Registration for Masco Youth Cross Country is full for this season.

Cross country is a competitive program focused on 6th through 8th graders that compete against middle schools in the Cape Ann League (5th graders may join with coach pre-approval). The season starts in September and ends with the USATF New England Junior Olympic Championship in early November, with a few kids moving on to Regional and National competition.  In cross country, athletes run on trails and compete both individually and as a team.  The distance of the races varies between 1.1 miles - 2.5 miles.

MULTI-SPORT ATHLETES WELCOME

We believe multi-sport athletes should NOT be excluded from the excitement of Junior Olympic competition or denied the opportunity to represent their school at the state championship. Athletes that play other sports but can train with us at least one day per week are welcome, as long as they commit to participating in our two biggest meets: the MA Middle School State Championship and the New England Junior Olympics Championships (see schedule below for dates).

EXPECTATIONS

Athletes are expected to compete in all early season meets where they have no conflicts and to prioritize the championship meets in November.

We welcome athletes of ALL abilities but expect them to train hard and to be ambitious.

While we pride ourselves on a supportive coaching environment, we are a competitive program focused on preparing athletes for local, state, regional, and national competition.

COST & ELIGIBILITY

Registration ($100) is open to athletes in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades who live in any of the three Masco towns (Boxford, Middleton, and Topsfield). 5th graders may also join with coach approval PRIOR to registration.

USA Track & Field Membership ($30) is also required and we will provide details on the process to obtain that membership.

Uniforms ($46.50) are purchased separately and can be used for all of our programs (outdoor track, cross country, and indoor track). 

Full- and half-scholarships are available for those that request them.  Please email Coach Ladd for details at sarahladd05@gmail.com.

PRACTICE DAYS

Practice will be Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:45PM to 5:15PM at the Boxford Common grass field AND on Saturday mornings from 9-10am (usually held at Boxford Common, but may use alternate locations as well).  Official practices will begin Wednesday September 4th. *Meets may affect the practice schedule.*

PRESEASON PRACTICE

*There will be OPTIONAL pre-season runs Wednesdays from 6-7:00pm meeting at the Topsfield Rail Trail behind Proctor Elementary School.  We will run 2-3 miles focused on increasing our stamina and endurance base

MEET SCHEDULE (TENTATIVE)

Athletes should plan on warming up and cooling down as a team prior to and after completing their runs.  If you need to leave immediately after the race, please let one of the coaches know. 

September 16th (Monday) - HS Mentor Day
High School XC Mentors join the Middle School Practice

September 20th (Friday) - North Andover Meet
3:45pm Start @ North Andover Middle School (Details TBD)
Race Distance: Approximately 1.35 miles

September 29th (Sunday) - Reading Meet
9:15 Arrival (10:00am Start) @ Birch Meadow Field Complex, Reading 
Race Distance: Approximately 1.8 miles

October 3rd (Thursday) - Methuen Meet
4:00pm Start @  Methuen
Race Distance: 1.86 miles (3 km)

October 9th (Wednesday) - Practice at Bradley Palmer
4:00pm - 5:30pm - Practice at Bradley Palmer
Running our workout while cheering on the Masco High School Teams

October 17th (Thursday) - with Nock, IC, and River Valley
4:00pm Start @ Maudsley State Park, Newburyport
Race Distance: 2 miles

October 27th (Sunday) - The Mayor’s Cup
9:30am start @ Franklin Park, Boston
Race Distance: 1.1 miles

October 30th (Wednesday) - Flying Pumpkin Run
3:45pm (Regular Practice Time) @ Boxford Common
Dress in ORANGE and run to Trick or Treat stations

November 2nd (Saturday) - MA Middle School State Meet
11:00am - 2:30pm @ Willard Park Field, Devens, MA
Race Distance: 1.86 miles (3km)

November 10th (Sunday) - USATF Junior Olympics Cross Country Championship Meet
Time TBD, Location TBD
Race Distance: Varies by Age Group

*** Other Inter-Team Meets TBD***

***NOTE: Local inter-team meets are generally on Thursday afternoons, approximately 3pm to 6pm. Athletes may need to be dismissed early from school on those days.  Larger invitational meets are generally weekend mornings. 

2024 USATF AGE GROUPS

Sarah Ladd, Program Director
sarahladd05@gmail.com

You can also visit us on Facebook.

Spring Track and Field - A competitive program usually focused on grades 5 through 8 that starts the first week in April and goes through the end of June. Athletes compete in USATF meets culminating with the Junior Olympics New England Championships. Some athletes will qualify and choose to move on to Regional and National competition and participate in those meets during the month of July.

Summer Track - This is a developmental program for rising 3rd through rising 9th graders that starts after the 4th of July and meets once per week for six weeks. Athletes get to try many different events (high jump, long jump, sprints, distance, shot put, javelin) and move in groups according to grade. We end each practice with 4x100 relays. Kids of all ages LOVE this program.

Cross Country - A competitive program usually focused on 5th through 8th graders that competes against middle schools in the Cape Ann League. The season starts in September and ends with the USATF New England Junior Olympic Championship in early November, with a few kids moving on to Regional and National competition.

Indoor Track - A competitive program usually for 5th through 8th graders that starts in January and ends in March with the USATF New England Indoor Championship. We compete at major indoor venues like The Track at New Balance, Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, and Wheaton College.

If you are participating in spring track, cross country, or indoor, you will need a USATF membership. You do NOT need a membership to participate in the summer program.

1. Go to https://www.usatf.org/membership
2. Complete an Individual Youth Membership application and associate with our club: "BAA Masconomet" when the option appears in the process
3. Once you have an account, log into USATF Connect to upload a birth certificate for age verification.