Top Juniors XC 2012
Girls (click for complete rankings)
Kirstin Sandreuter of Greely had another succesful and consistently strong fall running under 20 minutes for 5k a total of 5 times. Sandreuter placed 1st or 2nd in meets with just Maine runners this fall as she had dominating wins in the WMC & WM regional meets before finishing 2nd in the Class B State meet behind Bethanie Brown. Kirstin's time at the state meet was the 3rd fastest overall. She had another strong run at the NE Championship where she finished 13th to earn All-NE honors, she'll close out her season at the FL NE race this Saturday.
Brittany Bowman of Camden Hills was once again near the front of every race she ran in 2012. The 2011 Clas B state champion placed 5th in the Festival of Champions leading the class of 2014. Bowman placed 2nd in the Class B KVAC meet, was 3rd in the EM regional & 3rd in the Clas B state meet. Her time at states was the 9th fastest overall. Brittany ran well at the NE Championship as she was 1 of 3 Mainers to earn All-NE honors, she placed 24th.
Mary Szatkowski of Bonny Eagle made the transition from the soccer field to the xc trails with ease thi fall. Szatkowski had a great flal that saw her run the fastest 5k of the class of 2014 as she clocked 18:46 on a fast Gorham course. Mary was 7th in the Festival of Champions, then had a very strong finish pacing 4th in the WM regional & repeating that finish in the Clas A state meet. Szatkowski's time at the state meet was the 6th fastets overall & 2nd for the class of 2014. Not only did Mary run fast she helped her Bonny Eagle team to the school's first Class A XC tate title. She closed out her year with another solid run at NE Championship where she placed 35th overall, her team was also the best Maine team.
Shannon Conley of Cheverus had a strong junior year that saw her finish as the 7th fastest runner in the overall results from the state meet. Conley ran the #2 time for the class of 2014 for 5k (18:57). She finished 3rd in the WM Regional and followed that up with a 5th place finish at the state meet. Shannon also finished 45th in the NE Championship.
Carysn Koch of Washburn was the top runner in Class C for the 3rd year in a row. Koc won her 3rd straight Class C state title, and has a chance to join Abbey Leonardi next year as the only female in history to win 4 state xc titles. Carsyn who gave up soccer to concentrate full time on running this fall had a great year, placing 6th in the Festival of Champions, then winning the Class C EM Regional & State meet. Her time wa the 11th overall but also came at the end of 5 races when the coure wasn't running as fast. Koch put in a strong effort at the NE Champs as challenged for an ALL-NE spot, but came up just short in 28th place, she was the 4th best runner from Maine.
Boys (click for complete rankings)
Dan Curts of Ellsworth had an impressive 2012 XC season that saw him rise to the top. Curts ran undefeated in his run to the Class B State title this fall. Along the way there was the the big victory over Silas Eastman at the Manchester Invitational that saw him run a personal best 15:42 for 5k. Then Dan got sick and was forced to miss the Festival of Champions. Only a few people knew but Dan ran sick the rest of the season, he still won the PVC Championships, EM Regional & the now epic battle with Silas at the Class B state meet where it can down a kick finish. The winning margin was just .04. After the season Curts tested positiive for mono, he still managed a 17th place finish at the NE Champs to earn ALL-NE honors for the second time.
Josef Holt-Andrews of Telstar had another strong year as he was one of the top runners in the state the whole year. Andrews was the top Maine runner at the Festival of Champions, he ran 15:59. Josef cruised to the MVC conference title, then finished 2nd in both the WM Regional & Class C state meet. His time from the state 16:20 was the 4th fastest overall. Then came the NE Championship where he had his best race of the season running in 3rd most of the race, Andrews would go on to finish 5th overall. That race was the one he was looking for all year, he'll be the #1 returner in the NE meet next fall.
Ben Trapini of Camden Hills was one of the most improved runners in the state in 2012. A year ago Trapini finished 33rd in the Class B state meet, this fall he was a different runner. Ben won 6 races this fall. He was 7th in the Festival of Champions, took first in the KVAC Championship, finished as the runner-up in the EM Regional, then ran 16:36 to finish 3rd in the Class B state meet. Ben's time at the state meet was 6th fastest overall. He closed out his year with a 62nd place finish in the NE Championship
Liam Simpson of Cape Elizabeth emerged as one of the best of the class of 2014 this fall. Liam finished 10th at the Festival of Champions, he followed that up with a strong 4th place finish at the WMC Championship, repeated the 4th place at the WM Regional, and closed it our with a 6th place in the Class B State meet. He helped his Cape Elizabeth team to WM Regional & Class B titles. At the NE Championship he had his best race of his career as he finished 33rd overall.
Josh Horne of Mt Blue make a jump that is not often seen in one year, as he went from 46th in the EM Regional (18:58) to 4th in the Class A State meet (16:47). Horne had his big breakthrough at the Festival of Champions where he placed 15th improving from his 341st place finish in 2011. Josh fnished 5th in the Class A KVAC race, he then placed 9th in the EM Regional, and saved his best of the year for the Class A state meet where he would place 4th (16:47). Horne was the 11th fastest overall at the state and is the #1 returner in Class A next year. He went on to finish 103rd in the NE Championship.