the No. 1 seed for Division 2A and the No. 2 Division 2 team on this list.
No. 11 — Oliver Ames
Even after losing main man Landon Sarney, Oliver Ames will still pack a punch going into the 2026 season. They are now led by senior Devon McStowe. Last fall, he was a major reason for their upset victory over Reading Memorial at the Division 1C meet because of his crucial sixth-place finish, moving up several spots during the final lap of the Wrentham course.
Corey Yifru may also be at the top of the pack. He was only a freshman last year but already had some impressive accomplishments, including a 16:39 5K and a 9:44 two-mile. There is a good chance we see Yifru running up with McStowe this fall.
On paper, their No. 5 situation may also be a little misleading. Although their projected No. 5 enters with a PR of 17:41, their No. 6 runner, Peter Feodoroff, ran a PR of 10:07 for two miles this past spring. If this team finds its spark, they may be able to top the Hockomock League and upset Reading for the second year in a row.