Maine State XC Championship Girls Meet Previews
Class A Girls
Individual
Erzsebet Nagy is the favorite to win her first Class A xc championship this weekend, but it won't be easy for the senior from Lawrence. Nagy who missed the first part of the season with an injury has come back strong winning the Class A KVAC title, & the EM title last weekend. Nagy wants to run smarter than she did a week ago at Belfast as she went out too fast and paid for it in the end. "The past races have left me feeling awful, so I would really like to feel good" Nagy says of her race this weekend.
While Nagy enters as the favorite there are several other girls with a shot to finish in the top 5, let's take a look...
WM Regional Champ 19:52
Pan, a senior had her finest race of the season at the WM Regional as was victorious. Nyajock started off in the front of the race settling in behind Charlotte Pierce, by the two mile mark she had assumed the lead. A lead that she wouldn't relinquish over the final mile as she ran the fastest girls time on the weekend. Earlier this year she placed 9th at the Festival of Champions running 19:23. Last year as a junior Nyajock finished 7th. Look for her to go out with the leaders and be in the mix in the end.
EM Regional Runner-Up
KVAC Class A Runner-up
Just a freshman, Cassidy has really turned it on in the post season as she has been the runner-up the last 2 weeks to Erzsebet Nagy. Cassidy finished just 26 second behind the state meet favorite a week ago en route to her runner up finish. At FOC, Tessa finished 3rd overall breaking the 20 minute barrier for 5k. Her Brunswick team is in the mix for a podium finish as well. And one thing is sure she's got the flow going.
Cox was 6th at WM regional
Szatowski was 4th at WM Regional
Cox & Szatkowski form the best 1-2 on the girls side in the state. Cox has run the 2nd fastest 5k in the field with a 18:42. She also ran well at FOC on the Belfast course as she placed 4th running 18:59. Last weekend she didn't have her best day finishing 6th but look for her to rebound this weekend, to challenge for the win. Szatkowski had made the succesful switch from soccer this fall. Last weekend she placed 4th in the WM regional, and enters the meet with the #3 time in the field 18:46. She ran well at FOC earlier this year with a 7th place 19:07 effort. These two will be looking to get two low sticks for their team as they are looking to claim BE's first state xc title.
Pierce was 7th WM Regional
Leblanc was WM regional runner-up
Pierce took the pace out fast at last weekend's WM Regional, she would end up finishing 7th overall. Charlotte, a senior will look to have a better race this weekend, and is fully capable. She has a best 5k time of 18:59 this year. Her teammate freshman Katie Leblanc surprised everyone with her runner-up finish. The freshman had her best race of the year last week setting a personal best of 20:01 despite the conditions. At 2 miles Leblanc was on the shoulder of the eventual champion Pan. She'll be looking to duplicate the effort this weekend, and make a run at the top spot.
3rd WM Regional
Conley is turning it on at the right time of the season as the junior is looking for a top 5 finish this weekend. Shannon is no stranger to running well in the state meet as she has been 4th & 6th in her two previous runs. Last weekend Conley ran a smart race mvoing up well over the final half of the race to nab 3rd overall. She has a best time of 18:57 on the season for 5k, earlier this year she ran 19:51 for 17th at the FOC.
Team
The team title is up for grabs this weekend with a handful of teams looking for glory.
WM champion Bonny Eagle has had a great season to date. The Scots won the WM regional last weekend by 11 points and enter the state meet as a slight favorite. They also finished as the runner-up at FOC just 4 points behind MDI. BE is lead by the 1-2 duo of Samantha Cox & Mary Szatkowski, then have Kristen Glennie at #3 with Lexie Vayda at #4, both have run under 20 minutes for 5k this fall. The Scots will need a solid race from their #5 runner runner Audrey Weyand.
EM Champion Hampden Academy won the title by just 2 points last weekend. Keys for the Broncos is 1-2 punch of Kylee Parker & Elizabeth Labun. They'll need a strong race from #3 Sarah Tatgenhorst to keep up with the teams from the west.
Massabesic is peaking at the right time, the Mustangs who have been one of the better teams all year really stepped it up to finish #2 in the WM regional. They had 4 of the first 15 runners last weekend. Jocelyn Acheson is to runner for them, and it looks like Gabby Johnson is back, she ran a seasonal best of 30 plus seconds last weekend. #5 runner Marie Harrington will need to move up if they want to chase down the Scots.
EM runner-up Mt Ararat & Brunswick are two other teams capable at making a run at the top spot as well, each finished 2 points behind Hampden Academy last weekend. The Eagles had the better 6th runner to edge the Dragons. Brunswick has 3 very strong runners who placed in the top 11. Ararat counters with a strong 1-2 in Kelly Lynch & Olivia Swan. then has a strong #3 & #4 with Lauren McNett & Emmie Cox.
Don't count out the 3x defending champions Cheverus. The Stags had a strong day finishing 3rd in the WM regional. They have room to move up with #2 Kiera Murray who returned from injury last week. Combine Murray with Shannon Conley and the Stags have some low sticks. Georgia Caso could make a difference as well she was the #5 last weekend, but all year long has been #3, if she returns to form Cheverus could make a run.
Virtual meet
| Place | Athlete | Yr | Team | Time | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erzsebet Nagy | 12 | Lawrence High School | 18:33.7 | -- | |
| 2 | Samantha Cox | 12 | Bonny Eagle High School | 18:42.0 | 1 | |
| 3 | Mary Szatkowski | 11 | Bonny Eagle High School | 18:46.0 | 2 | |
| 4 | Shannon Conley | 11 | Cheverus High School | 18:57.0 | 3 | |
| 5 | Charlotte Pierce | 12 | Thornton Academy | 18:59.8 | 4 | |
| 6 | Kiera Murray | 11 | Cheverus High School | 19:18.0 | 5 | |
| 7 | Nyajock Pan | 12 | South Portland High School | 19:23.7 | 6 | |
| 8 | Jocelyn Acheson | 12 | Massabesic High School | 19:27.7 | 7 | |
| 9 | Kylee Parker | 12 | Hampden Academy | 19:51.4 | 8 | |
| 10 | Kristen Glennie | 11 | Bonny Eagle High School | 19:53.0 | 9 | |
| 11 | Tessa Cassidy | 9 | Brunswick High School | 19:54.4 | 10 | |
| 12 | Alexandra Vayda | 12 | Bonny Eagle High School | 19:56.0 | 11 | |
| 13 | Katie Leblanc | 9 | Thornton Academy | 20:01.5 | 12 | |
| 14 | Casey Loring | 9 | South Portland High School | 20:05.8 | 13 | |
| 15 | Laura Broderick | 11 | Kennebunk High School | 20:13 | -- | |
| 16 | Tiffany Tanner | 9 | Brunswick High School | 20:13.9 | 14 | |
| 17 | Kelly Lynch | 11 | Mt. Ararat High School | 20:21.3 | 15 | |
| 18 | Elizabeth Labun | 10 | Hampden Academy | 20:30.6 | 16 | |
| 19 | Mackenzie Joy | 11 | Windham High School | 20:32.0 | 17 | |
| 20 | Teresa Murphy | 11 | Brunswick High School | 20:32.1 | 18 |
| # | Team | Score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bonny Eagle High School | 29 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 22 | - | - |
| 2 | Cheverus High School | 53 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 27 | 29 | - | - |
| 3 | Massabesic High School | 101 | 7 | 24 | 26 | 31 | 33 | - | - |
| 4 | Windham High School | 120 | 17 | 20 | 32 | 35 | 36 | - | - |
| 5 | Hampden Academy | 128 | 8 | 16 | 28 | 46 | 54 | - | - |
| 6 | Brunswick High School | 139 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 51 | 74 | - | - |
| 7 | Mt. Ararat High School | 142 | 15 | 25 | 38 | 44 | 50 | - | - |
| 8 | South Portland High School | 164 | 6 | 13 | 37 | 64 | 72 | - | - |
| 9 | Thornton Academy | 173 | 4 | 12 | 30 | 86 | 95 | - | - |
| 10 | Marshwood High School | 208 | 34 | 39 | 52 | 57 | 58 | - | - |
| 11 | Sanford High School | 230 | 19 | 59 | 60 | 65 | 67 | - | - |
| 12 | Mt. Blue High School | 231 | 41 | 48 | 56 | 62 | 66 | - | - |
| 13 | Brewer High School | 296 | 53 | 63 | 68 | 71 | 75 | - | - |
| 14 | Bangor High School | 307 | 42 | 70 | 73 | 83 | 85 | - | - |
Class B Girls
Individual
Waterville senior Bethanie Brown has been the state's best runner in 2012. Brown is undefeated on the season inclusing wins at FOC, KVAC, & EM Regional. She has clocked the fastest 5k on the year of 17:56 run on the state meet course at Belfast.
Redemption has to be on the mind of Brown, who was the favorite to win the state title last fall but ended up 2nd to Brittany Bowman. A year later she looks unstoppable, and the real question is will the weather allow the couse to dry out so she can make a run at the course record of 17:48. As she has been accustom to all year if she wants a record she'll have to push the pace on her own.
While Brown will be out front the pak of 5-6 girls that will be battling it out for the runner-up spot is some of the state's fastest runners, which should make for a fantastic race. Let's take a look at the top contenders
3rd EM Regional
Defending Class B Champion
Bowman is the defending Class B state champion. She has had a strong fall that has seen her run a best of 19:03 for 5k. She was 3rd overall in the KVAC Championship & 3rd last weekend in the EM regional. She ran well earlier in the year at Belfast as she was 5th in the FOC meet with her 19:03 clocking. Bowman isn't afraid to push the pace out fast so whatever the pack does expect her to go with it. She's a fierce compeititor who will be aiming to nab a low stick for her team.
Sandreuter won WM Regional
Bates 3rd WM Regional
The dyanmic duo of Sandreuter & Bates form one of the top 1-2 runners in the state. Sandreuter is reaching her top form at the right time after missing the first few meets of the season. At the WM Regional she didn't let the mud get to her as she ran away from the field to win in 19:57, she was 1 of 2 girls on the day under 20 minutes. Earlier this year she ran right with Ellsworth's Aleta Looker at the Manchester Invitational to place 2nd a few strides behind her. Eva Bates has had a strong fall finishing as the runner-up at the WMC championship & a 3rd at the WM Regional. Bates has a best 5k time of 19:23 from the Manchester Invitational where she placed 3rd behind Looker & Sandreuter in the small school race. As a freshman last year she showed her potential with a 10th place finish.
EM Regional runner-up
PVC Champion
Looker has been one of the top runners in the state this fall. She won the small school race at the Manchester Invitational running 19:17, which was a personal best. Back issues forced her not to finish at FOC, but she has rebounded nicely with a course record win at the PVC Championship, & a runner-up finish in the EM Regional last weekend. Aleta can run in any conditions so it won't matter if it's sunny or rainy, look for her to challenge in the top group the entire race. She finished 4th in this race a year ago.
Missed EM Regional due to illness
PVC runner-up
Painter missed last weekend's EM Regional due to an illness, hopefully she'll be fully recovered for the race this week. Maggie has emerged as of the fastest girls in the state this fall. She finishied 8th at FOC with a personal best 19:19. Then ran a gutsy race against Looker at the PVC meet as both girls went under the old course record, she would finish 2nd but nonetheless a great effort. Her team will need her in the front if they want to repeat as state champions, so look for Painter to get in the lead pack and stay there throughout. Last year she finished 14th in the Class B state meet
WM Regional runner-up
KVAC Class B runner-up
Colan has taken her running to another level this fall. Last fall she placed 17th in the state meet. Caroline ran to a new personal best of 19:31 to finish 13th at FOC. She has continued to run well in the postseason as she finished as the Class B runner-up in the KVAC Championship, then followed that up with a strong runner-up performance in the WM Regional where she ran 20:31 on the tough Twin Brook course. Colan will look to have another top performance this weekend as she chases a top 5 finish.
Others to Watch
Heather Evans-York
Kristina Smith-Poland
Mackenzie Belyea- Caribou
Abby Hersom-Oceanside
Team
This should be one of the closest team finish of the 6 races on the day. Defending champion MDI comes in looking to avenge a loss at the EM regional last week, albeit they had to run without #1 runner Maggie Painter. MDI showed last fall that they could lose the EM Regional & no let it affect them in the state meet. Last fall the Trojans put on one of the best displays of team runner ever witnessed at the state meet as they dominated the rest of the field placing 5 runners in the top 16. Don't count them out, they'll be back strong this week. With Painter back in the lineup at #1, MDI needs a strong race from Waylon Henggeler & the Erickson sisters (Isabel & Olivia), plus a big effort from Caroline Driscoll. The key will be to matchup with CH girls and match them stride for stride.
Camden Hills repeated as EM champions as they ran another strong team, and didn't let the mud effect them mentally. The Windjammers will be looking to win the state title this week, and they have the qaulity runners to get the job done. The confidence they gained in winning last weekend should carry over to the meet this week. The keys for CH are to have Brittany Bowman lead the way, then have seniors Emily Lopez & Hannah Brownawell worked together to stay ahead of MDI's 2-3 pack. They need #5 runner from a week Emily Kassen to have solid race to be able to hold off MDI.
While it looks like a healthy MDI & Camden Hills are the two best teams, it could come down to a single place to decide the race the teams are that close in ability. Also watch out for Falmouth, Waterville & Caribou
Waterville ran to a surprise runner-up finish in the EM regional, the Panthers finished 14 points behind CH. With Bethanie Brown leading the way the Waterville is ensured a low stick. They will need Tiana Thomas & Erica Jenson to have good races like last wekeend to have a shot at the podium
Falmouth dominated the WM Regional last week wining by 27 points. the Yachtsmen got strong races up from from Vishva Nalaamalapu & Geneva Waite who finished 6th & 7th. Alta Farrell had a big run last week to placed 14th, & if Madeline Roberts who was the #1 runner before a foot injury is even healthier she is certainly one that could move up significantly. If they put it all together they could surprise.
Caribou showed that when at ful strength they are on of the top teams as they finished just 3 points behind MDI for 4th last weekend. The Vikings have a front runner in Belyea & then solid quality behind her with the Larrabee sistsers (Robyn & Neressa).
Virtual Meet
| Place | Athlete | Yr | Team | Time | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bethanie Brown | 12 | Waterville High School | 17:56.7 | 1 | |
| 2 | Brittany Bowman | 11 | Camden Hills Regional High School | 19:03.8 | 2 | |
| 3 | Aleta Looker | 11 | Ellsworth High School | 19:17.0 | 3 | |
| 4 | Maggie Painter | 11 | Mt. Desert Island High School | 19:19 | 4 | |
| 5 | Kirstin Sandreuter | 11 | Greely High School | 19:22 | 5 | |
| 6 | Eva Bates | 10 | Greely High School | 19:23.0 | 6 | |
| 7 | Caroline Colan | 12 | Maranacook Community High School | 19:31.1 | 7 | |
| 8 | Abby Hersom | 11 | Oceanside High School | 19:46.3 | -- | |
| 9 | Molly Schassberger | 12 | Winslow High School | 19:50.9 | 8 | |
| 10 | Mackenzie Belyea | 12 | Caribou High School Viking Pack | 19:56.5 | 9 | |
| 11 | Adrienne Carmack | 12 | John Bapst Memorial High School | 20:04.7 | 10 | |
| 12 | Madeline Roberts | 11 | Falmouth High School | 20:11.6 | 11 | |
| 13 | Olivia Erickson | 11 | Mt. Desert Island High School | 20:15.1 | 12 | |
| 14 | Isabel Erickson | 11 | Mt. Desert Island High School | 20:15.9 | 13 | |
| 15 | Emily Lopez | 12 | Camden Hills Regional High School | 20:22.8 | 14 | |
| 16 | Sam Morse | 10 | Camden Hills Regional High School | 20:23.7 | 15 | |
| 17 | Caroline Driscoll | 10 | Mt. Desert Island High School | 20:29.0 | 16 | |
| 18 | Sarah Becker | 12 | Yarmouth High School | 20:31.2 | 17 | |
| 19 | Hannah Brownawell | 12 | Camden Hills Regional High School | 20:32.3 | 18 | |
| 20 | Waylon Henngeler | 10 | Mt. Desert Island High School | 20:34.9 | 19 |
| # | Team | Score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mt. Desert Island High School | 34 | 4 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 19 | - | - |
| 2 | Camden Hills Regional High School | 53 | 2 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 20 | - | - |
| 3 | Waterville High School | 87 | 1 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 48 | - | - |
| 4 | Falmouth High School | 98 | 11 | 23 | 25 | 30 | 36 | - | - |
| 5 | Caribou High School Viking Pack | 114 | 9 | 29 | 32 | 38 | 49 | - | - |
| 6 | Yarmouth High School | 126 | 17 | 22 | 27 | 31 | 59 | - | - |
| 7 | Greely High School | 136 | 5 | 6 | 40 | 60 | 61 | - | - |
| 8 | Maranacook Community High School | 155 | 7 | 24 | 45 | 53 | 74 | - | - |
| 9 | Freeport High School | 181 | 33 | 39 | 43 | 46 | 47 | - | - |
| 10 | Cape Elizabeth High School | 190 | 35 | 37 | 51 | 58 | 64 | - | - |
| 11 | John Bapst Memorial High School | 192 | 10 | 42 | 54 | 56 | 70 | - | - |
| 12 | Ellsworth High School | 213 | 3 | 34 | 75 | 88 | 89 | - | - |
| 13 | Winslow High School | 236 | 8 | 57 | 69 | 77 | 81 | - | - |
Class C Girls
Individual
2x defending Class C state champion Carsyn Koch is the odds on favorite to win her 3rd staright state title on Saturday. The junior from Washburn has turned to running full time this year and it has paid off. Koch won last week's EM Regional by 26 seconds. She has run well on the Belfast course, including a 6th place finish at the FOC where she ran 19:06. Koch is no starnger to running at the front alone, a place she will most likely find herself in.
There could be a few challenger to Koch if she slips back but more than likely they will be fighting for a top 5 finish, let's take a look at them
WM Regional Champion
MVC Champion
Thayer has been one of the top runners in Class C all year. She has had a string postseason that has seen her finish first at the conference level (MVC) & at the regional level (WM), Sophia isn't one to back off, she likes to get to the front and push the pace. She ran well at FOC placing 22nd overall with a personal best 20:03
EM Regional runner-up
PVC small school champion
Koffman has had a great fall winning several races or being close to the front in the others. In the postseason she won the PVC small school title easily, running a fine 19:30 for 3 mile at Ellsworth. At the EM regional she took the runner-up finish with a 21:23 in tough conditions. At FOC she placed 21st one spot in front of Thayer running a personal best 19:56. Look for her to be in the chase pack the entire way.
WM Regional runner-up
Austin has come into her own this fall. Last fall she placed 36th in the state running in the 23's, this year she has been at the front of most races and her times have been in the 20's & 21's every meet. Hannah had a strong run at the WM regional where she clocked a fine 21:29 on a tough Twin Brook course to earn the runner-up spot. Austin gave Thayer everything she could ask for last week, even taking the lead before the 2 mile mark, look for her to try to hang on longer this week.
WM Regional 3rd place
MVC Runner-up
Bolduc a senior from Dirigo placed 3rd in the WM regional with somewhat of an off race. The week before she chased Thayer at the MVC championship finishing just 7 seconds behind her. Look for a rebound race this weekend from her. Her personal best of 20:28 came at FOC on the same course. Last fall Bolduc placed 5th overall at ther Class C state meet, she's on target for another top 5 this weekend
Team
The team race promises to be a good one. EM regional champion Washburn looks poise to win state title for the first time. Merriconeag the 2x defending champions will be looking to add another one to the trophy case of a school with just 38 students. Don't count of WM regional runner-up Waynflete who finished just 6 points behind Merriconeag. Orono the EM Regional runner-up has a shot as well they were 11 points back last weekend
Washburn has the best top 3 in the meet led by individual favorite Carsyn Koch. They have potential top 10 runners in Carmen Bragg & Mackenzie Worcester who were 3rd & 5th respectively at EM regional. Freshman Emilia Churchill is a strong #4, while Hannah Heald round of the scoring 5.
Merriconeag found their champioiship gear last weekend. After losing the Waynflete at the WMC Conference Championship the week before they dug down in the last mile in the WM regional to pull away from the Flyers. Leading the way was Samantha Pierce & Teagan Wu who finished 4th & 7th. They also got a huge race out of Zoe Chace-Donahue. #4 Emelie Chace-Donahue & #5 Carlin Tindall will be key as well this weekend
Waynflete knows they can run with Merriconeag as they took the better of they at the WMC Conference Championship before finishing 6 points behind at last week's WM Regional. Expect Coach "ZIGGY" to have the Flyers ready to run their best race on Saturday. Senior Martha Veroneau will be key in the #1 spot, while Ella Millard will be counted on for a big race as well. It may come down to how the #-5 runners for Waynflete. Cat Johnson & Gail Johnson form a strong #3-4, while they will need a breakthrough from the #5 to leap over the other teams.
Orono the EM regional champ has a front runner in Lily Koffman, she is backed up by junior Jordan Richards who is a candidate for a top 10 finish. They will need Emilie Seavey & Libby Spencer to move up a bit to really challenge for a podium finish.
Virtual Meet
| Place | Athlete | Yr | Team | Time | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carsyn Koch | 11 | Washburn | 19:06.6 | 1 | |
| 2 | Lily Koffman | 10 | Orono High School | 19:56.9 | 2 | |
| 3 | Sophia Thayer | 11 | Boothbay Region High School | 20:03.5 | 3 | |
| 4 | Natalie Bolduc | 12 | Dirigo High School | 20:28.8 | 4 | |
| 5 | Hannah Austin | 10 | North Yarmouth Academy | 20:33.0 | 5 | |
| 6 | Martha Veroneau | 10 | Waynflete School | 20:43.1 | 6 | |
| 7 | Hannah Morley | 9 | Boothbay Region High School | 20:48.2 | 7 | |
| 8 | Kenzie Worcester | 10 | Washburn | 21:05.0 | 8 | |
| 9 | Natalie Coleman | 9 | Bucksport High School | 21:11.7 | -- | |
| 10 | Carmen Bragg | 11 | Washburn | 21:12.1 | 9 | |
| 11 | Jordan Richards | 11 | Orono High School | 21:32.1 | 10 | |
| 12 | Samantha Pierce | 10 | Merriconeag Waldorf | 21:36.2 | 11 | |
| 13 | Bronte Elias | 10 | Madison Memorial High School | 21:40.3 | -- | |
| 14 | Ella Millard | 11 | Waynflete School | 21:42.9 | 12 | |
| 15 | Morgan Crocker | 10 | Boothbay Region High School | 21:52.0 | 13 | |
| 16 | Emma Wilson | 10 | Hall-Dale High School | 21:52.0 | -- | |
| 17 | Kaitlin Souza | 9 | Winthrop High School | 21:52.4 | 14 | |
| 18 | Angel Abbott | 9 | Winthrop High School | 21:59.0 | 15 | |
| 19 | Bree Sautter | 9 | Lisbon High School | 22:03.0 | 16 | |
| 20 | Teagan Wu | 12 | Merriconeag Waldorf | 22:07.6 | 17 |
| # | Team | Score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washburn | 67 | 4 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 26 | - | - |
| 2 | Dirigo High School | 79 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 37 | - | - |
| 3 | Merriconeag Waldorf | 89 | 2 | 9 | 22 | 28 | 32 | - | - |
| 4 | Orono High School | 93 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 30 | - | - |
| 5 | Waynflete School | 98 | 5 | 11 | 23 | 25 | 34 | - | - |
| 6 | Boothbay Region High School | 111 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 29 | - | - |
| 7 | Monmouth Academy | 121 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 40 | 50 | - | - |
| 8 | George Stevens Academy | 230 | 39 | 43 | 45 | 51 | 54 | - | - |
| 9 | Lee Academy | 273 | 46 | 52 | 56 | 59 | 60 | - | - |