Manhattan Invitational Preview

The prestigious Manhattan College Cross Country Invitational will be held this Saturday, October 11^th. It’s a day of non-stop racing from the first race at 9:03 AM to the last race at 3:18 PM. Schools from all of the northeast and beyond will descend on Van Cortlandt Park for a day of racing they won’t soon forget. Of course, we are here to help you navigate the schedule to find your favorite PSAL (and MSAL) schools.

This year’s schedule has changed significantly from years past. In the past few years, some of the divisions were being watered down by running too many races. It seems that the meet directors have condensed the schedule to optimize competitiveness. We commend them. Second, the JV races are now after the Varsity races. Not entirely sure why they changed this, but so be it.

The Freshmen and Intermediates run 1.5 miles and all other races run 2.5 miles. The 2.5 mile course starts in front of the tennis courts and ends at the Broadway finish.

Here’s how to find your favorite team:

9:03 – Boys Freshman A – John Jay Campus, Bard, Brooklyn Tech, WESS

9:10 – Girls Freshman A – Brooklyn Tech, WESS, Bard, Beacon

9:16 – Boys Freshman B – HSMSE, MSIT, Susan Wagner, Bronx Science, Stuyvesant, LaGuardia

9:23 – Girls Freshman B – Bronx Science, HSMSE, LaGuardia, Midwood

9:29 – Boys Freshman C – Beacon, Curtis

9:36 – Girls Freshman C – John Jay Campus

9:42 – Boys Freshman D – Benjamin Cardozo, Lab Museum

10:30 – Boys Sophomore A – Stuyvesant, John Jay Campus, Brooklyn Tech, MSIT, Hunter

10:43 – Girls Sophomore A – Midwood, WESS, Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech

10:56 – Boys Sophomore B – WESS, Benjamin Cardozo, Bronx Science, Bard, HSMSE

11:07 – Girls Varsity A – Stuyvesant, RKA, Brooklyn Tech, Francis Lewis

11:19 – Boys Varsity A – Beacon, John Jay Campus, MSIT, CSIHS/McCown

11:31 – Girls Varsity B – Hunter, Susan Wagner, Bronx Science, Beacon, Lab Museum

11:43 – Boys Varsity B – Stuyvesant, Benjamin Cardozo, Lab Museum

11:55 – Girls Varsity C – Dewitt Clinton, Columbia Secondary, Midwood, CSIHS/McCown

12:07 – Boys Varsity C – HS for Construction

12:19 – Girls Varsity D – HSMSE, Bard, Manhattan Center, WESS

12:31 – Boys Eastern States -Bronx Science, LaGuardia

12:43 – Girls Eastern States – LaGuardia, The Clinton School

12:55 – Boys Varsity D – Brooklyn Tech, Susan Wagner, Bard, Columbia Secondary

1:07 – Boys Varsity E – HSMSE, Hunter, RKA, WESS

1:19 – Girls Varsity E – James Madison, John Jay Campus

1:31 – Boys Varsity F – James Madison, Manhattan Center

1:42 – Boys JV A – NONE

1:54 – Girls JV A – Brooklyn Tech

2:06 – Boys JV B – MSIT

2:18 – Girls JV B – Francis Lewis, Bronx Science, Bard

2:30 – Boys JV C – Brooklyn Tech

2:42 – Girls JV C – WESS

2:54 – Boys JV D – Bronx Science

3:06 – Girls JV D – LaGuardia

3:18 – Boys JV E – Beacon, HSMSE, WESS

Note: The only Beacon we are sure is NYC Beacon is the Varsity Girls

Varsity Races

11:07 – Girls Varsity A

This is the most PSAL teams that the A race has ever seen. This race features 4 teams that we have ranked in the top 12 in the PSAL. #2 Brooklyn Tech and #5 Stuyvesant also have teams entered in the Sophomore Race, so we might not see their full varsity squads. #12 RKA is led by two talented sophomores, but they’ll be racing here. #10 Francis Lewis has some talent up front, but this would be a good race for their back end to sure itself up. Out-of-town teams to keep an eye on here are probably Monroe-Woodbury, Saint Anthony’s, Kingston, Laguna Hills (all the way from California). Brooklyn Tech should find itself in the top ten.

PSAL Runners to watch: Francesca Haidt (Brooklyn Tech), Emma Savonije (Stuyvesant), Lily Rustin (RKA), Emily Gao (Francis Lewis)

11:19 – Boys Varsity A

As with the Girls A race, the top PSAL teams here, #2 MSIT and #5 John Jay Campus, have teams entered in the Sophomore race, so we might not see their top squad. Simon Saffayeh should find himself in the top 5 and MSIT will battle with Xavier, U-32 (VT), Shenendehowa and Danbury (CT). #19 CSIHS/McCown rounds out the PSAL teams in this race.

PSAL Runners to watch: Simon Saffeyeh (MSIT), Adam Zarrilli (MSIT), Wilson Margolis (John Jay Campus), Gavin Ashe (John Jay Campus), Nicholas Allegretti (CSIHS/McCown)

11:31 – Girls Varsity B

Another race full of PSAL teams and it’s not the last race of the day! #3 Susan Wagner and #4 Bronx Science have yet to race at full strength for a myriad of reasons, but with neither team entered in the Sophomore race, there’s a better chance we could see a full effort. #6 Beacon has yet to run any of their talented freshmen at a distance longer than 1.5 miles, and the 4K would be an easier introduction to the Back Hills than the 5K. It will be interesting to see who toes the line for Beacon. #9 Hunter has also yet to race all of their top girls together, but are also not entered in the Sophomore race so it’s likely we could see their full team. Lab Museum rounds out the PSAL teams in this race. Team favorites are Middletown South (NJ), St. John’s College (DC), and Ward Melville.

PSAL Runners to watch: Melisa Davila (Susan Wagner), Riley Tefft (Susan Wagner), Sally Kramer (Bronx Science), Noa Yirmiyahu (Hunter), June Selib (Beacon), Fiona Kahn (Lab Museum)

11:43 – Boys Varsity B

#8 Stuyvesant, #16 Lab Museum and Benjamin Cardozo will represent the PSAL in this race. Stuyvesant’s Raphael Ramot is among the favorites for the individual title, but no PSAL team will probably break the top 10 in this race. The favorites are Salesianum (DE) and New Canaan (CT).

PSAL Runners to watch: Raphael Ramot (Stuyvesant), Marco Arrojo (Lab Museum), Lucas Yung (Benjamin Cardozo)

11:55 – Girls Varsity C

This race features four PSAL teams (actually five, but LaGuardia is listed in the Eastern States race and cannot race both), Dewitt Clinton, #13 Columbia Secondary, Midwood and CSIHS/McCown. None of these teams will crack the top 10 of this race. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem likely that Aisha Wajid will be racing for Dewitt Clinton this weekend. The top PSAL runner in this race is likely to be Eva Marmolejos from Columbia Secondary. Shenendehowa should win this race easily and we’re not sure why they aren’t racing Eastern States.

PSAL Runners to watch: Eva Marmolejos (Columbia Secondary), Sky Williams (Dewitt Clinton), Noelle Barone (Midwood), Queena Zhu (CSIHS/McCown)

12:07 – Boys Varsity C

#12 HS for Construction finds itself as the only PSAL school in this race. With 36 teams in the race, they’re unlikely to finish in the top 20.

PSAL Runners to watch: Giuseppe Gambino (HS for Construction)

12:19 – Girls Varsity D

The Girls Varsity D race is an All-Manhattan special. #11 HSMSE, #18 Bard, Manhattan Center, #17 WESS will represent the PSAL here. Haddonfield (NJ) is probably the favorite and most of the PSAL schools will finish in the middle of the pack.

PSAL Runners to watch: Eleanor Lewis-Jenkins (Bard), Jordan Citron (WESS), Phoebe Estep (HSMSE), Kylie Chan (Bard), Kaitlyn de los Santos (Manhattan Center)

12:31 – Boys Eastern States

Unlike the Girls Eastern States race, this race is LOADED. Benjamin Berman of #1 Bronx Science will get his rematch with Brunswick’s Nathan Lee, who beat him by less than a hundredth of a second at Bowdoin two weeks ago. But they’ll have to battle with defending NY Federation Champ Ryan Sykes of Horace Greeley and North Carolina’s Kavi Gibson.

The Wolverines are probably slightly overmatched on a team level, but should finish competitively in the top 10. 2024 champ CBA-Lincroft of Jersey is back to defend against some of the northeast’s top teams: Bishop Hendricken, Chaminade, St. John’s College, North Rockland, Corning and Auburn (and Cary from NC). The #9 LaGuardia boys are also in this race for some reason. Ezekiel Cohen will have a good group to try and pull him under 13 minutes.

12:43 – Girls Eastern States

The #1 LaGuardia Girls have been a runaway train this season, just picking up speed with every meet. Defending Eastern States champions Bethlehem are not entered, nor are 7 more of last year’s top ten teams. It looks like LaGuardia will be among the Top 5 in this race, battling with teams like Voorheesville, Padua Academy, John Jay-Cross River and Princeton. Naomi Douglas should also figure into the Top 5. #15 The Clinton School is also entered here, but it is probably just a solo effort for Melia Murphy.

12:55 – Boys Varsity D

#3 Brooklyn Tech should figure in the Top 10 here. We are still waiting to see Alexander Jones and it’s getting late early in Fort Greene. #4 Susan Wagner and #10 Bard should also be very competitive. Haddonfield (NJ) is the favorite in the team race. Columbia Secondary is the final PSAL team in this race.

PSAL Runners to watch: Andrea Gallina (Susan Wagner), Ramsey Hansen (Bard), Abraham Wilchins (Brooklyn Tech), Tristan Acevedo (Susan Wagner), Dillon Chapuli (Brooklyn Tech), Weston Macari (Bard), Aden Thom (Columbia Secondary)

1:07 – Boys Varsity E

Four PSAL teams are featured in the Boys Varsity E race, which figures to be a battle between Westchester rivals New Rochelle and Scarsdale. #6 HSMSE and #7 Hunter could give us a preview of the Manhattan borough championship race in a few weeks. #18 RKA and #20 WESS will likely finish in the bottom third here.

PSAL Runners to watch: Wren Hansen (HSMSE), Jasper Graham (Hunter), Lucien Jaccon (Hunter), Leo Lussier (WESS), Iowen Zuo (Hunter), Sebastian Leyva (HSMSE), Mason Tejada (RKA)

1:19 – Girls Varsity E

The two PSAL schools in this race, #14 John Jay Campus and #16 James Madison will finish in the bottom third of this race, which figures to be a battle between Paul VI (NJ), East Meadow and General Douglas MacArthur.

PSAL Runners to watch: Matilda Quinn (John Jay Campus), Olivia Nanes (James Madison), Milani Modeste (James Madison), Mika Ohashi (John Jay Campus)

1:31 – Boys Varsity F

#15 James Madison and Manhattan Center round out the PSAL teams in the final Varsity race of the day. Both will be pretty overmatched.

PSAL Runners to watch: Collin Toung (Manhattan Center), Dylan Lugo (James Madison)

PSAL Future Stars?

The Intermediate Races feature 5 schools from the Middle School Athletic League (MSAL). These schools are reigning outdoor track champ MS 67Q Louis Pasteur, reigning girls cross country champion The Computer School and reigning boys cross country champion Robert Wagner MS. Brooklyn’s Sunset Park MS and the Bronx’s MS 343 Academy of Applied Mathematics and Technology round out the field.

In last year’s race, current LaGuardia freshman June Grunden finished 10^th and current Lab Museum freshman Colin Cirrito finished 20^th.