"Even's Insight" is our latest feature at MaineTrackXC. Each week Westbrook girls coach Tim Even will preview each meet in the SMAA, be sure to check it out.
It is that time! Time to preview all the action in the SMAA this week. The talent pool is deep this year in Class A West, so get ready for a competitive and exciting fall!
Biddeford, Massabesic, Portland @Scarborough
The defending State Champions will open up their season at home this week, and will take on the 2014 State Runner-ups in Massabesic. Both teams had strong falls last year, and will surely be involved in the battle for the 2015 title. Scarborough brings back their entire top 7 from a year ago, and have even added a few new faces to the mix including freshman, Elizabeth Tardiff, who could contribute in October for the Red Storm. Bethany Sholl opened up as Scarborough's #1 last week at the SMAA Relays, posting the 4th place mark in the event to lead the Storm to a 2nd place team finish. Emily Wasina and Maquila Dimastrantonio of Massabesic and Laura Volan of Scarborough were not far behind claiming the 6-8 spots, which should set up a pretty good individual battle up front for this week. With both teams being so strong, especially on hills, look for this to be a close team meet between the Storm and the Mustangs. Side note: Coach Will Fulford's crew from Biddeford could make a splash this fall. With the additions of sophomores Riley Mcneil, Leia Dorais, and Jija Young, to go along with the veterans Lani Melton and Abby Laverriere, they now have more than enough talent to compete for a spot in the State Meet. They posted a surprise 5th place finish at the relays last week, and will look to keep improving as the season continues!
Just like the girls, the boys meet will feature the defending State Champions in the Red Storm. Colin Tardiff and Co. did not get to run last week due to the thunder at Thornton Academy, but will get the chance to open up their season at home against the #8 preseason ranked Mustangs of Massabesic. The top three returners for Scarborough, Colin Tardiff, Andrew Sholl, and Connor Doherty, all come in as top 10 returners in Class A and owners of sub 16:43 personal bests from 2014. The depth of the Red Storm, and their talent up front, will make them a very difficult team to beat this week and all season. Look for Massabesics top returner Alex Swett to challenge the top group of Scarborough, having been a sub 17:00 5k runner himself last fall as a freshman. The Mustangs were one of the states toughest teams last fall, and could be a top 5 team again given that programs track record of pumping out strong teams over the past 8 years.
Cheverus, So. Portland, Marshwood @ Windham
The Girls matchup in this meet will feature one of Maine's most consistent programs running on their home course, which may be one of the most challenging in the league. Windham graduated several runners from their state meet squad a year ago, but return 5 of their 7 here in 2015. After a strong 6th place showing at the Relays last week, They will look to open up with a victory on Friday, but will get a stiff challenge from South Portland. The Red Riot duo of Casey Loring and Serena McKenzie, is among the most dangerous in all of Maine, and will surely battle for the 1-2 spots assuming they both run. Windham's great pack running may be in their favor however, but look for it to be a great team fight between those two. Kelly Dube of Marshwood had a great run last week at Thornton, so look for her to continue her fast start to the season on Friday.
The boys meet will be an interesting meet with Windham coming in after a pretty strong preseason, which included a pretty easy victory at the Lake Region Invitational. Ben Breton returns as the Eagles #1 runner, and leads a great group of veteran runners including Jeremy Bennett and Reese Preston. They are one of Class A's top teams this fall, and will look to roll here in week 1. Brody Bate of Marshwood had a breakout fall last year as a sophomore, and will try and build off of that here in 2015. Bate opened up with an 8th place finish at Falmouth during the preseason against a competitive field. Also having good starts to their season are Xander Keiter and Gavin Damian-Loring of South Portland who went 2-3 at the Paul Brogan Invite. Look for Bate, Breton, Keiter, Damian-Loring and others to compete for the individual win.
McAuley, Sanford, Thornton @Bonny Eagle
Coach Chris Strout and Co. has been feverishly working on a brand new course that should be ready to unveil this Friday out in Standish, ME. This new course could be broken in with a win by the resurgent Lady Scots. After missing the State Meet last year, Bonny Eagle is poised to have one heck of a fall, after winning the lottery by adding freshman Christine Toy, Kayla Raymond, Ami Beaumier, and Abby Nelson. With the return of vets Kialeigh Marston and Elisabeth Redwood, the Scots are an instant favorite to compete for a Class A Title. Marston dominated the SMAA Relays and was back to her old self after dropping an 8:38 to win by 19 seconds over Anna Slager of Gorham, so look for her to roll on her home course this Friday. Katie Leblanc of Thornton had an excellent run at the SMAA Relays as well, and will look to lead the State Meet hopeful Trojans to a solid finish on Friday
The boys meet will feature a few teams who have not competed yet, and the Bonny Eagle Scots who have put together a nice preseason for themselves. Long sprint/middle distance specialist, Jake Cook, is a newcomer to the squad as a junior, and ran well at the Wilkinson Invite, posting a 10th place finish to lead the team. With a strong core returning, look for the Scots to challenge for a spot in the State Meet later on this fall.
Deering, Noble, Westbrook @Gorham
Anna Slager had a fantastic freshman year last year, and closed it off with a 1600m State title. With her once again coming in as one of the favorites to win the Class A crown this fall, she will get a chance to get off to a strong start on her home course this Friday. Gorham is an improved squad with the addition of Meadow Fortier who was stellar on the track for the Rams last year. With a healthy sophomore trio of Anna Slager, Meadow Fortier, and Bridget Rossignol, this could be one of the stronger teams in Class A West this fall. The Rams will get a challenge from their friends from across the border, as the Westbrook Blue Blazes roll into town with an improved squad of their own. The Blazes graduated 1 runner (Class A Champ, Halee Phelps) from their varsity lineup, but return runners 2-7 while adding some key new faces including freshman Emma Lombardo, Zoe Popovic, and Mia Stamey who have made an immediate impact in the early preseason. Look for Gabbi Pabst, who finished 10th at Class A States last fall, to lead the Blazes this week and all season as they try to make back-to-back state meet appearances. Side note: Deering has the makings of a dangerous team with the addition of freshman Grace Tumavicus, who was one of the top distance runners in the SMMAC last year. Throw her in with her sister, Lucy Tumavicus, and Nicole Whipkey and Deering has the potential to be a very strong squad over the next few years. Although Lucy Tumavicus is coming off of a season ending injury from the spring, she may be ready to contribute by late October for the Rams.
The boys meet will feature two of the top 10 returning teams in Class A as #2 Gorham squares off with #7 Westbrook. The Rams had a chance to showcase their excellent squad, when they threw down a second place finish at Laliberte in August. Jesse Southard led the way with a 4th place finish in the event, and will pace Gorham this week and for the rest of the fall. The Blue Blazes return 6 of their 7 from 2014, and add some key athletes, such as freshman Noah Knapton, who was one of the top runners in the SMMAC for the past few years. With improved depth and legitimate potential up front (Josh Lombardo, Noah Knapton, etc), the Blazes are poised to have a good fall, and will try to challenge the Rams here on Friday. The individual battle favors Southard of Gorham, but look for Joshua Lombardo of Westbrook to run well and challenge him. Lombardo has made great strides over the past few years and has had a solid preseason, which included a 7th place finish at the Falmouth 2mile Scrimmage a few weeks back.