This weekend, the nation's longest-running high school cross-country national championship series kicks off its Regional Championships, a Thanksgiving tradition rich in history. Maine has consistently made its mark on this stage, producing some of the Northeast's most accomplished athletes.
In recent years, Orono's Ruth White earned back-to-back trips to the National Championship with third- and fourth-place finishes in 2022 and 2023. Before her, Falmouth's Sofie Matson secured national berths with eighth-place performances in both 2018 and 2019. Going back further, Kennebunk standout Abbey Leonardi put together an impressive run of three consecutive runner-up finishes from 2009 to 2011. She was joined in that 2009 race by Emily Durgin of Cheverus, who placed seventh.
(Only results from 1999 to present have been considered.)