2025 Southern Maine Classic Meet Preview

Girls Freshman/Sophomore Race

Massabesic sophomore Abigail Gilley enters with the fastest seed time in the field, a 20:07 from South Portland last week. She placed 10th here a year ago in 21:16 and looks poised to move up. Fiona Hallett of Brunswick will be making her cross-country debut, but the freshman has strong track credentials with personal bests of 11:58 for 3200m and 5:33 for 1600m. Another newcomer to watch is Claire Delli Carpini, a Cold Spring Harbor freshman who clocked 11:09 for 3k on the track last spring. Thornton Academy sophomore Lily Whitehurst, 11th in this race last fall (21:47) and 28th at the Class A state meet, should also contend. Rounding out the group is Camden Hills sophomore Allie VanRyn, who posted a 21:01 5k best last season and placed 26th at the Class A state meet.

Boys Freshman/Sophomore Race

Keep an eye on the Blue of Yarmouth at the front of the freshman/sophomore race, as the Clippers bring a strong young trio led by brothers Jackie and Eli Chalmers, along with Bowen Mitchell. Jackie is coming off a 17:16 personal best at Laudholm Farm and owns a 10:17 for 3200m from last spring; he was 9th at the Class B state meet on the track and placed 19th in XC as a freshman. Eli is making his cross country debut this fall and impressed with a 17:34 at Wells last week, the same time posted by Mitchell. Also in the mix is Camden Hills sophomore Noah Seigh, who opened his first XC season with a 17:34 at Bangor.

Girls Junior/Senior Race

The girls' race at the 2025 Southern Maine XC Classic is stacked with talent from both in and out of state. Leading the out-of-state charge is North Shore (NY) senior Joanna Kenney, who placed 46th at the New York State meet last fall and owns a 9:54 3k personal best that earned her 10th at the state championships. She'll be joined by teammate Chloe Connolly, an experienced racer who clocked 18:45 to finish 11th at states last year before adding a 27th-place showing at the Federation Championship.

On the Maine side, the spotlight will be on Rowan Barry of Greely, the state's top-ranked runner. Barry opened her season with an 18:49 at Wells and is coming off a standout track campaign highlighted by a 4:51 for 1600m and 10:59 for 3200m. She placed fourth in this race last fall. Close behind is Scarborough's Laurel Driscoll (#4), who ran 19:18 at Sanford last week. Driscoll led much of last year's race before fading late and not finishing, making her return one of the meet's most intriguing storylines.

Falmouth's Georgia Moon (#6) enters off a victory at Smiling Hill Farm and was sixth in the freshman/sophomore race a year ago. Addison Elliott of Hampden Academy (#7) opened with a 19:52 at Bangor, edging teammate Gretchen Plant (#10). Elliott is the defending Class A runner-up. Freeport's Lucy Huggett (#8), second in this race last year in 19:06, started strong this fall with a 19:47 at Wells after setting a 4k course record at home. Allie Schmitt (#9) has also been sharp, running 19:29 to win at South Portland; she was runner-up in last year's freshman/sophomore race.

Finally, all eyes will be on defending champion Olivia Wentworth of Yarmouth, who dominated last fall with an 18:28 victory, winning by nearly 40 seconds.

Boys Junior/Senior Race

The boys' race at the 2025 Southern Maine XC Classic will have a different look with top seed and last year's runner-up Enzo Giampaolo of Lewiston scratching from the field. Even without the state's No. 1, the lineup remains loaded with talent and storylines.

Alex Gilbert of Freeport (#2) steps into the spotlight after a strong start to his senior season. Gilbert ran 16:38 to win at Wells last week and opened with a course record 4k on his home course. He placed fifth in this race a year ago and enters as one of the favorites. Close behind is Henri Rivard of Marshwood (#3), who has already won the Bonny Eagle Relays and followed up with a commanding victory at Smiling Hill Farm. Rivard was fourth here last fall and looks ready to challenge for the title.

Another name to watch is Atticus Merriam of Scarborough, last year's freshman/sophomore winner. He chased Rivard at the Relays and followed up with a victory at Sanford. Samuel Bergmark of Bangor (#6) made noise in his season debut, running 16:36 for a convincing win on his home course, while Asher Valentine of Hampden Academy (#9) wasn't far behind, clocking sub-17 in the same race. Parker Moore of Bonny Eagle (#10) impressed in his first XC 5k with a 17:19, showing potential to thrive on the flat, fast Gorham course.

The meet also welcomes strong out-of-state talent in Calvin Miller and Nico Lisle of Amherst-Pelham (MA). Miller, 27th at the Massachusetts All-State meet last fall, owns 4:25 mile and 9:36 two-mile credentials, while Lisle placed 38th at All-States and ran 4:26 for the mile last spring. Both should add depth and firepower to an already competitive field.

Team Races

The team races at the 2025 Southern Maine XC Classic should provide an early glimpse at which squads are poised to contend for state titles this fall. Last year, Freeport claimed the girls' crown with Falmouth runner-up; the Falcons went on to finish second at the Class B state meet, while the Navigators captured the Class A championship. On the boys' side, Scarborough edged Freeport by a single point, and both teams later secured state titles.

This year, the girls' race looks wide open at the top. Freeport, Falmouth, and Thornton Academy headline the favorites, while Cheverus, Hampden Academy, Camden Hills, and Waynflete form a dangerous second tier that could break through if everything clicks on race day.

The boys' field is equally intriguing. Yarmouth, unranked in the preseason, has emerged as one of the state's strongest teams after an impressive opener. Bangor started fast as well, topping preseason No. 1 Hampden Academy last week, though the Broncos were not at full strength. Gorham also showed major improvement with a strong run at South Portland. While Freeport and Scarborough may not be as deep as last year, both remain dangerous as defending champions. Expect Camden Hills to be in the mix too, adding more depth to an already competitive field.