Like in the past few years, the Middlesex League, although having lots of talent, highlights the teams from Reading and Lexington. They are both in our top ten for our preseason rankings and have many fast individuals running up front. This article will cover all aspects of the Middlesex, or M12, League and what to expect from them this season.
Key Individuals
- Patrick Noonan — Lexington
- Trevor Stevens — Lexington
- Aldan Hall — Lexington
- Finn Johnson-Houlihan — Reading
- Owen Merrill — Arlington
- Noah Geiger — Belmont
- Sleeper: Andrew Princic — Reading
On the individual side, Patrick Noonan (9:19) seems to be the clear favorite. He’s the number one returner from their league meet and has been a known name since his freshman year. Though right behind him, three more names stick out, with all being within four seconds of each other’s two-mile PR from this past spring. Noonan’s teammate Trevor Stevens (9:22), Reading’s Finn Johnson-Houlihan (9:25), and Belmont’s Noah Geiger (9:26) should all be right behind or challenging Noonan for the league title.
Disclaimer: Most 5K times listed below are subject to opinion due to the fast conditions of the M12 League Meet.
On to the teams, Watertown and Stoneham are both sitting at the bottom of the league. On paper, in a dual meet, Watertown would barely edge out Stoneham by one point. Both teams have the majority of their runners above the 20:00 barrier, with one runner barely below it.
After that, Wilmington beats out Woburn by just a couple of points. Woburn does have some up-front talent in David Harrington (16:57) and Christopher Morgan (17:12). However, Cooper Hunt (16:26) has the edge over the two runners and should lead his Wilmington team to a victory.
Burlington comes in next, right in the middle of the league. They’re led by Henry Stefanowicz (17:13) and Liam Poland (17:25). Although they have some solid up-front talent, the rest of their team is back in the 18:00–18:30 range, putting them lower on the list.
Next, Melrose comes in, and they look a lot better than they do on paper. Lincoln Schuyler comes in with an 18:21 5K but a 4:29 mile. He should easily be able to bring his time down. The same can be said for Levi Barnes, a familiar last name for some Massachusetts runners. He comes in with a 19:04 5K; however, he ran a 4:51 mile this past spring.
Melrose should hope to challenge the Wakefield team that’s bringing back five runners under 18:00 and is led by Alec Buonopane-Cohen (16:52).
Next, the Belmont, Winchester, and Arlington rivalry should be an exciting part of the M12 this year. All three have really similar teams and should hope to challenge each other in every meet they’re in together. Winchester probably has the edge over Belmont, but expect both teams’ top three runners to give each other a battle. Winchester returns Noah Damaske (4:41), Tyler Bernstein (9:50), and Noah Mannelli (9:46). Belmont is returning Noah Geiger (9:26), Ishaan Kanagaraj (9:56), and William Olmsted (10:03).
Arlington should edge out both teams, but just by a hair. This team made our honorable mentions list, and there’s a reason for that. They return a strong No. 1 in Owen Merrill (15:38), as well as lots of depth, with four more runners all between 16:20–16:40. Watch out for any meet where these three teams compete against each other.
Reading enters the season looking to be a top-ten competitor at the All-State Meet. Finn Johnson-Houlihan (9:25) looks to lead the Rockets this season as their No. 1. Though don’t sleep on Andrew Princic (15:45) or Max King (15:52). Both return as strong runners, with Princic being chosen as the conference sleeper. He ran a 16:02 last September at the Bay State Invitational and got runner-up in the indoor Division 3 two-mile this year, losing only to Landon Sarney.
Finally, Lexington looks to conquer this conference once again. They return the conference’s top duo of Patrick Noonan and Trevor Stevens. They also have lots of depth, with their next three runners being under the 16:00 barrier. Be on the lookout for Aldan Hall, as he’s coming off a great spring where he ran a 4:26 mile. Lexington looks to be the team to beat this season not only inside the Middlesex League, but at the state meets during November as well.