Local Teams Jockey For Positioning In State’s Power Rankings

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association released its first installment of power rankings to determine state tournament seedings, and Lower Cape’s teams are well represented among the contenders.

The Nauset boys lacrosse team (5-4) owns the best ranking of any local program after claiming No. 4 in the Division 3 rankings. Monomoy (7-0) is No. 19 in Division 4, while Cape Cod Tech (0-7) is No. 51 in Division 4.

Nauset (5-3) ranked No. 10 in the Division 3 girls lacrosse rankings, with Monomoy (4-4) earning No. 14 in Division 4.

On the tennis courts, Nauset’s boys (4-2) are No. 13 in Division 3 and its girls (3-1) are No. 32 in Division 3. Monomoy’s boys (4-3) are No. 10 in Division 4, while its girls squad (3-3) is starting out at No. 29 in Division 4.

Nauset baseball (8-1) ranks No. 16 in Division 3, Monomoy (5-1) is No. 31 in Division 4 and Cape Tech (1-3) is No. 52 in Division 5. On the softball diamond, Nauset (3-5) is No. 59 in Division 3, Monomoy (5-1) is Division 4 and Cape Tech (1-3) is No. 52 in Division 5.

The power rankings are determined by a mathematical formula that rates teams based on its average margin of victory and its opponent rankings. The top 32 teams automatically qualify for the state tournament, while teams 33 and below qualify for the postseason if they have a record of .500 or better.

Power rankings are updated on Tuesdays and Fridays and are available at miaa.net.

Although track and field doesn’t use power rankings to determine postseason qualifications, both Monomoy and Nauset were busy competing among the state’s best over the weekend at the MSTCA relays.

Nauset’s boys team finished in fourth and the girls finished 18th in the Division 4 MSTCA relays Saturday in Dracut. The Warriors’ boys shuttle hurdle team of Paytah Dill, Reed Dill, Isaiah Robinson and Adian Brown led the way after posting a first-place time of 1:05.47.

Both Monomoy’s boys’ and girls’ teams finished 14th in the Division 6 relays Friday in West Bridgewater. The boys were anchored by Alique Brown, Logan Crevier, Marco-Dean Hart and Sean Needham’s third-place finish in the 4x100 relay after posting a 45.47.

Tanner Grodzicki, Quinn Muldoon, Jude Hutchins MacMahon and Patrick Jordan added a third-place finish in the boys 4x800 after finishing in 9:53.88.

Monomoy freshman Varvara Conley led the girls with a fourth-place finish in the javelin throw relay (80 feet, 11 inches), then helped Laura Stone, Marie (Remi) Shreiner and Erin Guerard garner a sixth-place finish in the girls 4x400 (4:49.00).

Note: The team records used in this story are reflective of the records used in the first power rankings released Friday. Some teams have played games since then and their updated records will be reflected in the latest power rankings released Tuesday after the Chronicle’s deadline.