On September 24, 2011, the Hopkinton High School Cross Country team will face fierce competition at the 37th Edition of the Manchester Invitational at Derryfield Park. Runners from all over New England and New York State assemble each fall in Manchester, New Hampshire to represent their hometowns in the 5 kilometer run. The Manchester Invitational is an all-day event that lasts from 8 a.m. to around 3 p.m. The course provides a diversity of terrains from steep inclines and wooded trails to open fields and pavement, and it is considered by the Hopkinton team to be one of the most difficult courses of the season.
Despite the impending challenge, the team is optimistic. Coach Rick Welch is confident about both the girls and boys teams. The girls are the defending small school champions and 4th time division champions. According to Welch, they are “pretty confident about the in-state teams,” and their main competition will be out-of-state teams such as Greely Maine. However, Hopkinton’s rival Coe Brown has joined the small school division, causing tension within the team.
Welch is hopeful that the boys team will finish in the top five in the small school division, and he says that they have a better chance than ever. The boys have continually finished fifth place or better at Manchester and have proceeded to the Meet of Champions for the past ten years. Competition for the boys included out-of-state teams such as Greely Maine, Harwood Union Vermont, and Martha's Vineyard as well as in-state teams like Coe Brown, Sant Bani, Kearsarge and Bow. "There's some pretty serious competition for the guys," says Welch, "more so than the girls."
When asked whether they believe the team was ready, team captains Tess Hamilton and Sam Smith responded with enthusiasm. "Definitely. No hills will be worse than Gould Hill," says Hamilton, referring to a common work out. She continues to say that "it is the mental games that determine the good races from the bad." Smith was also optimistic: "We are more than ready for the challenge Manch presents... in the end I think we have the depth and drive to win."
Both teams have done remarkably well in the past years for a small school. When questioned about the source of this endurance, Welch hints that good coaching is the backbone of a strong team; this year the cross country team has four highly competent coaches to advise and direct athletes. The next big step for Hopkinton Cross Country is their Homecoming meet, where their main opposition will be Concord High. The Homecoming meet will be at the fairgrounds on October 1st at 2:30p.m.
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