Division: I
Coach: Hayden Daly (4th year)
Last year: Boys: 4th; Girls: 8th
Top returners: Boys: Manny Feliz, sr., hurdles/jumps/sprints; Brayden Kearns, jr., distance; Kyle Hill, sr., sprints; Nicholas Snyder, sr., sprints; Eaton Tarbell, jr., sprints; Nick Richards, jr., sprints/hurdles; Vose O’Sullivan, sr., distance; Aiden Gleason, jr., distance
Girls: Sarah Waite, sr., sprints; Morgane Orcutt, jr., distance; Brianna Malette, sr., jumps
Top newcomers: Boys: Sam Hilts, so., distance; Zach Hooper, so., distance
Girls: Sophie Hopkins, fr., distance; Katherine Kennedy, so., distance; Sarah Potter, fr., jumps; Sarah Sponenberg, jr., hurdles
Outlook: Boys: The Tide returns several point scorers and qualifiers from last year’s fourth-place team. Feliz had a breakout season in outdoor track in the hurdles and jumps and should contend for individual titles while also contributing to relays. Concord also has several distance runners from this season’s D-I champion cross country team who could score points individually and form a threatening 4×800 relay.
“We should be in the top five,” coach Daly said. “Relays could score quite a few points.”
Girls: With the graduation of Grace Devanny, last year’s 55-meter dash and 300 champion who scored 20 of Concord’s 23 points, the Tide has a lot of unknowns on the girls’ side. Having said that, the Tide girls’ have several young, but talented, distance runners who won the D-I championship and finished third in New England.
“It’s hard (to predict) because its a young team,” Daly said. “The cross country runners just competed at Nike Regionals the weekend after Thanksgiving so I haven’t seen much of them yet.”
Teams to beat: Boys: Pinkerton, Nashua North, Exeter; Girls: Bishop Guertin, Exeter, Pinkerton, Nashua South
Division: II
Coach: Diane Morey (11th year)
Last year: Boys: DNS; Girls: DNS
Top returners: Boys: Mark Galvin, sr., hurdles/sprints/jumps; Joey Bergeron, jr., shot put
Girls: Abby Shagena, jr., mid-distance/jumps; Ashlyn Toupin, jr., hurdles/jumps
Top newcomers: Boys: John Horangic, jr., distance; Nathan Peck, jr., shot put
Outlook: Galvin (hurdles) and Shagena (600 meters) both had top-10 finishes at the D-II Championship last year, while Toupin and Bergeron both qualified for the state championship last outdoor season.
“They should have a very successful season,” coach Morey said.
Division: II
Coach: Sara Krause (2nd year)
Last year: Boys: DNS; Girls: DNS
Top returners: Boys: Colin Lessard, sr., distance; Daniel Leuchtenberger, jr., distance; Gabe Neff, sr., distance
Girls: Autumn Boisvert, jr., distance; Tory Burke, sr., distance; Louisa Carey, jr., distance; Amy Eweka, sr., sprints; Kelly Harris, so., sprints; Addy Trefethen, so., sprints
Top newcomers: Boys: Adem Aricanli, jr., distance; Jackie Zou, sr., sprints/jumps
Girls: Delia Brochu, fr., distance, Maya Brochu, fr., distance; Emily Kiah, fr., sprints/mid-distance; Sage Konstantakos, fr., sprints/jumps; Kristina Pizzi, jr., sprints/mid-distance; Emma Van Ham, jr., sprints
Outlook: The Falcons don’t return many athletes from last year’s team, but have several new athletes with outdoor track and cross country experience. The boys’ squad is down in numbers with just 10 on the roster, but have several strong distance runners, led by senior captain Lessard. The girls’ team has more depth and should do especially well in the track events. Senior captain Eweka and D-II Championship qualifier Trefethen lead the sprinters, while junior captain Carey and a strong freshman class lead the distance crew.
Teams to beat: Boys: Portsmouth, Coe-Brown, Oyster River, Merrimack Valley; Girls: Oyster River, Portsmouth, Milford, Coe-Brown, Merrimack Valley
Division: II
Coaches: Bob Mullen (30th year) and Joey Ellis (5th year)
Last year: Boys: tied 6th; Girls: 7th
Top Returners: Boys: Seth Baylus, so., sprints; Cameron Butt, sr., sprints; Mitchell Graham, sr., shot put
Girls: Cassidy Considine, sr., distance; Nicole Considine, sr., hurdles/sprints; Madisyn Garrity, jr., hurdles; Addie Hodge, sr., jumps/hurdles; Theresa Irving, sr., jumps/hurdles; Liz LaRoche, sr., shot put; Tabby Nugent, jr., sprints; Madi Palmer, sr., jumps; Sophia Reynolds, so., distance; Emma York, sr., distance
Top newcomers: Boys: Marshall Carey-Matthews, fr., distance; Jack Colvin, fr., distance; Andrew Croteau, fr., shot put/sprints; Dylan Fuller, fr., shot put; Trevor Latorella, fr., distance; Johnny Lessard, fr., shot put/jumps; Mark Mercier, fr., distance; Samuel Navoy, fr., sprints
Girls: Molly Bentley, fr., shot put; Anna Hernann, fr., distance; Victoria Hildreth, fr., distance; Samantha Kimball, fr., distance; Victoria Leak, fr., jumps/sprints; Sophia Rebenciuc, fr., distance; Angela Rolon, fr., sprint
Outlook: Between the large number of returning Division II Championship qualifiers and a strong freshman class, both the Pride boys’ and girls’ squads could be near the top of the D-II standings come February’s championship meet.
“As a team and as individuals we have a lot of short-term and long-term goals,” coach Ellis said. “We are taking everything one throw, jump, race at a time with the goal of improving. We feel like both the girls and boys have a good chance to make some noise this season.”
Lessard and Oglesby both scored points individually in last year’s championship and Baylus qualified in the 55-meter dash to lead the boys. Returning for the girls’ team is Reynolds, who is the defending 3,000 champion and 1,500 runner-up. Both teams should also field strong relays, traditionally a strength of the MV program.
Teams to beat: Boys: Portsmouth, Coe-Brown, Oyster River; Girls: Portsmouth, Coe-Brown, Oyster River
Division: II
Coaches: Mike Valotto (2nd year) and Brad Keyes (2nd year)
Last year: Boys: 23rd; Girls: DNS
Top returners: Boys: D’Andre Mitchell, jr.; Devon Peabody, sr.; Hayden Goyette, jr.; Jacob Marden, sr.; James Dupuis, jr.; Michael Harris, jr.; Nicholas Kafkoulas, so.; Peter Landry, sr.; Shawn Tremblay, sr.; Tyler May, sr.; Harry Army, jr.
Girls: Ali Corriveau, sr.; Amanda Montminy, sr.; Cassidy Rondeau, jr.; Charlotte Corbitt, so.; Isobella Gill, sr.; Kaitlin White, sr.; Kayley Couture, sr.; Lilly Curtis, jr.; Molly Keyes, jr.; Samantha McCarthy, sr.
Top newcomers: Boys: Benjamin Dugas, fr.; David Testerman, so.
Girls: Lauren Lehoullier, sr.; Leila Thomas-Guerzon, fr.
Outlook: The Spartan program has increased from 31 athletes last season to 49 total this year, so Pembroke hopes to “substantially improve” its spot in last year’s standings where the girls’ team did not score and the boys’ scored one point.
“Both boys’ and girls’ teams look to be better balanced than previous years with much stronger groups of distance runners and throwers,” coach Bradley Keyes said, who is co-coaching with Michael Valotto for the second year. “The Spartans are looking to score points this year across sprints, jumps, distance, and throws.”
Multi-event athletes May, Dupuis and Army will be strong on both the track and the field, while Marden is a returning qualifer in the 300 and will anchor the relay teams for the boys. On the girls’ side, Rondeau, who qualified for the Division II Championship in the 55-meter dash last year is the top returner and will lead a strong group of experienced sprinters. That group, which includes Corriveau, Montminy, Gill, White, Keyes and newcomer Thomas-Guerzon should put together some strong relays.