Yup, I remembered to do this again this week! :D  Anywho, as always, these are just my opinons and do not reflect the views of the MSTCA, the MIAA, or anyone/thing else for that matter.

1. Lowell- This week we FINALLY get to see them at a big meet... perhaps too big to make a fair judgement (Manhattan).  So far they have held the top spot by winning some big dual meets and a few small meets, but can they do well at a higher level?  We shall see.

2. Mansfield- The defending champs hold the #2 spot this week.  As with most teams, they didn't race last weekend.  I think they are taking this weekend off in preperation for a big weekend (locally) next weekend (Bay States, Brown, and the Catholic Memorial Invite), but I'm not sure.

3. Methuen- As I said it was a boring week for the most part, so the top three hold their spots. 

4. TIE: Xaverian and St. John's Prep- I'm sorry, but I simply could not decide between these two teams this week.  As you may know, they raced this past Tuesday, and Xaverian won 26-31, however this is a little too close for comfort since the Prep was missing TWO of their top guys.  Sadly the teams in the Catholic Conference refuse to release dual meet results to the public, so I cannot analyze what may have happened with those two guys, but it would have been damn close.  I cannot put one of these teams ahead of the other this week.

6. Brookline- They keep their #6 spot this week.  A win for them at Thetford, VT last weekend (that and the ME Meet of Champs are the only two NE meets I know of from last weekend), however the meet was very uncompetitive.  If the meet were more competitive I might have moved them up, but alas, no.

7. Newton North- Again, another team just maintaining their spot after a boring weekend.  I think next weekend is going to show us a lot.

8. Nashoba- While the other two Central Mass teams keep duking it out (see below), this team stays nice and consistent.  Don't know how they have done better than Shrewsbury and Westboro (on paper they shouldn't), but they have, so they get the higher ranking

9. Westboro- They win their dual meets this week (ahem, unlike a certain CMASS team we will discuss below), so they get the #9 spot.

10. Shrewsbury- They're lucky I didn't drop them out of the top 10.  I mean, what the heck Shrewsbury?  You lose to SHEPHERD HILL in a tri meet?!  You crushed Fitchburg in the same meet, so what in the world is going on?  You beat Westboro earlier this year, which is great, but if you don't prove that you can consistently run like you did against them, forget about going to All States.  You'll get one more chance this week, but Wachusett is right on your tail.

Outside the Top 10

• Wachusett is thiiiiiis close to getting into the top 10.  I still think Shrewsbury is the better team, but Wachusett will be in their spot next week if Shrewsbury doesn't get its collective head together.
• The second team in line to get a top 10 berth is Marshfield.  They're solid, and if the back end of the top 10 keeps screwing up they will get a top 10 berth.
• Andover and Whitman Hanson are two teams that don't get converage but deserve a mention.  They are tough, competitive teams that, while they won't compete at states, deserve some kudos.

On the D2 Front

• Pembroke may be unbeatable (well, they lost a dual meet, but without running any of their top guys...)
• I wish the best of luck to Newburyport, because they are a good team that I have seen, but I don't think even they can compete with Pembroke.
• Hamilton Wenham nearly pulled off a small upset in their dual meet vs. Newburyport, losing in a close one (28-31).  They'll have a shot at second at D2 All States, along with Seekonk and Bishop Feehan (the Bishop school that wishes they were as good as Hendricken (RI) and Guertin (NH)) :D

On the Girls Side

• Lincoln Sudbury and Newton South.  Need I say more?  I am 99% sure LS is the better team here, but I refuse to doubt NS.  All I know is the past two years with these two teams have been amazing for MA XC.
• Haverhill is a solid #3, and it is somewhat unfair that there are two teams that could compete at a national level ahead of them.  There are many years that they would win states, but the ast two years they have had to deal with LS and NS.  It's a shame for the Hillies.
• The other two schools that will compete for #3 in D1 will be Wachusett and Amherst-Pelham.  Should be a fun race at All States
• On the D2 girls front, Bishop Feehan dominates.  Last I checked, they are ranked right up there behind LS and NS in the Northeast Region rankings.  Not too often we see a D2 school from MA ranked at a regional level.  Props to them, and expect them to win D2 at All States.

As I said, this weekend we have a few teams going to Manhattan (namely the Prep, Lowell, and Methuen), but overall this weekend is rather boring.  Next weekend will be huge here in MA, so stay tuned for that ;]