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What will Saturday be like? First of all, it's about the weather and who can handle it. Not that it will be bad Saturday morning. After potential flurries on Friday afternoon there will be a cold mindset Saturday morning. Doesn't have to be! At some point its going to hit 50 degrees although probably not by the DII races at 9:30 and 10:00. But the sun should be out and that makes a whole world of difference.

Of more concern are the course conditions. Plan on mud, water and more of both. I've been getting reports that the footing is sloppy. It will be important to plan ahead. Anyone who ran last year will remember how slippery the footing was if they weren't prepared. Well, think of mud as brown snow. You just won't be able to make a mudman after your race.

So now that I've said it, forget it. It will be the same for everyone, only be a problem if you make it one. This isn't ballet! (before I go any further, Please no hate mail from the dance crowd). It is still a big meet and if you're mentally ready the conditions are irrelevant.

Don't forget that after 8 high school races mess up the course the colleges come in for their DI national qualifier. If they can do it, so can we.

Division II

Franklin, King Philip, Mansfield, North Attleboro, Sharon, Stoughton

GIRLS

Franklin – clearly has the firepower to place in the top 5. They are a team that is used to being on the podium, having won this meet three years in a row. To some runners that would be a lot of pressure, but leaders Lindsay Booth, Lea Godfrey and Courtney Dacey have been there before. They aren't about to get rattled. Booth is at the top of her game as evidenced by her 8th place finish at State Coaches. Add in the ever-improving Liz Fisher and Siobhan Duffey – you've got to think that's enough to get them back to state finals. But can they win it all again? Watch D-Y closely because they are the team to beat. The match-up with Concord-Carlisle will also provide a mini-drama. CC wasn't happy getting upset last year and they are a senior laden team.

King Philip – it would be very tough for KP to break into the upper eschlon in team scoring. Last year they were 9th in DIII but DII is quite a bit deeper in talent this year. There is no other way to put it. There will be some shining lights. Alex Wessman ran great at the Hockomock League Invitational and Becky Cain is rounding into shape as evidenced by her 30th place at State Coaches. Wessman and Cain placed 25th and 43rd last year in Class III. The two Kellys, Derry and Sheehan have started to close the gap. Now they just have to tighten up at the 5th spot.

Mansfield – Gone are their top two runners from last year including Class III winner Kailin Collins. Now that she and Brague are wearing college uniforms, it looks like a tough road – at least as far as duplicating last year's division team championship. Their top returner is Katie Meagher who was 10th last year. She has been going out hard in races, pushing the envelope early. If she can hang on for the full 5K on Saturday she'll be in the hunt for an individual spot. Brianna Sionne will provide them with another high placement. Super frosh Jess Morse will be continuing her march to the top in the Hock, fresh off her solid SCI effort.

North Attleboro – last year NA couldn't get five to the starting line. This year is a different story. Jenna Banks is poised to run with the leaders. She was 6th last week at State Coaches and was running with many of the people that will challenge her Saturday. North enjoys a solid 2-4, a pack of Sara Krasney, Stephanie McNamara and Marah Fry. They all took home medals last weekend, Krasney 11th in the soph race, Smac was 14th in the 11&12 contest with Fry in the 30's. Katie Czepiel runs at #5 and her continued improvement brought her 25th in the Coaches frosh race. Her training partner Katie Noll gives added insurance should anyone falter. This newfound team depth has also improved the overall outlook and they are looking to continue running faster.

Sharon – Sharon always poses an interesting challenge. In '04 they finished just out of the money in 6th place. If Emily Tran is recovered from her foot problem she should be one of the frontrunners. Last year she was 3rd. Both Ngoc Pham (19th-'04) and Jessie Berlin (79) are also veterans of this meet. Sarah Vlach has given them some depth, but like many teams in the Hock, they just have to find one more runner ready for a breakthru.

Stoughton – Cara Stanley has been their top runner of late. She will be looking to maintain that spot.

GIRLS

Canton – Only 1 of 5 runners (Dottie Dugan) returns from their 16th place team of '04. But there are some new faces including a new coach, one who knows what this meet is all about. Christine Doherty had a good showing at the Hock Invite placing 15th. Clancy Krueger placed 45th at State Coaches, a sign that she's ready to kick it up a notch to meet the stiffer competition.

Foxboro – Brittany Grueter was the highest placement at the Hock Invitational at 40th. Laura Hoyt is the highest placing returner from last year (74th). Lisa Ferriera placed 45th at State Coaches and there is also newcomer Megan Libon. They haven't show enough consistancy to predict their outcome, but they are young and are building toward the future.

Oliver Ames – OA is dropping down to DIII this year. For those unfamiliar with the process, it has nothing to do with prior performance or ability. It is merely a factor of school size. Some DIII schools from last year (such as Mansfield and King Philip) have outpaced them in enrollment. Last year they were 5th, one point out of 4th. It continued a long streak of state final qualifying. Can they keep the streak alive? I say yes, but it depends. They only lost one runner from that '04 squad. They get a lot of mileage from the Picketts and Binneys. Stacie Binney was 11th last year and has been running solid. Jessica and Kerry Pickett have been the story as the super sophs and were a big part of OA's Hock Championship upset. They also had good days at State Coaches last weekend. Add in a strong Julie Binney, plus depth from Jenny Halperin, Crystal Meyers and Megan Andrews. This is a team with both talent and depth, definitely a solid shot of moving on.