MIAA Division 2 Championship, 11/15/25

Before we get to the meet preview, Coach Blue would like to share this message with you:

Thank you so much for the thoughtful and cool gifts. But more importantly, thank you for letting me be a part of the team. I've learned that XC truly is a sport in which the individual gives themselves to the team, and the team uplifts the individual, leading to improvement for both. The dedication and persistence you folks have shown daily for the past three months to achieve that goal has been impressive. I'm proud of all of you. 

The product of your hard work is a trip to the "Meet of Champions"—an apt destination for a team like yourselves.

Be great on Saturday, be great always

-Coach Blue

I feel the same way; it's been an excellent season marked by noteworthy improvement in both fitness and tactical sense, impressive personal achievements and team accomplishments. With the Meet of Champions there's one final and justly earned chance to show what you're capable of. I'm also looking forward to spending some quality time with the fantastic gift you gave me which the internet says will take 8-9 hours to build. 

Live results

Meet Site:

Willard Park, Sherman Ave., Devens

Bus time 8:45 AM

Please arrive a few minutes early so we can get on the road in good time. If necessary, use the bathroom before we leave.

Race time 11 AM

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Mostly sunny, temperature around 40 degrees with NW winds 5-10 mph. It won't be a warm day, in fact this will be the coldest meet day of the season. Dress appropriately including layers to wear when you're either waiting for your race or after having completed your cool down. You may want to wear thin gloves and/or a hat during the race itself, and half tights (ideally black) if you have them. 
• Report to the starting line 10 minutes before your race is scheduled to start; keep your sweats on until the meet officials at the starting line tell you to remove them. Warmup clothes will be placed in the laundry basket which will then be brought to the tent. 
• Numbers will be assigned to you specifically for this meet; these numbers have an RFID chip attached to the back which interacts with a conductive mat at the finish line to record your time. The meet director has asked that athletes who aren't racing NOT wear their bib number if standing near the finish line; doing so can cause a false reading by the finish line mat. Also, don't crumple or fold your bib number. Finally, don't press the stop button on your wristwatch as you cross the finish line, since doing so might interfere with the RFID chip and your hand and wrist will obscure your bib number from view by the backup camera.

• MIAA tournament format 

Course Map (click to enlarge):

• Link to course map

• Starting from the NE corner of a large area of ball fields, the course is three trips around the fields. The first of these loops is the shortest, while the third loop is the longest and includes a trip into the woods with a short steep climb and descent. Soon after completing the third lap athletes turn off to the finish area.

• Due to the fact that almost the entire course is on grass, spikes should be worn (1/4" or 3/8").

• Medals will be awarded to the top 15 finishers. 

Uniform Return:

All athletes will return their uniform after their race. You can put the uniform in the laundry basket. Bring a change of clothes to wear after returning your uniform.

What to Bring:

• Uniform, including both jersey and shorts

• spare change of clothes

• Everyday training shoes

• Racing shoes

• Multiple layers of clothing including clothes to wear while warming up and cooling down, in addition to dry warm clothes for after your race

• lunch for after your race

• a bag to put wet clothes in

• Water bottle (filled)

• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)

• Folding chair

• Blanket (optional)

For Parents:

• A parking fee will no doubt be collected, I don't know what it is. Parking map.
• We hope to return to WHS around 1 PM.
• Dogs aren't allowed on or near the course.
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label.

Week 13 Training Plan, 11/10 -11/15

Last one...

updated scouting

Monday 11/10 - Practice at 3:30 PM. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a PMR of 36 or 48 minutes. If it's a steady rain, do the entire warmup in the field house. Don't forget to wear a vest off campus. 

Tuesday 11/11 - Meet 9:30 AM at WHS for the ride to Devens. Warmup including CURTSIES, then a 30 minute run on the Willard Park course starting at an easy pace and getting a bit faster over the last 10 minutes. This will be followed by run-throughs and bounding over cones along with 4x100 meter run-outs at race pace or faster. Bring a lunch and dry clothes to change into, before visiting the Fort Devens Museum.

Wednesday 11/12 - Practice at 3:30 PM. Warmup including BURPEES followed by 10-12 minute jog, 5x800 alternating between repeats on the track (1,3,5) and on the small hill in the corner of the practice field (2.4). The repeats on the track should get progressively faster, while the second repeat on the field should be faster than the first one. The recovery interval after each repeat should be 2.5-3 minutes. Finally, a 10-12 minute cooldown jog.

Thursday 11/13 - off

Friday 11/14 - Practice at 3:30 PM. Warmup followed by a 10 minute jog, two sets of short intervals on top of the aqueduct, 10 minute cooldown.

Saturday 11/15 - MIAA Division 2 Meet of Champions at Devens. More details in a forthcoming post.

MIAA Division 2B Championship Results - 11/8/25

The final stage of the season arrived yesterday at the Northfield Mountain Recreation Center, with the top WHS athletes racing against the best runners from other Massachusetts schools of similar enrollment size. This is the first of two rounds in the state tournament; unlike with other sports there are no power rankings or brackets. Every school with a team can enter up to seven runners in the Divisional round, with the top five from each school comprising a scoring team. Only the top teams and the fastest individual finishers who aren't on those top teams make it to next week's Meet of Champions, the final race of the official high school calendar in Massachusetts.

The over 200 schools competing in the state are broken down into three divisions based on school size, with Division 1 schools being the largest and Division 3 schools the smallest. Each division is further broken down into three "waves," again based solely on school size. Each of the waves has twenty to thirty teams competing; not every team fields the necessary five runners to make a scoring team. Wayland competes in 2B which sits squarely in the middle of the size breakdown, with 2A schools being a little larger and 2C schools a little smaller. 2B also includes DCL opponent Bedford, which has almost exactly the same student population as WHS. 2C includes Weston. All other DCL schools compete in Division 1, as they have substantially larger enrollments than Wayland, Bedford, and Weston.

The top seven teams in each wave and top ten individuals not on those top seven teams qualify to next weekend's second and final round, where all the qualifiers from 2A, 2B, and 2C face each other in the Division 2 Meet of Champions. There are also two wildcard teams qualifying from across all three Division 2 waves. Last year the boys team finished 4th at this meet, while Mia Rent and Arya Samaratunga qualified as individual wildcards in the girls race.

The three divisional round meets are held at three separate facilities--Wrentham Developmental Center, where Wayland competes every year in various invitational meets, Willard Field at Devens, and Northfield. The mere mention of the word "Northfield" strikes fear in the hearts of many athletes and their coaches, due to the vertical relief of the course. Vertical relief is defined as the difference in elevation between the lowest and highest point of a specific area, in this case a cross country course. The vertical relief at Wrentham is probably no more than 10 feet. At Willard Field, with a climb up Malvern Hill in the third mile it's probably a bit less than 50 feet. The vertical relief of the WHS Cross country course is about 30 vertical feet. At Northfield, the vertical relief is over 200 feet. Most of that elevation change comes in the form of a grinding stair-stepped climb from the 600 meter mark of the course to just before the mile mark. For the remainder of the 5k (3.1 mile) course, this elevation gain is given back in a gradual fashion. With the finish line being right next to the starting line, the net elevation change of the course is of course zero, which comes as no comfort to anyone who's raced at Northfield. In fact, the Northfield course has inspired no shortage of kvetching over the years from athletes and coaches (the coaches perhaps more so). In addition, this particular course is one that no Wayland athlete had raced on since Brett Baker in 2009. For the Wayland athletes racing this year the goal was the same as always, to run the course in a steady, well-paced way that would yield the best possible result for each individual runner. 

The boys were the first to race. Based on meet results over the course of the season, it seemed likely that the boys would be competing for one of the wildcard spots, as there appeared to be at least seven teams that had a stronger lineup on paper. Luckily the races aren't run on paper. In a championship race, it's every team competing against every other team at the same time. It can be very difficult to determine past the top couple of teams who might be filling the rest of the team places. It was clear that Wayland had done well, with Ryan Foley moving up from somewhere around 20th early on to finish in the top 15 and score a medal. He was followed closely by Brandon Hopps who was in the top 20. It's worth noting that their finishing places at this tournament level race were better than their places at the DCL Championship, attesting to the strength of the DCL. 

Behind the Wayland top two Ryan Young had another strong effort to finish in the top 50 (there were 167 finishers total). The Wayland scoring five was completed by Archie Baker and a hard charging Reese Migdal, and the Wayland seven was rounded out by seniors Matthew Tan and Morgan Fallace. It was clear that the Wayland runners had raced the course well. What was not so clear was if it would be enough to earn a spot into next week's Meet of Champions. When the results were tallied, in fact Wayland came 6th of 23, and with a top 7 finish have qualified for the MOC. In the end, multiple teams that would have/could have/should have beaten Wayland were each missing a key runner from their results earlier in the season. It's also likely that some opponents were overwhelmed by the terrain. This is the fourth year in a row that the boys team has qualified; in addition, the Wayland boys team has a streak of top 10 finishes in this first round of the tournament going back to 2019.

The girls raced next, with a trio of Wayland runners taking on the vagaries of the Northfield course. As she did at last month's DCL Championship, Ava Miller led the way for Wayland with a strong effort that placed her just inside the top 40 out of 142 finishers. 9th grader Henrietta Schoeffler, whose affinity for Vermont meant she wasn't the least bit perturbed by the climbing on the course, also finished in the top half of the field. Rounding out the Wayland team was co-captain Ainsley Jay. While this group wasn't enough to be a scoring contingent, they acquitted themselves well and with none of them being seniors, we're looking forward to having them be joined by teammates next year to compete as a full team again. 

boys results

girls results

splits for WHS athletes - there are none to share, as the layout of the course is such that it's quite difficult to both see the start of the race and be there at either of the two mile marks along the course. If you happened to record your splits on your watch feel free to share them with me for future reference. It's safe to say that the first uphill mile went significantly slower than on any other course this season. 

WHS team and individual results at the MIAA and DCL Championship, 1997-present 

MIAA Division 2B Championship, 11/8/25

Live results

Meet Site:

Northfield Mountain Recreation Center, 99 Millers Falls Road, Northfield   

Bus time 9:15 AM

Please arrive a few minutes early so we can get on the road in good time. If necessary, use the bathroom before we leave.

Race Schedule

Boys race 12:30 PM - Baker, Fallace, Foley, Hopps, Migdal. Tan, Young (alternates - Conley, Hopper)

Girls race 1:15 PM - Andrus, Jay, Miller, Schoeffler

Awards Ceremony 2:15

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Partly cloudy, temperatures in the high 50s with W wind around 10 mph. Dress appropriately including layers to wear when you're either waiting for your race or after having completed your cool down.   

• Report to the starting line 10 minutes before your race is scheduled to start; keep your sweats on until the meet officials at the starting line tell you to remove them. Warmup clothes will be placed in the laundry basket which will then be brought to the tent after the start of the girls race.   

• Numbers will be assigned to you specifically for this meet; these numbers have an RFID chip attached to the back which interacts with a conductive mat at the finish line to record your time. The meet director has asked that athletes who aren't racing NOT wear their bib number if standing near the finish line; doing so can cause a false reading by the finish line mat. Also, don't crumple or fold your bib number. Finally, don't press the stop button on your wristwatch as you cross the finish line, since doing so might interfere with the RFID chip and your hand and wrist will obscure your bib number from view by the backup camera.

• Qualification for next week's Meet of Champions (MOC) is explained in page 3 of this document.

• Medals will be awarded to the top 15 finishers.  

• girls teams in Wave 2B

• boys teams in Wave 2B

Course Map (click to enlarge):

• the trail map of the entire facility from which the rather unsatisfactory map above was made. By comparing the course map above to this facility map you can get a better sense of the elevation changes involved. The course is comprised mostly of parts of the 10th Mountain, Hemlock Hill, Sugarbush, and Tooleybush Turnpike trails. If you know how to read contour lines, which are a gray color on the map, you can see where the course is steepest both up and down hill. 

• this course features the most vertical relief (difference in elevation between highest and lowest point) and thus the most elevation gain of any course this season. The bulk of the climbing is between the 400 meter mark and the mile; the remaining 2+ miles of the course gradually gives back this elevation gain for the most part.  

• Due to the fact the course is almost entirely on grass spikes should be worn (1/4" or 3/8").

Uniform Return:

Those athletes who don't qualify for the MOC can put their uniform in the laundry basket. Bring a change of clothes for after you're done racing.

What to Bring:

• Uniform, including both jersey and shorts

• spare change of clothes

• Everyday training shoes

• Racing shoes

• Multiple layers of clothing including clothes to wear while warming up and cooling down, in addition to dry warm clothes for after your race

• lunch for after your race

• a bag to put wet clothes in

• Water bottle (filled)

• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)

• Folding chair

• Blanket (optional)

For Parents:

• A parking fee will no doubt be collected, I don't know what it is.
• We hope to return to WHS sometime around or a bit after 4 PM.
• Dogs and bikes aren't allowed on or near the course.
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label.

Awards Night and Varsity Lists

Next Wednesday November 12th there will be an end of season celebration held in the Commons at 6:30. Everyone will receive a certificate of participation. We'll recognize the recipients of team-specific awards including Most Improved, Rookie of the Year, and MVP. There are also Coaches' Awards and Booster Awards that will be given out. Plus the always popular prize bag blowout, a highlight of this event. New this year, there will also be photo opportunities with the Trash Monster. We hope to be done by around 7:30. 

While on the subject of recognition, the athletes listed below have earned varsity status for this season. An explanation of what it takes to be varsity in what is a no-cut sport can be found on pages 6 and 7 (of course) of the team policies and FAQ document. A checklist for both teams can be seen under the "varsity tracking" tab of this spreadsheet.

Girls:

Brynn Andrus

Abigail Conley 

Ainsley Jay

Ava Miller 

Henrietta Schoeffler

Cordia Wang

Boys:

Archie Baker

Leo Ciccarelli

Thomas Conley 

Morgan Fallace

Ryan Foley 

Noah Goldstein 

Elliot Hopper 

Brandon Hopps

Reese Migdal

Cyriaque Schaff

Matthew Tan 

Edge Wheeler 

Ryan Young

Week 12 Training Plan, 11/3-11/9

Scouting

MIAA tournament guidelines

Northfield Mountain Trail Map

XC Course Map

Saturday's Division 2B Championship meet is the highest level competition to date this season. Everything leading up to Saturday in practice is intended to help optimize performance in that race. We're not reinventing the wheel here, so no major changes are afoot other than a further reduction in training volume. These workouts are less about building fitness than confirming it. 

In the days leading up to the meet you can build on the gains in fitness you've made throughout the season by getting to bed at a reasonable hour, drinking water regularly throughout the day (to the tune of around 48 ounces a day), and eating a nutritious balanced diet. Like the last two weeks, there's a scheduled day off during the week, which is Thursday. 

For people that aren't racing on Saturday and either haven't had an opportunity to run a mile time trial or would like to try it again, we'll be doing a mile time trial on Tuesday as well. Athletes who are racing on Saturday won't participate in this. 

Finally, it's important to note that with the clocks turned back it will be getting dark quite early. The reflective vests are a must when running off campus.

Monday 11/3  - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a CMR of 36 or 48 minutes. The PMR will then be followed by 5x150m (100m race pace, 50m faster than race pace) with a 150m jog recovery.

Tuesday 11/4 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including CURTSIES followed by a short length run including run-throughs and bounding over cones

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B and C: 32-36 minutes

There will be a meeting after practice for the people racing on Saturday. Site TBD, likely in the Commons.

Wednesday 11/5  - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a 12-15 minute jog, 3x400 at 5-10 seconds per mile faster than race pace, mile at race pace, 3x400 at 5-10 seconds per mile faster than race pace. Wrapped up with a 10 minute cooldown. The recovery between each 400 is 60-90 seconds, with 4.5 minutes before and after the mile.  

OR

Warmup, 10-12 minute jog, 3x100 meters at mile race pace followed by mile time trial. 10-12 minute jog cooldown.

Bring racing shoes today if you have them, particularly for the time trial. 

Thursday 11/6 - off

Friday 11/7  - Practice at 3:30 PM. Warmup followed by a 10 minute jog, two sets of short intervals on top of the aqueduct, 10 minute cooldown.

Saturday 11/8 - MIAA Division 2B Championship at Northfield Mountain. More details in a forthcoming post. 

Sunday 11/9 - off

Frank Mooney Invitational Results - 11/1/25

On a day best described as blustery, a select group of Wayland athletes competed on the fast Wrentham Developmental Center course layout. This is the second time this season that Wayland has raced at this venue, with the first visit being back in September on a much warmer day at the Frank Kelley Invitational. While the team tent didn't fare so well in the windy conditions the runners did much better. There were multiple personal best times and four medal winners (top 40 in their race). These included Ryan Young who finished 6th in the 10th grade boys 5k, Thomas Conley who finished 12th in the 9th grade boys 3k, and Henrietta Schoeffler and Brynn Andrus who both won medals in the 9th grade girls race finishing 12th and 28th. 

With the changes this year to Franklin Park, the courses at Wrentham are the longest-standing ones where Wayland Cross country competes, having been in use since 2010. 

Overall results

Splits for WHS athletes 

Wayland performance lists for Wrentham Developmental Center, 2010-present 

Frank Mooney Invitational, 11/1/25

Live results 

Meet Site: 

Wrentham Developmental Center. The address is 131 Emerald Street, however the race course is located a little further down the road, in the large field at the intersection of Emerald Street and Shears St. This is across the street from the William A. Rice Recreation Area.

Bus time 7 AM

Race Schedule and Entries

9:00         10th grade boys race - Spence, Young

9:25         10th grade girls race

9:55         9th grade boys race - T. Conley, Doxopoulos, LeBaron, Ricci  

10:15       9th grade girls race - Andrus, Schoeffler

 
Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: partly cloudy, temperature around 50 degrees, W wind 10-20 mph 
• Numbers will be assigned to you specifically for this meet; these numbers have an RFID chip attached to the back side which interacts with a conductive mat at the finish line to record your time. The meet director has asked athletes who aren't racing NOT to wear their bib number if standing near the finish line; doing so can cause a false reading by the finish line mat. Also, don't crumple or fold your bib number. 
• Report to the starting line 10 minutes before the start of your race; the meet staff has been known in the past to start races a few minutes earlier than the posted schedule. You can complete your warmup at the starting line.
• If you're wearing a stopwatch while racing, putting your arm up to hit the button on the watch while crossing the finish line can cause the RFID chip to be blocked by your arm, and your finish might not be recorded. In other words, don't press the button on your watch when crossing the finish line.
• No one is to do their warmup or cool down among the buildings of the Wrentham Developmental Center, where patients are housed. Aside from the course itself, you can warmup and cool down on the ball fields across the street.
• Medals will be given to the top 40 finishers in each race.

Course Map:

• The course is fairly flat, with some roll in places. There are no long and/or steep hills. The course is almost entirely on grass. The 5k course is three loops. The 3k course ends after the second loop (yellow on this map). The 5k course repeats this second loop. Both the 3k and 5k share the same first loop, which is the circumference of the large field where the course is situated. The second and third loops have two incursions from the outer edge of the field into the middle. Typically there are large digital clocks at the mile and two mile marks. 

What to Bring:

• Uniform
• Everyday training shoes
• Racing shoes if you have them; this is a course for spikes, 1/4" or 3/8" elements
• Warmup clothes including a shirt
• Water bottles - filled

• Folding chair - important to have something to sit on other than the ground

• Blanket or sleeping bag - important as we won't be bringing the tent, while we won't be out in the open for that long you might want to have something to help stay warm when not warming up, racing, or cooling down

• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)

For Parents:

• The parking fee this year is $10 for each car.
• Dogs aren't allowed except for service animals.
• No grilling, cooking, or fires are allowed at the meet site. 
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label. 
• We hope to return to WHS by around 12 noon.

Week 11 Training Plan - 10/27-11/2

Purdy calculator for use in interpolation of a goal time for the mile time trial

Happy Halloween 

This week features the Frank Mooney Invitational on Saturday at Wrentham Developmental Center.  This meet is for 9th graders (3k course) and JV runners (5k course) who meet the time standards. Those that aren't racing on Saturday will be doing a time trial, either on Wednesday (first choice date) or Friday (backup date). Ideally the time trial is done on a day with little to no wind, mild to cool temperatures, and no rain. There may not be such a day this week, if so we'll have to make do. If one of the fall sports teams is hosting a tournament game on the turf field we won't be able to do the time trial on the track that day. 

Like last week, there will also be a day off, this week on Thursday. 

For the remainder of the season, all athletes must wear a reflective vest when running off campus after school. A set of vests has been acquired for this purpose using funds raised from the Wayland XC Festival. Remember to return the vest at the end of practice. It must be folded neatly before being put away in one of the two "Pam's Run" drawstring bags that are used to store them. The vests don't need to be worn while running on campus, for example when running on the track.

Mon 10/27 - Warmup including BURPEES followed by a progressive medium run. The length of this week's run is the same as last week's PMR.

Group A: 36 minutes (12 minutes easy - 9 minutes 60% - 9 minutes 80% - 6 minutes easy)
Group B: 48 minutes (16 minutes easy - 12 minutes 60% - 12 minutes 80% - 8 minutes easy)
Group C: 60 minutes (20 minutes easy - 15 minutes 60% - 15 minutes 80% - 10 minutes easy)

Tue 10/28 - Warmup including CURTSIES followed by a short length run including run-throughs and bounding over cones

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 32-36 minutes

Wed 10/29 - Warmup including BURPEES. Those that are racing on Saturday will then do a medium length run including timed repeats as follows:

those racing 3k on Saturday: 10 minute warmup, 2 sets of 3x400 meters with the first set at race pace and the second set 1-2 seconds per rep faster than race pace. 200 meter recovery jog after each repeat with 4-5 minutes recovery between sets. 10 minute cooldown.

those racing 5k on Saturday: 10 minute warmup, 2 sets of 4x400 meters with the first set at race pace and the second set at 1-2 seconds per rep faster than race pace. 200 meter recovery jog after each repeat with 4-5 minutes recovery between sets. 10 minute cooldown.

for those not racing on Saturday: 10 minute warmup, mile time trial on the track, 10-12 minute break, 4-5x200 at race pace with a 200 meter jog recovery, 10 minute easy jog cooldown. The time trial is in essence a race, so if you have a pair of racing shoes you should wear them.

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 40-44 minutes

Thu 10/30 - off

Fri 10/31 - Warmup including CURTSIES followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate intensity. Two sets of short repeats on top of the aqueduct in the last 8-10 minutes of the run.

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 40-44 minutes

Sat 11/1 - Frank Mooney Invitational. More information will be forthcoming in a subsequent post. 

Those not racing today should do a medium length run with the first two thirds of it being an extended "warmup" run at an easy effort. Then a mile on the track at race pace (not all out) followed by a 5 minute break and then 4-5x200 run at faster than race pace with 60-75 seconds recovery after each. Finally a 5 minute jog cooldown.

Sun 11/2 - off

DCL Championship Results, 10/24/25

Championship season got underway earlier today at Franklin Park in Boston, where the DCL Championship has been held for most of the 21st century. The layout of the courses (approximately 3km for 9th graders and novice athletes, 5k for JV and varsity runners) was adjusted this year to account for the ongoing construction around White Stadium, which is next to the field where the races begin and end. The consensus of the coaches was that the newly devised courses ran quite fast compared to the courses that were used since the mid-90s until last year. Wayland had the advantage of having visited Franklin Park earlier in the season for a dual meet against Boston Latin. 

The DCL is a very deep league, with 11 members. Most of them are among the larger schools in Massachusetts and as such complete in Division 1 in the upcoming MIAA championship. Bedford, Wayland and Weston have much smaller enrollments than the other 8 member schools and as a result complete in Division 2 in the MIAA tournament. For this reason, the varsity races today were scored separately for the Foley Division (which includes Wayland) and Thorpe Division teams. 

There were many noteworthy results from today's meet. There were the three medal winners. all of them 9th graders. For the boys, Thomas Conley took a strong second place surging through the field in the second half of the race. For the girls, Brynn Andrus surged to the win while substantially improving her time from last month's meet at Franklin Park. She was followed by Henrietta Schoeffler in 4th. 

In the boys varsity race, the Wayland top two of Ryan Foley and Brandon Hopps finished 16th and 20th. Finishing in the top 20 has been the requirement for being named an All-Star, which is an impressive accomplishment for a league as deep as the DCL. 

Congratulations to everyone who raced today!

overall results - note that in the varsity boys race, the Foley and Thorpe results are compiled separately although there was only one race 

splits and times for WHS athletes - note the 2 mile mark might have been misplaced (2nd mile too long)

Franklin Park performance list  - note the courses were changed this year from a previous layout that had been in use since the mid-90s

  

DCL Championship, 10/24/25

Live results

Meet Site: Playstead Field at Franklin Park, Boston.

Bus Time: 12:00 PM

Note the bus time. Athletes listed below will be dismissed after 3rd period. Remember that you're responsible for any work in classes that you miss. If you're entered in a later race and need to stay at school for a test or other assignment, you can arrange your own transportation to the meet but check with the coaches about it ahead of time. 

Meet Schedule and lineups:

2:00 PM JV girls 5k - A. Conley, Jay, Miller, Wang

2:30 PM Varsity boys 5k - Baker, Fallace, Foley, Hopper, Hopps, Migdal, Tan

3:00 PM 9th grade/Novice 3k - Andrus, T. Conley, Doxopoulos, Gao, Jorgensen, LeBaron, Ricci, Schoeffler

3:20 PM Varsity girls 5k 

3:50 PM JV boys 5k - Ciccarelli, Spence, Wheeler

4:30 PM Awards

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Mostly sunny, temperature in the high 50s with westerly winds 5-10 mph.

• Runners must report to the starting line 10 minutes before the start of their race, and begin removing sweats no later than 5 minutes before their race starts.

• Each team is assigned a box along the starting line. We'll know our box number after we arrive at the meet site.

• While the boys and girls 9th graders will race at the same time, the results of the races are compiled separately. 

• The top 15 finishers in each varsity race, the top 8 JV and the top 7 9th graders (boys and girls both) will receive awards.

• While the course will surely be well marked, it's a good idea to check it out during your warmup. Please note the course tour is self-guided, using the map below.

• If this is your final meet of the season, bring an extra change of clothes and after we return to Wayland you can change out of your uniform in the field house and return it to one of the coaches.  

• Return time to WHS is approximate, but we hope to be back around 6:00 PM depending on traffic. 

Course Map and Description:

• The 5k course consists of three loops. The first two loops (blue and red lines on the map below) go through the Wilderness area. The third loop (orange line) goes up and over Bear Cage Hill. 

• The 3k course includes the first loop (blue line) and Bear Cage Hill (orange line). Unlike the longer 5k course, the 3k course only goes through the Wilderness area once. It doesn't include the "Mile 2" loop outlined in red on the map below.

• There's a stretch of pavement leading to the base of the Bear Cage hill, such that wearing spike elements in your racing shoes isn't a good idea. Those that are wearing spiked shoes should replace the spike elements with either blanks or 1/8" elements. 

What to bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes including: long sleeved shirt, pants, windbreaker, gloves, hat
• water bottle
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival). If you're running in a later race, bring a snack to have when we first arrive at the park to tide you over until your race. 
• folding chair if you want something to sit on while changing shoes

For parents:

• There's a small parking lot at the corner of Circuit Drive and Pierpont Road; there's also a larger lot further down Circuit Drive, as well as on-street parking on Circuit Drive.
• If you're going to be at the meet and would like to take your child with you when their race is over, please let one of the coaches know.
• The area just beyond the finish line is a good spot to see the race at various points as the runners pass by this spot repeatedly.

Week 10 Training Plan, 10/20-10/26

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This week is the beginning of the final phase of the season, which kicks off with Friday's DCL Championship meet at Franklin Park. 

As in years past, there will be a karaoke contest on the bus ride home from this meet which is not to be missed. Submit your song choice in advance to the coaches for approval. The maximum group size for the contest is four people. It would behoove you to practice your song beforehand.

With the end of the season drawing near, we've entered the peaking phase of our training. The proverbial hay is in the barn and from here on out it's a draw down of training volume, which is achieved through a reduction in the length of most daily runs, and a reduction in the number of runs per week. This is achieved by taking an additional day per week off from practice. For this week that day is Tuesday.

• Mon 10/20 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a cyclic run as follows:

Group A: 36 minutes (3 minute segments)

Group B: 48 minutes (4 minute segments)

Group C: 60 minutes (5 minute segments) 

• Tue 10/21 - off.

• Wed 10/22 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including CURTSIES followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate intensity including hill drills on the aqueduct near Cedar Crest Road.

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 40-44 minutes

• Thu 10/23 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a short length run with 3 sets of short reps at the end on top of the aqueduct.

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 40-44 minutes

• Fri 10/24 - DCL Championship Meet @Franklin Park. The meet starts early which will require dismissal after 3rd period class. You're responsible for any work or tests you might miss as a result of this. More information forthcoming. This is a medium length day, including warmup and cooldown running it should add up to the following:

Group A: 32-36 minutes
Group B: 40-44 minutes
Group C: 48-52 minutes

On the bus ride home, there will be the 11th annual edition of the Golden Microphone karaoke contest.

• Sat 10/25 - Medium length run at an easy to moderate intensity. For those that are interested, we'll meet 10 AM at Lincoln Station. Be sure to have the Outerspatial app on your phone. This is a run that can be done in your neighborhood if you can't make it to Lincoln. 

Group A: 32-36 minutes
Group B: 40-44 minutes
Group C: 48-52 minutes

• Sun 10/26 - off

 

Dual Meet #3 vs. Waltham and Bedford Results, 10/15/25

The dual meet season wrapped up on a cool and breezy afternoon in Waltham. Wayland faced both the host school and Bedford in a double dual format, with three separate meets contested simultaneously. The course featured a loop in the woods that was covered twice by the girls and JV boys and three times by the varsity boys. This lent itself to some exciting racing. The boys were able to score wins against both opponents, with the meet against Bedford being quite close. Ryan Foley led the way and won the race outright in impressive fashion. The girls team was out dueled by both Bedford and Waltham, with the Waltham meet being a close contest that came down to the wire. Multiple Wayland runners patiently moved up past Waltham runners who had started out perhaps too quickly in the latter stages making for an exciting race. 

From here on out, it's all championship and invitational meet racing, with the next meet on the calendar coming a week from Friday with the Dual County League Championship at Franklin Park in Boston.

overall results

splits and times for WHS athletes

 This house was once located a bit before the mile mark of the course you ran today...

Dual Meet #3 vs. Waltham and Bedford, 10/15/25

Meet Site: Harding Field, 99 Jacks Way. Waltham

Bus leaves at 2:45

Order of Races and Lineups

first race will start no earlier than 4:15. JV boys should be warming up as soon as the course tour finishes. 

JV boys (3.8k course) - Ciccarelli, Doxopoulos, Jacob*, Jorgensen, Kheir, LeBaron, Maali-Pohl, Ricci, Salahuddin, Sondey, Wheeler

Varsity boys (4.8k course) - Baker, T. Conley, Fallace, Foley, Hopper, Hopps, Spence, Tan, Young

Note: the top seven finishers for Wayland in the varsity boys race will earn credit towards a varsity letter

Girls (3.8k course) - Andrus, A. Conley, Gao, Jay, Miller, Schoeffler, Wang

*TBD

Course Maps:

JV and Girls race course map

Boys varsity race course map

The course begins on Harding Field, the turf field just down the hill from the old high school building. Upon exiting the field, runners climb the hill on Woodcliff Drive before entering the woods on the left. The course then follows a loop in the woods (pay attention on the tour to which trail is the course and which trails are not). This loop is covered two times for the short course and three times for the longer course. The course then returns to Woodcliff Drive and then Harding Field where the race finishes, all in the reverse direction of the early stages of the race.

Note that Woodcliff Drive is a neighborhood road, open to vehicle traffic. The Waltham coaching staff does their best to alert drivers to the fact there will be runners in the road during the meet. It's best to be aware of any oncoming cars and stay on the left side of the road (or on the grass next to the road if possible) while covering this part of the course.

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: partly cloudy, temperatures in the low 60s with winds 10-15 mph from the NNW. With the wind it will feel cooler than the ambient temperature. Bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform. You won't be allowed on the bus if you don't have clothes besides your uniform.
• The Waltham coach reports that the course is not suitable for spike elements in your racing shoes. If you have spiked racing shoes the spike elements should be replaced with blanks or 1/8" pyramids. If you wore longer spike elements in your last race and need to remove them,  please do so Tuesday evening. It can be done during the bus ride Wednesday but you'll be stressed unnecessarily, even more so if you try to do this after we arrive at Harding Field.
• You'll need to wear your assigned bib number which is the same number you wore in last week's meet. After your race you can keep the number as a souvenir of the season (or dispose of it), but please return the safety pins to the ziploc bag that holds the bib numbers and safety pins. The ziploc bag is in turn kept inside the laundry basket.
• There will be a course tour sometime soon after we arrive. Pay attention to the loop in the woods as there are various side trails that are not used in the race course.

 What to Bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes
• plastic bag to store clothes and backpack/duffel bag
• water bottle - including a larger (24-32 oz.) bottle if you have one
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)

for parents:

• The meet is NOT held at the new Waltham High School building/campus, which is on the other side of Lexington Street. 

• Harding Field where the course starts and finishes next to the former Waltham High School building, which is now identified as "Waltham Valor High School" on Google Maps. There's ample parking in front of this building.

 

Week 9 Training Plan, 10/13-10/19

This week we're in between the middle portion of the season, which is ending, and the final stages of the 2025 fall campaign. The last of three dual meets is on Wednesday. We've reached the time of year where there will be days when we meet inside the field house due to cooler temperatures. There's no firm dividing line but in general if the temperature outside is much below 55 degrees we'll likely meet indoors to start. If you don't see anyone outside under the tree that's why.

Monday 10/13 - Practice at 3:30. We'll meet in the fieldhouse assuming we can gain access. Otherwise, the overhang near the main entrance. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a PMR. The "M" stands for medium as opposed to long, which is what this type of run has been up to this point. It breaks down like this:

Group A: 36 minutes (12 minutes easy - 9 minutes fresh - 9 minutes good - 6 minutes easy)
Group B: 48 minutes (16 minutes easy - 12 minutes fresh - 12 minutes good - 8 minutes easy)
Group C: 60 minutes (20 minutes easy - 15 minutes fresh - 15 minutes good - 10 minutes easy)

the route for today's run is TBD. 

Tuesday 10/14 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including CURTSIES and strides on the track followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate effort level. Upon your return to the school we'll be doing high stepping run throughs (high knees) and bounding over cones on the softball field and a few  accelerations incorporating turns. 

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Wednesday 10/15 - Dual Meet #3, vs. Waltham and Bedford at Harding Field in Waltham. More information is coming soon in a forthcoming post. Remember this should be a medium length day including warmup and cool down. 

Group A: 36-40 minutes
Group B: 46-50 minutes
Group C: 56-60 minutes

Thursday 10/16 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including strides and BURPEES followed by a short length recovery run at an easy to moderate intensity with hill drills. We'll be doing the hill drills near Cedar Crest Road on the Hultman aqueduct. The length of the run today is as follows:

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Friday 10/17 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup followed by either a medium length run (Group A: 36-40 minutes, Group B 46-50 minutes, Group C 56-60 minutes) for those attending tomorrow's practice at Lincoln Station or the following workout:

Group A: 6 minute jog warmup, 9 minute progression run with first 3 minutes at 60% effort, next 3 minutes 70% effort, last 3 minutes at 80% effort. 5 minute break then 3 sets of 3x300 meters with 200 meter recovery jogs. First two sets at race pace, last set faster than that. 3 minutes between sets. 6 minute jog cooldown. 

Group B: 8 minute jog warmup, 12 minute progression run with first 4 minutes at 60% effort, next 4 minutes 70% effort, last 4 minutes at 80% effort. 5 minute break then 3 sets of 3x300 meters with 200 meter recovery jogs. First two sets at race pace, last set faster than that. 3 minutes between sets. 8 minute jog cooldown. 

Group C: 8 minute jog warmup, 15 minute progression run with first 5 minutes at 60% effort, next 5 minutes 70% effort, last 5 minutes at 80% effort. 5 minute break then 3 sets of 3x300 meters with 200 meter recovery jogs. First two sets at race pace, last set faster than that. 3 minutes between sets. 8 minute jog cooldown. 

Saturday 10/18 - Either a short length run (Group A: 26-30 minutes, Group B 32-36 minutes, Group C 42-46 minutes) for those not attending today's optional practice or the following workout meeting at Lincoln Station at 9 AM:

Group A: 6 minute jog warmup, 9 minute progression run with first 3 minutes at 60% effort, next 3 minutes 70% effort, last 3 minutes at 80% effort. 5 minute break then 3 sets of 3x300 meters with 200 meter recovery jogs. First two sets at race pace, last set faster than that. 3 minutes between sets. 6 minute jog cooldown. 

Group B: 8 minute jog warmup, 12 minute progression run with first 4 minutes at 60% effort, next 4 minutes 70% effort, last 4 minutes at 80% effort. 5 minute break then 3 sets of 3x300 meters with 200 meter recovery jogs. First two sets at race pace, last set faster than that. 3 minutes between sets. 8 minute jog cooldown. 

Group C: 8 minute jog warmup, 15 minute progression run with first 5 minutes at 60% effort, next 5 minutes 70% effort, last 5 minutes at 80% effort. 5 minute break then 3 sets of 3x300 meters with 200 meter recovery jogs. First two sets at race pace, last set faster than that. 3 minutes between sets. 8 minute jog cooldown.

Sunday 10/19 - off