Girls XC Individual Rankings: 16-14

16. Adrienne Carmack John Bapst

    SB: 20:28.67

    Carmack had a breakout season this fall highlighted by her 8^th place finish at the Class B State Championships as she ran a fine time of 20:44.66. Look for Carmack to contend for the for the top spot in Class B next year.

15. Mackenzie Belyea Caribou

    SB: 20:31.34

    Belyea proved herself as a big time racer as evidence to her seventh place finish at the Class B State Meet one week after she placed 8^th at the Eastern Maine Regional. Expect Belyea to be one of the favorites in the PVC next fall.

14. Kelly Lynch Mt. Ararat

SB: 19:53

Lynch was one of the most improved runners in the state this year as we saw her place 9^th at the Class A State Championships running a time of 20:37.53. Her experience and big time racing ability helped lead Mt. Ararat to a runner up finish. Look for her to contend for the individual title in the KVAC next year.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Girls XC Power Rankings: Week 4

TEAM

1. Cheverus

   Previous: 1

   Last Meet: at Massabesic

   Place: 1^st

   Cheverus cruised to an easy victory against fifth ranked Massabesic behind Emily Durgin's second place finish. They will face eighth ranked Windham this Wednesday.

2. MDI

   Previous: 2

   Last Meet: Sectional Invitational

   Place: 1^st

   MDI took home the victory at the Sectional Invitational on Saturday behind Maggie Painter's fourth place finish. Expect them to challenge for the top spot at the Festival of Champions in Belfast this Saturday.

3. John Bapst

   Previous: 3

   Last Meet: Sectional Invitational

   Place: 2^nd

   John Bapst placed second at the Sectional Invitational behind Adrienne Carmack's second place finish. Expect John Bapst to challenge their conference rival for the top spot at the Festival of Champions on Saturday.

4. Camden Hills

   Previous: 4

   Last Meet: at Cony

   Place: 1^st

   The Windjammers claimed victorious at Cony last Friday behind Willow Parker's second place finish. Expect them to compete for a top three finish at the Festival of Champions.

5. Massabesic

   Previous: 5

   Last Meet: Home

   Place: 2^nd

   Massabesic placed second to the Cheverus Stags behind Jocelyn Acheson's sixth place finish. Expect Massabesic to contend for a top three finish at the Festival of Champions.

6. Mt. Ararat

   Previous: 6

   Last Meet: at Brunswick

   Place: 1^st

   Mt. Ararat took home a victory against their rival Brunswick behind Kelly Lynch's third place finish. They will face Brunswick again this Thursday when both teams head to Morse.

7. Brunswick

   Previous: 7

   Last Meet: Home

   Place: 2^nd

   ^{Brunswick placed second on their home course behind Teresa Murphy's second place finish. The Dragons will be out for revenge this Thursday when they head to Morse.}

8. Windham

   Previous: 8

   Last Meet: at South Portland

   Place: 1^st

   Windham easily defeated South Portland and Noble last Friday behind Talia McKay's second place finish. They will have a tough challenge when they host Cheverus this Wednesday.

9. Cape Elizabeth

   Previous: 10

   Last Meet: Home vs. York, Wayneflete, Fryeburg

   Place: 1st

   Cape Elizabeth defended their home course very well as they pulled out a victory over York 36-37. Look for the Capers to contend for a top five finish at the Festival of Champions this Saturday.

10. Mt. Blue
    Previous: 10

    Last Meet: at Brunswick

    Place: 3rd

    Mt. Blue placed third at Brunswick behind Addie Cullenberg's second place finish. Expect Mt. Blue to contend for a top five finish at the Festival of Champions on Saturday.

Team of the Week: MDI

Teams Knocking: Merriconeag, Caribou, Hampden Academy, Waterville, Yarmouth, York, Falmouth

INDIVIDUAL

1. Abby Leonardi Kennebunk

   Previous: 1

   Last Meet: at Massabesic

   Place: 1^st

   Time: 18:25

   Leonardi defeated her rival-Emily Durgin- with ease last Friday as her time of 18:25 was nearly a minute ahead Durgin's. Look for Leonardi to try and chase down the course record of 17:52.50 by former Old Town runner Cassie Hintz this Saturday at the Festival of Champions.

2. Emily Durgin Cheverus

   Previous: 2

   Last Meet: at Massabesic

   Place: 2^nd

   Time: 19:22

   Durgin placed second to Leonardi at Massabesic last Friday as she ran a very fast time of 19:22. Look for Durgin to go unchallenged at Windham this Wednesday.

3. Abby Mace Maranacook

   Previous: 3

   Last Meet: at Cony

   Place: 1^st

   Time: 20:09.25

   Mace cruised to an easy victory on the Cony course as her time of 20:09.25 was forty seconds ahead of the second place finisher. Expect Mace to challenge for a top three finish at the Festival of Champions this Saturday.

4. Charlotte Pierce Thornton Academy

   Previous: 5

   Last Meet: Home vs. McCauley, Gorham, Marshwood

   Place: 1^st

   Time: 19:33

   Pierce used her home course to her advantage as she dominated the field running an impressive time of 19:33. Look for Pierce to go unchallenged when Thornton Academy heads to South Portland this Wednesday.

5. Erzsebet Nagy Lawrence

   Previous: 4

   Last Meet: at MCI

   Place: 2^nd

   Time: 20:55.0

   Nagy had a tough day on Friday as she battled with dehydration during the last part of the race. She still managed to finish second overall. Look for Nagy to bounce back and contend for a top three finish at the Festival of Champions.

6. Bethanie Brown Waterville

   Previous: UR

   Last Meet: at MCI

   Place: 1^st

   Time: 20:07.9

   Brown took home the victory at MCI last Friday running an impressive time of 20:07.9. Look for Brown to contend for a top five finish at the Festival of Champions on Saturday.

7. Kirstin Sandrueter Greely

   Previous: 7

   Last Meet: Manchester Invitational

   Place: 3^rd (Small School Race)

   Time: 19:42

   Sandrueter has been the most dominant WMC runner thus far as evidence to her third place finish at the Manchester Invitational this past Saturday. Look for her to continue her dominance when Greely heads to York this Thursday.

8. Willow Parker Camden Hills

   Previous: 7

   Last Meet: at Cony

   Place: 2^nd

   Time: 20:49.46

   Parker placed second to Abby Mace at Cony last Friday running a fine time of 20:49.46. Expect her to contend for a top five finish at the Festival of Champions this Saturday.

9. Fiona Hendry Cheverus

   Previous: 9

   Last Meet: at Massabesic

   Place: 3^rd

   Time: 19:37

   Hendry placed third at Massabesic running a very fast time of 19:37. Look for her to try and close the gap between herself, and teammate Emily Durgin.

10. Shannon Conley Cheverus

    Previous: 8

    Last Meet: at Massabesic

    Place: 4^th

    Time: 19:43

    Conley has been one of the top sophomores in the state so far this fall. She ran a fast time of 19:43 at Massabesic placing fourth. Expect her to contend with her teammate, Shannon Conley, for a second place finish at Windham this Wednesday.
    
    

Runner of the Week: Abby Leonardi Kennebunk

Runners Knocking: Brittany Bowman Camden Hills, Nyajcok Pan South Portland, Teresa Murphy Brunswick, Addie Cullenberg Mt. Blue, Maggie Painter MDI, Adrianne Carmack John Bapst, Jocelyn Acheson Massabesic, Aleta Looker Ellsworth

Girls XC Rankings Week 2

TEAM

1. Cheverus
Previous: 1
Last Meet: Home vs. McAuley, Windham
Place: 1st
Cheverus easily defeated McAuley and Windham with a perfect score on their home course. The Lady Stags head to Noble on Friday where they should-once again- dominate.

2. MDI
Previous: 3
Last Meet: Presque Isle Invitational
Place: 1st
MDI came out on top at the Presque Isle Invitational behind Maggie Painter’s fifth place finish. They head to Orono on Friday where it looks like they will go unchallenged.

3. John Bapst
Previous: 2
Last Meet: Presque Isle Invitational
Place: 4th
John Bapst didn’t have a great day on Saturday as evidence to their fourth place finish at the Presque Isle Invitational. Expect them to bounce back this Friday as they will host four other PVC teams.

4. Camden Hills
Previous: 5
Last Meet: at Belfast
Place: 1st
Camden Hills looked dominant on the fast Belfast course on Friday as they were lead by Freshmen Willow Parker who placed first running a time of 19:56.37. The Windjammers head to Medomak on Friday where they should go unchallenged.

5. Windham
Previous: 5
Last Meet: Home vs. Biddeford, McAuley
Place: 1st
Windham was lead by Talia McKay’s first place finish on Friday. Her time of 20:46 was over a minute faster than the second place finisher. Windham heads to Deering on Friday where they will be challenged by Massabesic.

6. Cape Elizabeth
Previous: 9
Last Meet: at Freeport
Place: 1st
Cape Elizabeth looked very impressive in their win at Freeport on Saturday as they were lead by Catherine Tierney’s first place finish. Cape heads to York on Friday where they will be the early favorite to win.

7. Brunswick
Previous: 4
Last Meet: at Lawrence
Place: 2nd
Brunswick placed second out of twelve teams last Friday as they were lead by Teresa Murphy’s second place finish (20:55.39). The Dragons will have a tough test when the head to Mt. Ararat on Friday.

8. Mt Ararat
Previous: 7
Last Meet: at Edward Little
Place: 1st
Mt. Ararat obliterated the competition last Friday behind Kelly Lynch’s second place finish (22:45.92). They will receive a tough test when they host Brunswick this Friday.

9. Massabesic
Previous: 8
Last Meet: Home vs. Scarborough, South Portand
Place: 1st
Massabesic looked very impressive on their home course as they placed four runners in the top five overall. Massabesic will face off against fifth ranked Windham when they head to Deering on Friday.

10. Mt Blue
Previous: UR
Last Meet: at Lawrence
Place: 1st
Mt. Blue had a very impressive showing at Lawrence as they placed first behind Addie Cullenberg’s third place finish (21:14.62). They will look to dominate once again when they head to Leavitt on Friday.

Team of the Week: Mt. Blue

Teams Knocking on the Door: Caribou, Hampden Academy, Waterville, Falmouth, Yarmouth

INDIVIDUAL

1. Abby Leonardi Kennebunk
Previous: 1
Last Meet: at Westbrook
Place: Idle
Time: Idle
Leonardi didn’t race this week, but that shouldn’t affect her rankings. She will look to dominate the competition when Kennebunk heads to Gorham on Friday.

2. Emily Durgin Cheverus
Previous: 2
Last Meet: Home vs. McAuley, Windham
Place: 1st
Time: 18:30
Durgin cruised to an easy victory on her home course running a fantastic time of 18:30. Look for her to hail victorious once again when Cheverus heads to Noble on Friday.

3. Abby Mace Maranacook
Previous: 3
Last Meet: at Lawrence
Place: Idle
Time: Idle
Mace got some needed rest last Friday as she held out of the race at Lawrence. Expect her to be ready to go on Friday when Maranacook heads to Leavitt.

4. Erzsebet Nagy Lawrence
Previous: 4
Last Meet: at Lawrence
Place: 1st
Time: 19:36.09
Nagy continues to dominate this season as she took home another victory at Lawrence running a time of 19:36.09. She will face a tough challenge when Lawrence heads to Medomak on Friday.

5. Bethanie Brown Waterville
Previous: 8
Last Meet: Home vs. Winslow, Messalonskee, Hampden
Place: 1st
Time: 20:32
Brown used her home course to her advantage as she dominated the field running a strong time of 20:32. Expect her to come out victorious when Waterville heads to Messalonskee on Friday.

6. Shannon Conley Cheverus
Previous: 7
Last Meet: Home vs. McAuley, Windham
Place: 2nd
Time: 19:36
Conley placed second to her teammate Emily Durgin last Friday on their home course. Look for Conley to have another strong race when Cheverus heads to Noble on Friday.

7. Fiona Hendry Cheverus
Previous: 6
Last Meet: Home vs. McAuley, Windham
Place: 4th
Time: 20:59
Hendry had a strong race last Friday as she placed fourth running a time of 20:59. Expect her bounce back on Friday when Cheverus heads to Noble.

8. Kirstin Sandrueter Greely
Previous: UR
Last Meet: at NYA
Place: 1st
Time: 19:07
Sandrueter has been the most dominant runner in the WMC thus far as evidence to her first place finish at NYA last Friday. Look for her to continue her winning ways when Greely heads to Lake Region on Friday.

9. Charlotte Pierce Thornton Academy
Previous: UR
Last Meet: at Portland
Place: 1st
Time: 19:48
Pierce completely thrashed the competition last Friday as her time of 19:48 was nearly two minutes faster than the second place finisher. She will get a tough test when Thornton heads to Deering on Friday.

10. Willow Parker Camden Hills
Previous: 9
Last Meet: at Belfast
Place: 1st
Time: 19:56.37
Parker clocked in a fine time of 19:56.37 on the fast Belfast course last Friday. Camden Hills heads to Medomak on Friday.

Runner of the Week: Emily Durgin Cheverus

Runners Knocking on the Door: Brittany Bowman Camden Hills, Jocelyn Acheson Massabesic, Addie Cullenberg Mt. Blue, Teresa Murphy Brunswick, Kiera Murray Cheverus, Nyajock Pan South Portland, Catherine Tierney Cape Elizabeth, Aleta Looker Ellsworth, Adrienne Carmack John Bapst

Girls XC Power Rankings Week 1

Week 2 Power Rankings

1. Cheverus
Previous: 1
Last Meet: SMAA Relays
Finish: 1st
The Cheverus girls dominated the SMAA Relays on Thursday behind Emily Durgin's second place finish (8:28). The Lady Stags host Gorham and Sanford this Friday where they should go unchallenged.

2. John Bapst
Previous: 5
Last Meet: Ellsworth Invitational
Finish: 1st
John Bapst obliterated the competition at the Ellsworth Invitational behind Adrienne Carmack’s second place finish (20:43, 3 mile course). John Bapst will head to the Presque Isle invitational this Saturday where they will be challenged.

3. MDI
Previous: 4
Last Meet: Ellsworth Invitational
Finish: 2nd
MDI placed second at the Ellsworth Invitational on Saturday as they were lead by sophomores Nora Hubbell and Maggie Painter. They placed seventh and eighth respectively. MDI will head to the Presque Isle Invitational this Saturday.

4. Brunswick
Previous: 6
Last Meet: at Maranacook
Finish: 1st
Brunswick looked very impressive in their win at Maranacook on Friday behind Teresa Murphy’s second place finish (22:15). Brunswick will have a tough challenge when they head to Lawrence this Friday.

5. Windham
Previous: UR
Last Meet: SMAA Relays
Finish: 2nd
Windham was the surprise team of the week as they placed second at the SMAA Relays on Thursday behind Hannah Damron’s eighth place finish (9:23). Windham heads to Deering this Friday where they will be challenged by Massabesic.

6. Camden Hills
Previous: UR
Last Meet: at Oceanside
Finish: 1st
Camden Hills looked incredibly strong on Friday as they were lead by first place finisher Willow Parker (19:23.74). Camden Hills heads to Belfast this Friday where they will be the favorite to win.

7. Mt Ararat
Previous: 2
Last Meet: at Oceanside
Finish: 2nd
Mt Ararat slides down to the seven spot in this week’s power rankings due to an injury to Emma Wood. Despite not having their top runner last Friday, they still managed a second place finish at Oceanside. Mt Ararat will head to Lewiston this Friday.

8. Massabesic
Previous: 3
Last Meet: SMAA Relays
Finish: 3rd
Massabesic placed third at the SMAA Relays behind Jocelyn Acheson’s third place finish (9:01). They will host Scarborough and South Portland this Saturday.

9. Cape Elizabeth
Previous: 9
Last Meet: Home vs GNG, Sacopee Valley
Finish: 1st
Cape Elizabeth had a perfect score on Friday. Leading them was Senior Catherine Tierney running a time of 20:01. The Capers will head to Freeport on Saturday.

10. Yarmouth
Previous: 7
Last Meet: at Poland
Finish: 1st
Yarmouth use a great pack to pull away from Freeport on Friday as they were lead by G Beaulieu’s fourth place finish (23:42). Yarmouth heads to Fryeburg this Friday.

Team of the Week: Windham

Teams Knocking on the Door: Falmouth, Mt. Blue, Hampden, Waterville, Caribou

Individual
1. Abby Leonardi Kennebunk
Previous: 1
Last Meet: SMAA Relays
Finish: 1st
Time: 8:11
Leonardi obliterated the field at the SMAA Relays as her time of 8:11 was 17 seconds ahead of second place finisher Emily Durgin. Kennebunk heads to Westbrook this Friday where it looks like Leonardi will go unchallenged.

2. Emily Durgin Cheverus
Previous: 2
Last Meet: SMAA Relays
Finish: 2nd
Time: 8:28
Durgin placed second to Leonardi at the SMAA Relays last Thursday. Expect her to win easily when Cheverus hosts Gorham and Sanford this Friday.

3. Abby Mace Maranacook
Previous: 4
Last Meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Time: 20:07
Mace cruised to a victory on her home course as her time of 20:07 was over two minutes faster than the second place finisher. Maranacook heads to Lawrence on Friday where Mace will be challenged by Erzsebet Nagy.

4. Erzsebet Nagy Lawrence
Previous: UR
Last Meet: at Mt Blue
Finish: 1st
Time: 20:21.4
Nagy took home the course record at Mt. Blue last Friday as she won in dominating fashion. Nagy will have a huge test this Friday as she will face off against Abby Mace.

5. Jocelyn Acheson Massabesic
Previous: UR
Last Meet: SMAA Relays
Finish: 3rd
Time: 9:01
Acheson clocked in a fine time of 9:01 at the SMAA Relays where she placed third. Massabesic hosts Scarborough and South Portland on Friday where it looks like Acheson will go unchallenged.

6. Fiona Hendry Cheverus
Previous: 3
Last Meet: SMAA Relays
Finish: 4th
Time: 9:02
Hendry’s time of 9:02 on Thursday was good enough for a fourth place finish at the SMAA Relays. Look for her to try and close the gap between herself, and teammate Emily Durgin this Friday as Cheverus hosts Gorham and Sanford.

7. Shannon Conley Cheverus
Previous: 5
Last Meet: SMAA Relays
Finish: 5th
Time: 9:04
Conley looked very impressive at the SMAA Relays as her time of 9:04 was good enough for a fifth place finish. Look for her to challenge her teammate, Fiona Hendry, for a second place finish this Friday.

8. Bethanie Brown Waterville
Previous: UR
Last Meet: at Bangor
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:22.40
Brown broke the course record on the Bangor course running a time of 16:22.40. Look for her to use her home course to her advantage this Friday.

9. Willow Parker Camden Hills
Previous: UR
Last Meet: at Oceanside
Finish: 1st
Time: 19:23.74
Parker looked incredibly impressive at Oceanside last Friday as her time of 19:23.74 was nearly fifteen seconds ahead of her teammate Brittany Bowman. Camden Hills heads to Belfast this Friday.

10. Carsyn Koch Washburn
Previous: 10
Last Meet: at Fort Kent
Finish: 1st
Time: 22:21
Koch dominated the field at Fort Kent as her time of 22:21 was nearly forty seconds ahead of the second place finisher.

Runner of the Week: Erzsebet Nagy Lawrence

Runners Knocking on the Door: Kirstin Sandreuter Greely, Nyajock Pan South Portland, Brittany Bowman Camden Hills, Aleta Looker Ellsworth, Adrienne Carmack John Bapst, Addie Cullenberg Mt. Blue, Catherine Teirney Cape Elizabeth

Girls Preseason XC Power Rankings

Week 1 Power Rankings

1. Cheverus
Next Meet: SMAA Relays
With Emily Durgin leading the charge, Cheverus will look to make it two state titles in a row this year, and they have all of the ingredients to do so. Following Durgin are fellow senior, and sophomore, Fiona Hendry and Shannon Conley they both had spectacular seasons last fall as we saw them both place in the top five the state meet. Cheverus looks to be the overwhelming favorite this fall.

2. Mt Ararat
Next Meet: at Oceanside
Mt Ararart decided to rest their top returner, Emma Wood, at the Laliberte Invitational on Saturday. Look for them to be at full strength come Friday when they race at Oceanside. Look for Mt Ararat to make some serious noise in the KVAC conference this year.

3. Massabesic
Next Meet: SMAA Relays
Jocelyn Acheson and Mikayla Frazier will lead the way for Massabesic this year as they try to make a push for a state title. Both Acheson and Frazier placed in the top 20 at the state meet last year, and with a solid returning cast, don’t be surprised to see Massabesic holding up some hardware come October.

4. MDI
Next Meet: Ellsworth Invitational
MDI won their home invitational behind Maggie Painter’s fourth place finish. With their solid core back, expect MDI to make a lot of noise in the SMAA conference this fall.

5. John Bapst
Next Meet: Ellsworth Invitational
John Bapst placed second to MDI at the MDI relays behind Adrienne Carmack’s second place finish. Look for John Bapst to bounce back this Saturday at the Ellsworth Invitational. John Bapst looks like the early favorite for class B this year.

6. Brunswick
Next Meet: at Maranacook
The Brunswick girls looked very strong at the Laliberte Invitational on Saturday as they placed first behind Teresa Murphy’s second place finish. Along with Kathleen McMahon, Brunswick has a very formidable 1, 2 combination which could potentially carry them to a top three finish in class A this year.

7. Yarmouth
Next Meet: at Poland
Yarmouth will be led by Junior Sara Becker this year. She had a fantastic season last year topped off with a 12th place finish at the class B state meet last year. With their entire top five back, Yarmouth looks like the early favorite in the WMC conference.

8. Cape Elizabeth
Next Meet: Home vs. Gray, Sacopee Valley
Cape Elizabeth was hit hard by graduation, but they still have enough to be a contending team in class B. Leading the way this fall for the Capers will be Junior Catherine Tierney. She placed 13th at the state meet last year.

9. Falmouth
Next Meet: Home vs. NYA, Lake Region, York
Falmouth returns four of their top five from last year’s squad which makes them one of the favorites in the WMC conference. Falmouth’s top returner, Meg Palombo, placed 33rd at the class B state meet last year.

10. Kennebunk
Next Meet: SMAA Relays
Kennebunk is led by Senior Sensation, Abby Leonardi. Although if Kennebunk wants to hang with the top dogs in class A, their 2-5 runners will have to close the gap between themselves and Leonardi.

Individual

1. Abby Leonardi Kennebunk
Besides winning the state meet and New England meet Leonardi has her eyes on another goal. Assuming she makes the Footlocker Nationals, Leonardi will look to become the first Maine girl to achieve All American status since Gladys Ganiel in the early 1990's, if she can place in the top 15. And with her 16th place finish last year at the Nationals, the odds are in her favor.

2. Emily During Cheverus
Durgin will look to continue to close the gap between herself and Leonardi. She placed second at the class A state meet last year running a time of 18:03.64. Look for her to have an outstanding fall season.

3. Fiona Hendry Cheverus
Hendry placed third at the class A state meet last year running a time of 18:34.86. Look for Hendry to try to close the gap between herself and her teammate, Emily Durgin. She looks like a lock for a top three finish at the state meet.

4. Abby Mace Maranacook
An injury last fall caused Mace to run in much pain at the state meet. Amazingly though, she placed second running a time of 19:25.64.Mace will be the overwhelming favorite to take the class B title this fall.

5. Shannon Conley Cheverus
Conley had a fantastic freshmen season as we saw her place fourth at the class A state meet running a time of 19:08.93. With a year of high school training under her belt, look for her to take her talents to another level this fall.

6. Emma Wood Mt Ararat
Wood placed fourth at the class A state meet last fall running a time of 19:11.57. Expect her to have a fantastic senior season.

7. Nyajock Pan South Portland
Nyajock Pan placed sixth at the class A state meet last fall running a time of 19:14.09. Pan will look to make a lot of noise in the SMAA conference this year.

8. Kathleen McMahon Brunswick
McMahon placed seventh at the class A state meet last fall running a time of 19:17.68. Look for McMahon to battle with Mt Ararat’s Emma Wood in the KVAC conference this year.

9. Brittany Bowman Camden Hills
Bowman placed third at the class B state meet last fall running a time of 19:31.73. She will look to challenge Abby Mace for the title in class B this year.

10. Carsyn Koch Washburn
Koch dominated the field at the class C state meet last fall running a time of 19:36.50. Look for her to dominate once again this fall.

How will Maine do at New Englands?

Girls Preview

Team
Cheverus has crushed the competition in Maine so far so we will get to see how they fair against the best in New England. Emily Durgin will go after her second straight New England title on Saturday and Fiona Hendry will battle for a top five finish. With that impressive 1, 2 combo look for Cheverus to place very high. Mt Ararat will battle for a top ten spot on Saturday. They will be led by junior Emma Wood who placed fifth at the state meet running a time of 19:11.57. Her teammates, Kate Spies and Emilia McGrath will have to step up if Mt Ararat wants a top ten finish on Saturday. Don’t count out Massabesic and Cape on Saturday. Massabesic will be led Charlotte Pierce. Look for her to have a great race. This will be the first time in a while where Cape wasn’t the favorite to be the top Maine team at New England’s, but don’t count them out. They obviously lack the fire power up front compared to recent years, but their top five is very talented with senior Rachel Nichols leading the way. Look for her to have a strong race. Look for the John Bapst girls to make a splash as well. They defeated the Capers to win the state title so expect them to contend for a top 15 finish well.


Prediction
Cheverus has a shot to win New England’s. They are that good. Emily Durgin, Fiona Hendry, and Shannon Conley will all place in the top 25 which is truly outstanding for a Maine high school team. The battle for the second spot in Maine will be very intriguing to watch between Mt Ararat and Massabesic. They were only separated by 15 points in the combined results so expect those two teams to be very close in score. Massabesic, John Bapst, and Cape will be very close in score. They key for those teams will be their number four and five runners.

1. Cheverus Top 3
2. Mt Ararat Top 10
3. Massabesic Top 20
4. John Bapst Top 20
5. Cape Top 20

Individual
With Abby Leonardi not racing, Emily Durgin will be the early favorite to win on Saturday. Durgin will go after her second straight New England title. Her teammates Fiona Hendry and Shannon Conley will look to contend for top ten finishes as well. Dacie Manion has had an outstanding season this fall as she won the class B title. Look for her to contend for a top 15 finish. Other runners who will contend for top 25 finishes will be Emma Wood of Mt Ararat, Kathleen McMahon of Brunswick, Nyajock Pan of South Portland, Charlotte Pierce of Massabesic, Mia Rapolla of Gorham, and Aleta Looker of Ellsworth.

Prediction
The Maine girls will be very well represented on Saturday. There are at least ten runners who have the potential to place in the top 25. Emily Durgin will successfully defend her title on Saturday, but expect her to be challenged by the top runners in New Hampshire, and Connecticut. Fiona Hendry will place in the top five and her teammate, Shannon Conley, will place in the top 15. Dacie Manion will also finish in the top 15. There will be a tight pack of Maine girl’s right behind her that will include Kathleen McMahon of Brunswick, Emma Wood of Mt Ararat, Mia Rapolla of Gorham, Nyajock Pan of South Portland, and Charlotte Pierce of Massabesic.

1. Emily Durgin Cheverus Favorite to Win
2. Fiona Hendry Cheverus Top 5
3. Dacie Manion Old Town Top 15
4. Shannon Conley Cheverus Top 15
5. Emma Wood Mt Ararat Top 20
6. Kathleen McMahon Brunswick Top 20
7. Nyajock Pan South Portland Top 25
8. Mia Rapolla Gorham Top 30
9. Charlotte Pierce Massabesic Top 35
10. Aleta Looker Ellsworth Top 45





Boys Preview

Team
Scarborough has been dominant this fall topped off with their fifth title in seven years. They will be led by Nick Morris who won the class A state title. Look for him to contend for a top 25 finish while his teammates Tom Hague and Zach Brown will battle to place in the top 50. Caribou looked very impressive at the state meet behind the brilliance of senior Christian Sleeper who placed fourth in class B. Look for Caribou to have another strong day on Saturday. Falmouth will look to prove why they were the favorite in class B on Saturday. They took a blow when their number two runner, John Lake, developed a stress fracture. Falmouth will be led by Tim Follo who will contend for a top 25 finish. If Falmouth wants to hang with Scarborough and Caribou, Connor McGrory and Thomas Edmonds will have to have strong races. Falmouth tends to do better in bigger meets so look for them to use this to their advantage. Don’t count out Mt Ararat and Cape. Mt Ararat was the runner up in class A behind front runner Andy Reifman-Packett who will contend for a top 30 finish. If Cape wants to get a high finish then Thomas Bottomley and Reid Douty will have to have outstanding races.

Prediction
Scarborough is flat out the best team in the state. Barring injury, look for them to contend for top ten finish behind their top three runners. The race for the second best team will be interesting because Caribou, Mt Ararat, and Falmouth were separated by a total of nine points in the combined results at the state meet so expect those three times to be right near each other. I’ll give the slight advantage to Falmouth because they tend to do better at bigger meets such as the Festival of Champions. I think Caribou will be right behind Falmouth. They have better quality four and five runners which will be the difference on Saturday. Rounding out the top five will be Mt Ararat and Cape.

1. Scarborough Top 10
2. Falmouth Top 15
3. Caribou Top 20
4. Mt Ararat Top 20
5. Cape Top 20


Individual Preview
The individual talent that Maine will bring this year will be very intriguing to watch. They might not put as many runners in the top 25 compared to previous years, but it should be fun to see who comes out on top. The top runners in the state are Silas Eastman of Fryeburg and Matt McClintock of Madison. They haven’t raced each other this season which makes this meet a lot more interesting. They will both contend for top 15 finishes. After that, there are only a couple of runners who could place in the top 25. Nick Morris of Scarborough has had an outstanding year. He relies on his devastating kick so he could very well pick off people at the end to sneak into the top 25. Chase Brown of Boothbay has the potential to place in the top 25. He was the runner up at the class C state meet behind McClintock. Harlow Ladd of Messalonskee is another runner who could sneak in there. He had an off day at the state meet, but look for him to bounce back. The dark horse will be Jack Terwilliger of Cheverus. He has been returning to form since his injury. He certainly has the talent to place in the top 20 the question is if he’s healthy enough. Other runners who could sneak in the top 25 if they have great races are Tim Follo of Falmouth, Andy Reifman-Packett Mt Ararat, Logan Marshall of Gorham, Dan Curts of Ellsworth and Josef Andrews from Telstar.

Prediction
The battle between Silas Eastman of Fryeburg and Matt McClintock of Madison will live up to its hype. I believe that Eastman will come out on top. He hasn’t lost a race in the state of Maine this year, and I think we will be the top Maine runner on Saturday. Expect him to place in the top ten. McClintock will be close behind him running to a top 15 finish. After that I think Harlow Ladd bounces back and places in the top 25. He is a very tough runner, so look for him to use the tough Vermont course to his advantage. Here is my bold prediction; Jack Terwilliger will place in the top 25. He has had plenty of rest since the state meet so look for him to return to form and run a great race. Chase Brown will also have a great chance to place in the top 25. He has run really well in big meets so look for him to have a good race. Runners who will be right on the cusp will be Nick Morris, Tim Follo, Andy Reifman-Packett and Dan Curts.

1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg Top 10
2. Matt McClintock Madison Top 15
3. Harlow Ladd Messalonskee Top 25
4. Jack Terwilliger Cheverus Top 25
5. Chase Brown Boothbay Top 30
6. Tim Follo Falmouth Top 40
7. Nick Morris Scarborough Top 40
8. Dan Curts Ellsworth Top 40
9. Andy Reifman-Packett Top 45
10. Josef Andrews Telstar Top 50