The 2025 Hockomock League cross country season opens with a familiar storyline at the front of the pack — Oliver Ames remains the team to beat on both the boys and girls sides — but this fall could bring some drama with the Canton’s girls team emerging as a serious challenger. OA has strung together five straight Davenport titles for the girls (and six overall) and five for the boys, dominating at the league meet and beyond, but the Bulldogs are coming off their best campaign in years and returns nearly its entire varsity core.
After finishing second in the league and fifth at All-States last year, Canton enters 2025 with legitimate title hopes. Senior captains Lexi Piazza, Madeleine Driscoll, and Allison Lin will lead a roster of 36, nearly all of whom return varsity experience. Lauren Raffetto, undefeated in dual meets as a freshman two years ago, is back as Canton’s top runner alongside Piazza, Addy Azar, and Natalie Hales — all Hockomock League all stars a year ago. Veterans Elena Silva and Driscoll add depth, while track standouts Isabella Holland and Sofia Anastasiou are expected to make an immediate impact in their first cross country seasons.
“This season’s motto is ‘pressure is a privilege,'” said head coach Brian Gotsell. “The girls put in the work this summer and we are ready to rise to the occasion and compete with the state’s best.”
Oliver Ames remains the benchmark after taking another Davenport crown and the Hockomock League championship meet last fall. With a strong group of returners, the Tigers once again look deep and balanced. Kathleen Bilodeau (12th at Hocks), Devin Thomas (11th), Ashley Powers (ninth), and Erin Reilly (17th) headline a squad that packs serious scoring potential. Junior Abby Luke and sophomore Madelyn Freedman round out a lineup that has the potential to dominate once again, though Canton looms as their toughest test yet.
Head coach Carolina DiBiase is looking forward to another competitive season for Mansfield. Senior captains Alex Petrova, Ava Hickey, and Cally Amara headline the group, supported by returners Marlene Moore, Evey Snyder, Alex Leman, Sarah Farley, and Morgan Ferrari. Newcomers April Haddigan, Rose Norcross, and Neila Igo are expected to push into the lineup.
“The Mansfield girls are looking forward to another competitive season,” DiBiase said. “Our senior captains have been working hard all summer preparing the team.”
On the boys side, Oliver Ames has been just as dominant, winning five consecutive Davenport titles and last year’s Hockomock meet. A loaded senior class will pace the Tigers, including Landon Sarney (third at Hocks), Douglas Smith (ninth), Lawrence Dear (eighth), and Owen Dupill. Juniors Colin Donahue, Jake Hauvuy, and Peter Feodoroff provide valuable depth, making OA the heavy favorite to extend its streak.
North Attleboro will be led by junior Anthony Malakidis, who nearly won the Hockomock League Championship last fall, finishing second by less than two seconds. Senior Jim Gallagher provides veteran leadership for a North squad aiming to push into the top tier of the division.
Mansfield has the firepower to be in the Davenport mix. Senior Joseph Federline, who finished fifth at Hocks last year, is a proven leader. He’s joined by classmates Kieran Hoff and Owen DeGregorio, sophomore Nikita Cherapukha, and junior Walter Stock (24th at Hocks), giving the Hornets a strong top five.
Canton enters 2025 with optimism on the boys side after growing pains a year ago. Captains Riley Swearingen, Bharat Ramanathan, and Minh Hong will lead the way for a 47-runner roster, the largest in school history. Returners Tristan Grant, Nicholas Murphy, Declan Monahan, Lucas Scully, and Shawn Smith Manzi are expected to be steady scorers, while the Bulldogs hope more contributors emerge over the course of the season.
“We are a young squad with a lot of grit and heart,” Gotsell said. “I am excited to see what we can do this season.”
Foxboro brings back a mix of experience and promise. Seniors Timmy Chase and Eamonn Kelly (top Warrior finisher at Hocks) lead the boys team, along with junior Henry Thies and promising sophomore Liam Woods. On the girls side, sophomore Emma Dorich is expected to pace the lineup, with senior Samantha LeClair providing guidance.
The Black Knights will rely on junior Matt Pritchard to lead the way. Freshman Joel Omidiji has impressed early, while sophomore Colin Geaney, junior Matt Gauthier, and senior Chris Lewis add depth for Stoughton.
The Kelley-Rex division should be a competitive race for both the boys and the girls. Franklin is the reigning Kelley-Rex champions and took third overall at Hocks. First-year head coach Kathleen Hogan will lean on senior captains Victoria Courtright-Lim and Stella Nappa, backed by juniors Annabelle Santiago and Anna Godin, and sophomore Violet Copeland. With seven freshmen joining the roster, Franklin is aiming to build on its performance at Hocks and move up from 14th at Divisionals.
A top challenger will be King Philip. Head coach Lauren Farkash has three experienced returners in Riley DoRosario, Ashley Cleverdon, and Ella McManus, who all showed strong summer form. Cleverdon is the Warriors top returner after finishing 14th at Hocks last year and will be among the top harriers in the Hock. Freshman Lillian Almeida and sophomore Maria Noonan are newcomers to watch.
“These three did their summer work and it shows,” Farkash said. “I am excited to see what they can do this season.”
Replacing 2024 Hocks champ Emilia Smith won’t be easy for Attleboro, but seniors Alexa Frackelton and Olivia Killingsworth provide a strong duo. Juniors Riley Schofield, Savannah Boedecker, and Grace Shireman add depth. Madison Dias returns as the top runner for Taunton.
Health and experience will be the keys to success for Sharon in 2025. Juniors Julia Slavsky and Selena Wackerle return after strong 2024 seasons, while senior captains Gillian King, Sophie Liang, and Emma Liu bring leadership. Junior Jessica Xiang and sophomore Michelle Zheng add depth.
On the boys side, Attleboro will be looking to repeat atop the Kelley-Rex division. New head coach Rob Gerardi has a talented top runner in junior Owen Lacaillade (10th at Hocks), who opened 2025 with a win in the season’s first dual meet. Senior Camden Martin adds consistency, while senior Elijah Askew and classmates Adrian Askew and Julian Veloz strengthen the top group.
Franklin, led by head coach Nick Bailey, are coming off a 4-1 campaign and enter 2025 with high expectations. Senior captains Adam Peng and Sam Diehl set the tone for a deep group that includes Ethan Riley, Tucker Morin, Tyler Anderson, Andrew Scotland, Nick Mitchell, and a healthy Kyle Twomey, who could be a difference-maker. Franklin will also test itself at major invitationals, including Ocean State for the first time in years.
“As a team we are very excited to start the competitive part of the season and see how far our hard work can take us,” Bailey said.
King Philip has a strong returning group with Tommy Frazier, Michael Joseph, Liam Keleher, and Cam Murk expected to lead the way. The Warriors will be a tough team to run against and could be in the mix for the Kelley-Rex crown.
Sharon enters a bit of a rebuilding phase after graduating league champion Alex Blumen. Juniors Alex Pinnix and Matteo Lozano will lead the way, with junior Riley Newbold and seniors Julian Hoemke, Aiden Liang, and Andrew Williams filling key spots.
“Despite graduating a lot of talent, we come into this season more unified and more focused than before,” said head coach Ben Stoller. “If we do our job, we have the potential to place highly at Hocks.”
