Girls Festival of Champions Team Preview
Now it is time to preview the Girls top 12 teams going into the Festival of Champions. No clear favorite has emerged, which should make for a fun and exciting day up in Belfast! Let us begin
#1 Greely- Not attending FOC. One of the best girls teams with two of the best individuals in the state (Leggat-Barr and Evans)
#2 Yarmouth
The Yarmouth Clippers hasve been one of the states top teams from the first gun of the season. So far, Yarmouth has been the only team that has been able to run with Greely and should figure to be in the mix for a top finish this weekend in Belfast. Grace Cowles, a sophomore, has led the way so far this season with Caitlin Teare, Abigail Hamilton, Anneka Murrin, and Simone Laverdiere close behind forming a great pack that has been tough in the early going. They have run through the WMC with the exception of Greely, which they lost to by a slim 29-37 margin. With so many girls teams in Maine finding success via “the pack”, Yarmouth will have to hope for one of their top runners to have a breakout performance to put them ahead of other strong teams (Falmouth, Massabesic, etc.) this weekend. This is a dangerous team and is ready to be tested against a very competitive field.
#3 Cape Elizabeth
Cape Elizabeth is home to one of the proudest running traditions in the State of Maine. Over the years, they have had some dominant teams on both sides including great individuals such as Emily Attwood, Elise Moody Roberts, Clare Egan, Marita Stressenger, and many others. Fast forward to 2014, and the Capers are returning to their dominant form with a very experienced and tough team. Early in this season, Rhoen Fiutak has been rolling, with Liv Palmer Samantha Feenstra, Madori Kwan and Emma Shedd rounding out their top 5. After having an off week against Greely and Yarmouth two weeks ago, Cape came back to take an 18-51 win against York High School last week. The week before Greely, they took on a very good Falmouth team at home and edged them out for a slim 29-31 win. They have shown on multiple occasions this year that they are one of the elites, and should factor into the title talk for this weekend.
#4 Falmouth
Like their boys, Falmouth has a lot of depth. They showed off that depth very early in the preseason when they put 10 girls under 15 minutes for 2miles on the challenging Community Park course. Since then, they have only lost to Cape and Yarmouth while winning a meet even with their top 5 sitting out. Mira Wyman has emerged as the #1 at the halfway mark, with the converted sprinter beating the field for her first career XC win last week at Poland. Like most of the top teams in Maine, the Yachtsmen have developed a strong pack that includes the likes of Lambert, Nalamalapu, Pardi, and Chamberlin. Look for this strong team to run well at Belfast and for the rest of the season. Historically, Falmouth always seems to run well in the big meets, partially due to the leadership of two of the most experienced coaches in the state. Watch for Falmouth to challenge for a top spot this weekend.
#5 Massabesic
Since 2007, the Mustangs of Massabesic have been one of the best programs in Class A. This year is no different, as they are an early season favorite to walk away with some hardware in November. Maquila Dimasrantonio has led the close pack of Massbesic to three straight wins to open the regular season. After Dimasrantonio comes a tight knit pack of runners including Emily Wasina, Oliva Ducharme, Rochelle Morrison, and Brianna Drew. This might be the tightest pack team in the state with the Mustangs putting their top 5 within 21 seconds last week at Windham. If those 5 runners can finish close to the top of the field on Saturday, they could for sure walk away with the overall FOC title. As for the rest of the season, this team is getting hot at the right time and is hoping to finish out their SMAA schedule undefeated.
#6 Orono
It is not often that we have the conversation of a Class C team possibly being the best team in the state. This year could possibly be one of those years with the Red Riots posting 3 sub 20 minute performances last week at the Sectional Invitational. The trio of Hannah Steelman, Lily Koffman, and Kassidy Dill have been extremely difficult to compete with so far with those girls taking 3 of the top 6 spots last week at Sectionals. With Gallandt and Fandel running a hair over 21:00 as their 4 and 5, that should be plenty enough to put them in the overall FOC title conversation. They have not lost a meet all year and have even beaten defending Class B champion MDI a few times. This weekend and the rest of the year should be very successful for the Red Riots, this is definitely a team to watch come Saturday.
#7 Hampden Academy
The KVAC best Hampden Broncos have rolled through their competition this year with Elizabeth Labun giving them a legitimate #1 for the season. Labun has a great supporting cast with Simone Withers, Stephanie Walker, Bryanna Parker, and Tien Misler giving the Broncos a strong top 2-5 group. Hampden will get their first test outside of the KVAC this weekend at FOC and should do pretty well in the final standings. Labun could give them a low stick to start off with and if their pack can move up, look for them to finish around the top 5. As for the rest of the season, Look for Hampden to be the favorites to win KVAC's and be in the mix by the time states rolls around.
#8 Scarborough
Coming off of a win last week at home, Scarborough has been one of the states best teams all year long. Laura Volan has been strong, as has freshman star Bethany Sholl. Both ladies give the Red Storm a powerful 1-2 punch going into this weekend, which should give them the chance to compete for a top 5 spot. Marissa Carbone has been as solid a number three as you could ever find, while Morgan McKoewn, Samantha Saraceno, and Sophie Lawsure have given them some competition for a top 5. With this being a young team, there is always the potential for some of their runners to have that breakout race this weekend, including Sholl and Saraceno who will be running in the freshman race. Keep a weather eye on the Storm, as they are for sure one of the more dangerous teams on this list.
#9 Mount Desert Island
MDI is coming off of their best performance of the season after posting a second place finish at Sectionals. Waylon Henggeler, Lydia DaCorte, and Caroline Driscoll give MDI a strong 1-2-3 going into this weekend with India James and Xingyao Chen rounding out their top 5. This team is slowly starting to get going and should always be watched. With their top 3 spots loaded with sub 20:00 talent, they could easily have 3 low sticks to kick of their scoring which would give them a great foundation for a top 5 finish. If their 4-5 runners have a big day, the defending FOC champions could surprise a lot of teams. MDI figures to be in the mix later on down the road (Regionals, States) so keep a close eye on this team for the next few weeks.
#10 Westbrook
Westbrook has been a surprise to much of the state this year, after being in the bottom half of Class A for the better part of two decades. Part of their success is owed in no small part to the 1-2 tandem of Gabbi Pabst and Halee Phelps, who have emerged as two of the states top runners in the first half of this season. Coming off of an off week at Windham, which saw their team decimated with sickness (like Yarmouth, Falmouth, and others), The Blazes figure to be in the top 5-10 conversation this coming weekend. The underclassmen 3-5 runners Samantha Thompson (SO), Emma Sperry (FR), and Linnaea Miller (SO) have been strong this season, and will need to have breakout races in order for Westbrook to be successful. If Pabst and Phelps can give Westbrook two low sticks to kick things off, then that would go a long way in helping the Blazes towards the top 10. As for the rest of the season, Westbrook is hoping to snap a 16-year streak of missing the State Meet, and are positioned to do so with this very young strong team.
#11 South Portland
One of the sleepers on this list for sure. South Portland has quietly been one of the more solid teams in Class A West this fall, and will only continue to improve as the year grows older. Casey Loring was one of the top runners in the state last year, and has picked up where she left off and has started the year strong. Serena McKenzie has also been tough for the Red Riots and is the #2 for SoPo, which helps them form a pretty good 1-2 pairing. Their 3-5 are starting to heat up with the solid senior Janey Blackwell-Orr turning in a fine season, and the two freshman Delphi Bourassa and Jenny DiPhillippo creeping up in the individual standings. This could be a breakout weekend for this strong team, with the talented DiPhillippo entering only her second race of the year (first one was last week). If they do breakout, then they could certainly be one of the top teams at the end of the day. Keep a close eye on South Portland
#12 Brunswick
Tessa Cassidy has led the Dragons this season and has done a fine job in doing so. Holding a season and lifetime best of 19:06 to her name, she is easily one of the top runners in Maine right now. Her projected high finish should help Brunswick place in the top 10 this weekend. Ruth Van Kampen has been a very solid number 2 and is turning in a fine senior year. Runners 3-5 have all been solid and includes Tiffany Tanner who owns a PR of 20:13 to her name. If she, Escoe, and Teboe can all get going this weekend, Brunswick could put together a strong day and climb high into the top 10. Much like South Portland, this is a team that has all the pieces and is starting to gear up for the home stretch of the season. Look out for Brunswick this weekend.
Out of State Teams
Harwood Union, VT
This could be the team to come in and leave with the FOC title. A year ago Harwood finished 3rd, and is comng off a strong runner-up finish in the small schools race at the Manchester Invitational, where they finished 15 points behind #1 Maine ranked Greely. They are led by freshman Erin Magill who is a threat to win the freshman individual race as well. Harwood has a strong pack behind Magill led by sophomore Anneka Williams & Charlotte Boyden. They would like nothing better than to bring the winning plaque back to Vermont on Saturday night.