The Bowdoin Park Classic kicks off Saturday in Wappingers Falls, New York. The BPC represents the opening of many teams' seasons. While the boys championship race is represented by a handful of good teams, the girls championship race headlines the entire event. With two Foot Locker ranked girls going head to head, along with a half dozen very good teams, the BPC promises to deliver.
Bowdoin Park Classic - Meet Preview
The fast, yet difficult course at Bowdoin Park hosts a lot of talent Saturday. Marked as the Northeast Regional course for Nike Team Nationals, many teams are choosing to take part in this inaugural meet. While only a few of the top boys teams in the region decided to take part, many girls teams and top individuals will be at the course to show off their skills.
The boys race will be a three-way battle between Brookline (MA), Shaker (NY) and Shenendehowa (NY). These three teams are ranked in their respective regions, and each returns a lot of great talent from last year. Also, BPC signifies the start of each teams major invitational season. While all three teams will be battling, the favorite to win the race is Bob Gibson (Sr., Brookline, MA). Gibson, one of the top runners in Massachusetts, won't have an easy time pulling away from the field, but his team needs him to score a low point up front if they hope to beat all the good New York teams.
On the girls side, the championship race is loaded with talent. Many top teams including, Emmaus (PA), Hilton (NY), Greenwich (NY), Voorhees (NJ), Lincoln Sundburg (MA) and Shenendehowa (NY), are all in the race. Emmaus' strength up top with the trio of Faust sisters favored them strongly, however, Brianna Faust is out this week after undergoing an appendectomy. The strength of Emmaus should still push them into the top three. Meanwhile, Hilton returns to the cross country course after an impressive NTN second place finish last year, while Greenwich, Bronxville and Lincoln Sundburg all return a lot of athletes from their squads last year, hence a lot of big race experience.
Individually, the championship race highlights the showdown between FLNE #9 Melanie Thompson (Jr., Voorhees) and FLNE #10 Caitlin Lane (Sr., Greenwich). Both girls are Foot Locker favorites, both girls are incredibly accomplished and both are looking to win. Other runners will factor into the top mix as well. Meghan Brown (Sr., Ursuline, NY) runs with heart and had a successful track season. Amanda Faust (So., Emmaus) and Christina Faust (So., Emmaus) both run with courage and will be in the lead pack, while Shenendehowa's one-two punch of Morgan Roche (Sr.) and Cara Jancezko (So.) are top contenders as well.
The inaugural BPC promises to be one of the top meets in the Northeast this year. With athletes and teams from all over the Northeast, the meet promises some big performances and even bigger surprises.
BPC Meet Page - https://ny.milesplit.com/meets/27621
