Defending regional champion Lila Gaudrault of Cape Elizabeth enters as the favorite to repeat. Gaudrault currently ranked MileSplit50 #3 is coming off a win at the WMC Championship where she won easily. Lila told us after the race last week that she loves running at Twin Brook and her history backs that up. Earlier this fall she ran a Twin Brook personal best 19:32 during a WMC regular season meet.
Greely senior Marin Provencher will be running on her home course so that should be an advantage. Provencher comes in ranked MileSplit50 #11 with a 19:21.29 5k best this fall so far. Provencher has matched up against Gaudrault three times this fall, the closest she has been so far is 50 seconds two weeks ago at Cape. Provencher likely will let Gaudrault go, and try to secure a low stick for the Rangers on Saturday.
Cape Elizabeth freshman Charlotte DeGeorge took the WMC Championship race off to rest so she should be full of run this weekend. DeGeorge ranked MileSplit50 #12. DeGeorge has come on strong over the final half of the season breaking out at Festival of Champions with a personal best 19:24.10. She ran well in her first race at Twin Brook where she clocked 21:00 finishing 22 seconds back of Provencher. On the flatter faster course at Cape DeGeorge followed up her FOC race with a 19:41.60 just six seconds back of Provencher.
Also in the race is MileSplit50 #13 Katie Pinette of Wells who is coming off a third place finish at the WMC Championship. At Cape Pinette finished fourth behind the big three running 19:58.32. A year ago she finished fourth running 21:23 in the regional meet.
Cape Elizabeth enters the meet as the top ranked team, the Capers are 6th in the latest MileSplit Maine coaches poll. While Greely ranked 8th in the poll has the advantage based off the fastest 5k run this fall. Add in WMC Champion York and the race for the podium should be excellent.
Greely may have the advantage with Twin Brook being their home course, they have a low stick with Marin Provencher, and have a strong supporting cast with Abby Hollis and Charlotte Taylor. Cape counters with two low sticks of Gaudrault & DeGeorge, but the Capers behind them haven't fared so well on hilly courses so far in 2019. The Wildcats of York don't have the low sticks but they do have a tight compression of 1:36, the best among the top three teams.
Round four will take place on Saturday between seniors Jack Bassett of Cape Elizabeth & Griffin Allaire of Wells. Bassett ranked MileSplit50 #4 & Allaire #7 have raced each other three times this fall with Bassett getting the edge all three times so far by a combined 13 seconds. Last week at the WMC Championship the duo pushed each other back and forth before Bassett pulled away in the final 800m and sprinted his way to a five second victory.
Bassett said after his WMC victory he didn't plan on changing his tactics as they have worked so far, so it looks like Allaire might have to switch things up. The two will face each other again next week at the Class B state meet which will make the four consecutive week they will have raced each other. The duo placed second and third respectively in the regional meet in 2018.
MileSplit50 #11 Jarrett Gulden of Lincoln Academy will also be in the race, and look for him to be ready to mix it up with the top runners. Gulden a senior won the KVAC Class B title last week finished 5th in the regional last year. He enters with a 5k best of 16:06.41 on the season.
Don't sleep on defending champion Martin Horne of Freeport. Horne a junior ran 16:56.11 to win the title a year ago, and is coming off a strong run at the WMC Championship where he finished fourth. Don't read much into the fourth place finish as Horne started off the first mile in 70's, and moved up over the next two miles very well, clearly he wasn't redlining at any point.
With Greely back in Class B this fall look for Sam Wilson & Riley Franklin to be in the top pack this weekend.
Eli Hulstrom of York is another runner to watch on Saturday, he is coming off a third place effort at the WMC Championship. He will be looking for a low stick to help the Wildcats.
Speaking of York, the Wildcats enter as MileSplit Maine #4 ranked team and the defending regional champions. They have been unbeaten against Class B teams all year and enter as the favorite to repeat. York ran at Twin Brook earlier this year where they had a team average of 18:04, a just a 37 second compression 1-7.
#7 ranked Greely will be looking to dethrone York, and the Rangers have the fire power up front to do so. The key for the Rangers will be if they can break up the York pack with runners 3-5.
Lincoln Academy the #9 ranked team is coming off a win in the KVAC Class B race and has a low in Jarrett Gulden. The Eagles figure to be right in the mix with the WMC teams.