All area high school cross country programs will compete in their respective NHIAA division championship on Saturday at Derryfield Park in Manchester. Only six teams (three boys and three girls) will claim team titles, but 36 can extend their season at least one more week. 

The top five teams and top 25 individuals in each division will advance to the Meet of Champions at Alvirne High School on Nov. 2. Three more teams at-large can qualify by having the three fastest average times, regardless of division. The top 25 individuals and six teams from each MOC race will advance to New Englands, which will be held Nov. 9 at Wickham Park in Manchester, Conn.

Area cross country programs have been strong in recent years and are poised for good results on Saturday. A preview of all six NHIAA division championship races, in the order that they will be contested, is below.

Division II

Girls’ race 10 a.m., boys’ race 10:40 a.m., awards 11:20 a.m.

Area teams: Bow, Coe-Brown, John Stark, Merrimack Valley, Pembroke

Area girls’ runners to watch: Bow’s Hannah Pawlowski and Lena Thompson; Coe-Brown’s Paige Murdough and Annabelle Lovett; John Stark’s Rylee Barnard, Kayla Barriere and Anna Chasse; MV’s Madison Geddes, Lily Moser and Reagan Jefferson; Pembroke’s Caitrin Bergeron.

Area boys’ runners to watch: Bow’s Wyatt Worcester and Thomas Sargent; Coe-Brown’s Patrick Youngs, Luc Kerouac, Ben Larson, Ben Jobin, Quinn Froburg and Landon Graveline; John Stark’s Austin Patenaude; MV’s Mychal Reynolds and Ben Geoffroy; Pembroke’s Caleb Saturley.

Notes: Despite losing a large group of talented runners from last year’s team due to graduation, the Coe-Brown Northwood Academy boys find themselves once again in contention for a team title. The Bears have won eight of the last 10 titles, and finished runner-up in 2023 and 2017. CBNA is undefeated against Division II teams and have only been beaten by four teams all year (three from D-I, one from Massachusetts). The defending champions from Hanover are a slight favorite and have only lost to one New Hampshire team all season (D-II Souhegan), but Coe-Brown and Hanover have not run head-to-head yet. CBNA has been led by freshman Youngs and senior Kerouac. Bow, the third-place team at last week’s Capital Area Cross Country Championship has the best shot of other area boys’ teams to advance to MOC. Coe-Brown and MV will be in the hunt for a top five finish on the girls’ side.

Division I

Girls’ race 11:30 a.m., boys’ race 12:10, awards 12:50

Area team: Concord

Area girls’ runners to watch: Concord’s Shelly Smith, Quinn Doherty, Bella Komorek, Gianna Gualtieri, Phoebe Dater-Roberts and Clover Doperalski.

Area boys’ runners to watch: Concord’s Josiah Conley and Spencer Clemans.

Notes: The Concord girls have qualified for MOC six years in a row and have the depth of roster and talent up front to make it a seventh straight trip. Smith and Doherty are a solid 1-2 and have led the Tide this season. With three freshmen and only one senior in their top seven, the Concord boys are likely a year away from team qualification, but Conley is one of the top individuals in D-I and Clemans also has a shot at making it through.

Division III

Girls’ race 1, boys’ race 1:40, awards 2:20

Area teams: Belmont, Bishop Brady, Hillsboro-Deering, Hopkinton, Kearsarge, Winnisquam

Area girls’ runners to watch: Belmont’s Jenna Laramie; Hopkinton’s Maddy Lane, Shaylee Murdough, Maisie Emerson, Reese Bove,  Amelia Walsh, Evelyn Hopper and Lucy Beardmore; Kearsarge’s Anna Lizotte

Area boys’ runners to watch: Belmont’s Wyatt Divers and Brayden Townsend; Bishop Brady’s Jorge Guerra; Hillsboro-Deering’s Elijah Bodanza; Hopkinton’s Max Goupil, Finnegan Kovar, Andrew Clarner, James Lavers and Michael Crosby; Kearsarge’s Daniel Dalbec; Winnisquam’s Lazar Arbutina

Notes: The Capital Area’s best chance of titles come in the D-III girls race where defending champion Lane and her Hawk teammates are undefeated against divisional opposition this season. Lane is the overwhelming favorite to hold on to her status at D-III’s fastest runner. Hopkinton won three consecutive team titles from 2020-22 before losing a tight race to Mascenic (the Hawks also entered last year’s state meet undefeated in D-III) and is especially eager to finish the job this year. Murdough finished second to Lane in the Capital Area Championship and give the Hawks one of the strongest 1-2 punches in the state. On the boys’ side, Bodanza and Dalbec are both individual title contenders, while Hopkinton stands the best chance of area teams to advance to MOC.