After last year’s fifth-place finish at the Division 1 All-State meet, and returning its top seven runners, Concord-Carlisle lands the No. 1 ranking in the Globe’s first Top 20 boys’ cross-country poll.
Natick (fourth at All-States) slots in at No. 2 with star senior John Bianchi anchoring arguably the best 1-4 in the state. Third-ranked Lexington returns its top five runners after finishing eighth at All-States, led by an impressive junior class that’s primed to take another leap.
Brookline is the three-time defending D1 champion and returns stars Liam Hartman and Theodore Butty atop the lineup, but will need to replenish its depth to compete with the three teams ahead of the Warriors in the rankings. No. 5 Reading was a major riser last season, and returns a deep, veteran nucleus.
The Globe’s Top 20 boys’ cross-country poll
The Globe poll as of Aug. 29, 2025. Teams were selected by the Globe sports staff.
The Globe’s Top 20 girls’ cross-country poll
The top three teams are neck-and-neck in the Globe’s first Top 20 girls’ cross-country poll, with Lexington earning a slight edge thanks to star sophomore Janie Conrad and five other runners who placed inside the top 60 at All-States last year.
Second-ranked Billerica also returns almost the entirety of a squad that finished fourth at All-States and is led by standout junior Gianna McGowan. No. 3 Westford is the reigning Division 1 state champion, and will be boosted by the return of stalwart senior Abby Hennessy, who was sidelined the second half of the 2024 season with an injury.
Perennial power Wellesley slots in at No. 4 after losing a few key pieces, but still riding returning star power led by sophomore Maddie Tuxbury. No. 5 Needham is also a state title contender, anchored by the state’s top returner in senior Greta Hammer and a strong young group behind her.
The Globe poll as of Aug. 29, 2025. Teams were selected by the Globe sports staff.
Matty Wasserman can be reached at matty.wasserman@globe.com. Follow him @Matty_Wasserman.