Changes For 3A Regions And How They Will Impact XC 2017

3A West

Photo by Marleen Van den Neste

Teams OutOld RegionNew Region
Damascus3A West2A West
Oakdale3A West2A West
Poolesville3A West2A West
Seneca Valley3A West2A West
Urbana3A West4A North
Teams InOld RegionNew Region
Col. Zadok Magruder3A South3A West
James H. Blake3A South3A West
Rockville3A South3A West
Watkins Mill3A South3A West

The 3A West region is going to look very different in 2017. Five schools are out - four of them moving down to 2A, one (Urbana moving up to 4A). With them go some of the top teams and individuals from 2016: Poolesville's Ryan Lockett and Nandini Satsangi, this past year's champions, are the most notable. The Poolesville boys and girls also won in 2016, meaning there will be four new champions next season. Oakdale, Damascus and Urbana also finished among the top five girls' teams and Oakdale and Urbana in the top five on the boys' side, so the remaining teams will find more opportunities to make it to states.

Replacing them will be four Montgomery County schools coming in from the 3A South region: Magruder, Blake, Rockville and Watkins Mill. They don't figure to be quite as strong as the teams moving out so this region may be a bit weaker overall than it was in 2016. Another interesting note: Watkins Mill hosted the 3A South regionals for the past two seasons, and with the 2016 3A West host Urbana moving out, the meet could shift back to Watkins Mill.