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Girl's Team Preview
The 15th running of the Festival of Champions is set to be held this Saturday at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast. The event has blossomed into the premiere cross country race in Maine, and has also attracted out of state teams over the years. Last year more than 600 girls crossed the line, and with 65 teams competing this year -- including seven out of state teams -- attendance is expected to be extremely high once again. The only caveat to Saturday's meet is the fact that October 1st is an SAT date, which means that many of the top teams could potentially be running without a few of its runners. Last year nationally ranked LaSalle Academy out of Providence, Rhode Island took the team title putting five runners in the top-19 overall to score just 30 points. They won't be competing this year, but with the top-ten teams statewide competing, and the addition of the out of state teams, the team title is expected to be a battle.
The Greely Rangers come into the Festival of Champions on a high after winning the small schools race at the Manchester Invitational on September 24th. The Rangers didn't compete at FOC last year, but their duo of Katherine Leggat-Barr and Carolyn Todd is arguably the best in the state and could give Greely two top-five finishes. Greely hasn't been challenged against Maine competition this fall, aside from their meet at Poland on Sept. 16th where both Leggatt-Barr and Todd didn't compete. This will be the first time this season Greely will face off against rival Yarmouth in what should be a potential state meet preview.
The No. 2 ranked Yarmouth Clippers will make its way to Belfast for the first time since 2014 where they placed third overall. Leading the way for the Clippers on Saturday will be Abigail Hamilton, who is expected to challenge for the win. She's been on fire this season and recently broke 19:00 on her home course last Friday. Anneka Murrin is one of the strongest No. 2 runners in the state, and will likely contend for a top-10 finish. For Yarmouth to win on Saturday, they will need standout performances from Grace Cowles and Georgia Giese.
Bonny Eagle placed 14th as a team in 2015 but comes into Saturday with one of the top duos in the state in sophomores Kayla Raymond and Ami Beaumier. The duo has finished 1-2 in every race this season and will both need to have low sticks on Saturday for Bonny Eagle to be competitive. The Scots are an extremely young team -- their top five consists of four sophomores and a freshmen -- so it will be interesting to see how they race in such a large meet. Nevertheless, they are an extremely talented team and should also challenge for the team title.
The Orono Red Riots are another team to watch on Saturday. They have been the top team in Class C so far in 2016 and are lead by seniors Kassidy Dill and Hannah Steelman, who are two of the best runners in the state regardless of class. Orono finished second overall and was the top Maine team last year scoring 128 points, but that was with Tia Tardy who has now transferred to MDI. For Orono to contend for a top five finish they will need to tighten its 1-5 pack (they have averaged about a 2:30 1-5 split this season), which means they will need standout performances from Camille Kohtala, Liza Gallandt and Lydia Chase.
The York Wildcats are another team expected to compete for a high finish on Saturday. York last competed at the Festival of Champions in 2014 where they finished 18th overall. They are led by juniors Kathryn Miller and Grace Reynolds, who both come into Saturday having broken 20:00 for 5k at least once this season. For York to contend with the likes of WMC foes Greely and Yarmouth, both Miller and Reynolds will need to get low sticks. They have a solid pack consisting of Malia Cryan, Sophia Newton and Tabatha Schuessler and will all need to likely have season bests for York to contend for a top three finish on Saturday.
Other teams to watch for on Saturday include Falmouth, who has lost just once this season to Yarmouth. SMAA teams Scarborough and Westbrook should also contend for a high finish. Scarborough is led by Bethany Sholl, who is one of the top runners in the state regardless of class. The Blue Blazes of Westbrook rely on a very tight pack which will help on Saturday.
Out of state teams Cumberland, Rhode Island Cumberland finished third in 2015 and brings back three of its top five from last year, including Julia Dempsey who finished 17th overall.
Harwood Union of Duxbury, VT is one the team favorites on Saturday. Harwood finished fourth last year and brings back its entire top five. They are led by Erin Magill and Anneka Williams, who finished 11th and 13th respectively in 2015. They finished 11 points back of Greely last weekend in the small schools race at the Manchester Invitational
Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School Antigonish, Nova Scotia They last competed at FOC in 2014 where they finished 14th overall.
Colonel Gray High School finished ninth in 2015 and are expected to be led by Tori Fitzpatrick, who finished 28th overall.
Individual
Tia Tardy MDI
Tardy was the top Maine finisher last year at FOC placing fourth in 18:39.51. After finishing her junior year with an XC state championship, and a 13th place finish at New Englands, Tardy has come back strong and is undefeated on the season. She has plenty of experience with the course at Belfast having run the Eastern Championships there the past three years, and the state championships in 2014. She comes into the weekend with a season best of 19:03 which she ran at the Sectional Invitational on Sept. 24. The time ranks fourth in the state.
Katherine Leggatt-Barr Greely
Leggat-Barr has posted three wins this year and comes into Saturday with a season best of 18:58, which she ran at the Manchester Invitational placing second in the small schools race. Her 18:58 currently ranks second in the state regardless of class. The last time she ran at Belfast she won the 2014 Class B state meet running 19:17.12.
Abigail Hamilton Yarmouth
Hamilton has been on fire in 2016 and is currently undefeated on the season. She broke 18:00 for three miles at Cape Elizabeth back on Sept. 2nd running 17:59 and recently ran 18:51 for 5k last Friday on her home course in Yarmouth, which currently sits as the fastest time in the state. The last time Hamilton ran at Belfast she placed ninth at the 2014 Class B state meet.
Kayla Raymond Bonny Eagle
Raymond finished third in the freshmen race in 2015 running 19:58.91, which was the 31st fastest time of the day. The sophomore is having a tremendous 2016 as she is currently undefeated on the season. Her season best is 20:04, which she ran on her home course on Sept. 16.
Carolyn Todd Greely
Todd has had an excellent start to her 2016 season as she comes into FOC with a season best of 19:19, which she ran at the small schools race in Manchester finishing fourth. The time currently sits as the fifth fastest statewide. This will be Todd's first time running ath Belfast course.
Anneka Murrin Yarmouth
The junior comes into FOC with a season best of 19:09.63, which is currently the fourth fastest time in the state. She has won one race this season which came at Sacopee Valley where she ran 19:29. This will be Murrin's first FOC experience, but has run on the Belfast course once before at the 2014 state meet where she finished sixth.
Malaika Pasch Falmouth
This will be Pasch's first time competing at Belfast as she missed most of the 2015 season. The sophomore has had a great start to 2016 posting wins at Freeport running 19:24.61 and on her home course at Community Park running 20:11. Her 19:24 currently sits as the sixth fastest time in the state regardless of class. Last week Pasch finished third to Hamilton and Murrin at Yarmouth running 19:36.46.
Kassidy Dill Orono
Dill has been the top runner is Class C so far in 2016 posting wins at the Caribou Invitational on Sept. 10th and at Central High School on Sept. 16th. She finished second to Tardy at Sectional Invitational running a season best of 19:51.80. The time currently sits as the 13th fastest in the state. Dill finished 14th at FOC in 2015.
Anne Guadalupi Cony
Guadalupi finished 11th at FOC in 2015 running 19:14.12, and has posted three wins so far in 2016. She recently won her meet on her difficult home course at Cony High School running 20:40.33, which is currently her season best.
Out of state individuals
Erin Magill Harwood Union High School Duxbury, VT
Magill finished 11th overall last year running a PB of 19:09.56 and comes into Saturday after finishing sixth in the small schools race at the Manchester Invitational running 19:26. She finished third at the Vermont State Cross Country Championships in 2015.
Tori Fitzpatrick Colonel Gray High School Charlottetown, PE, CAN
Fitzpatrick finished 26th overall in 2015 running 19:54.99 and finished 17th in 2014 running 19:41.88.
Adah Anderson Cumberland High School Cumberland, RI
Anderson won the Freshmen race at the Injury Fund Carnival at East Greenwich high school in Vermont covering the 4-kilometer course in 16:06.15. She comes in with a seed time of 19:56. Could be the favorite in the Freshmen race on Saturday.