Photo by Lisa McArthur
Preseason Power Rankings Daily Schedule
Saturday, August 10th: Boys 11-20
Sunday, August 11th - Tuesday, August 20th: Boys 1-10 (one a day)
Wednesday, August 21st: Girls 41-50
Thursday, August 22nd: Girls 31-40
Friday, August 23rd: Girls 21-30
Saturday, August 24th: Girls 11-20
Sunday, August 25th - Tuesday, September 3rd: Girls 1-10 (one a day)
Wednesday, September 4th: Boys Classification/Private School (top 15 each)
Thursday, September 5th: Girls Classification/Private School (top 15 each)
Our 2019 preseason XC power rankings continue with the 11th-20th boys teams. These rankings are subjective and based on last year's performances (season bests, plus performances at big meets like conferences and states), track performances, program depth and reputation (how certain programs stay strong year after year).
We will rank the top 50 boys and girls teams heading into the season, then provide weekly top 25 ranking updates!
Top seven returners are based on last year's 5K or three mile season bests. Other runners to watch include those with standout track performances (relative to the rest of the team), unless those runners have run multiple track seasons without running cross country - we don't want to assume they will be running cross country in the fall. Freshmen or rookies who did not run cross country but did run track are usually included.
Use these rankings to preview your rival teams, debate your friends, and lace up those shoes and prove us wrong about your team!
20. Gilman High School Greyhounds (Baltimore, MD)
The defending champions from last year's MD/DC Private School meet return with four boys who ran either sub-10:20 or sub-4:45. Charlie Edwards and the Greyhounds are seeking their first top-two finish at the MIAA Championships since 2011. (Photo by Steven Pisano)
Conference: MIAA (2nd)
Top Seven Returners: Charlie Edwards, Beck Wittstadt, Thomas Broadus, Max McCullough, Jamie Edwards, Henry Bergles, Mason Roth
Others to Watch: Pieter Heesters
19. Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Barons (Bethesda, MD)
The Barons will have a different look in 2019 after four of their top runners graduated this past spring, but with a roster that regularly tops 40 boys - plus a brand-new on-campus track facility - they should be back in the mix at the Montgomery County Championships this year. (Photo by Dasam Gill)
County: Montgomery (6th) Region: 4A West (5th)
Top Seven Returners: Joey Caiazza-Blum, Jeremy Simon, Lewis Sisler, James Friebert, Nico Altamar, Jake McCarty, Quinn Renaghan
Others to Watch: T.J. Hamilton, Evan Song
18. Howard High School Lions (Ellicott City, MD)
Kendall Phillips and the Howard boys finished second in what was an uber-competitive 4A North region last year. Their reward? Moving to (possibly) an even more competitive 4A East region, where they will get to face off against the defending state champions from Severna Park. (Photo by Craig Amoss)
County: Howard (3rd) Region: 4A East (3rd)
Top Seven Returners: Kendall Phillips, Jakob Werdell, Ben Fader, Eian Butler, Matthew Engelhaupt, Michael Kelly, Kenny Ling
Others to Watch: Joseph Raudabaugh, William Blandford
17. Walt Whitman High School Vikings (Bethesda, MD)
Much like their Bethesda counterparts, the Whitman boys will be replacing several of their top runners with their depth. Only one returner - Benjamin Lesser (above) ran at the state meet, but their top four returners all ran 17:50 or faster last year. (Photo by Dasam Gill)
County: Montgomery (5th) Region: 4A West (4th)
Top Seven Returners: Jackson Megary, Mark Cunniff, Greg Garner, Benjamin Lesser, Matthieu Rouxel, Magnus Tjoervason, Beck O'Brien
Others to Watch: Griffin Beckley, Pablo Roig
16. C. Milton Wright High School Mustangs (Bel Air, MD)
The Wright boys enter 2019 as the defending UCBAC champions, and return most of their key contributors from the team that also finished as 3A North runners-up. With seven returning runners who clocked 17:15 or better for three miles last fall, the Mustangs could be in the mix for a state trophy. (Photo by Craig Amoss)
Conference: UCBAC (2nd) Region: 3A North (3rd)
Top Seven Returners: Ben Sprague, Greg Roden, Peter Capozzoli, Bryan Key, Jayden Slotnick, Trevor Jadge, Grayson Hansel
Others to Watch: Camden Doherty
15. Hereford High School Bulls (Parkton, MD)
Nearly the entire team that finished second in Baltimore County and ninth at the 2A State championships will be back in 2019, and the group is an impressive one. Four returners ran between 16:54 and 17:23 last fall. The Bulls will join what should be an extremely competitive 3A North region along with Wright and Towson. (Photo by John Roemer)
County: Baltimore (3rd) Region: 3A North (2nd)
Top Seven Returners: Shane Taylor, Drew Turnbaugh, Duncan Troy, Sean Flynn, William Holbrook, Jacob Robertson, Colin Simmons
Others to Watch: Connor McCue, Jonas Lavina, John Trikeriotis
14. Mount Hebron High School Vikings (Ellicott City, MD)
Last November, freshman Landon Yi was a big reason why the Vikings managed an eighth-place finish at the 3A state meet despite losing one of their top runners. Yi was one of just three freshmen - along with Severna Park's Nick Benedict and Southern Garrett's Griffin Horner - to break 18 minutes at the state meet. (Photo by Craig Amoss)
County: Howard (2nd) Region: 3A East (2nd)
Top Seven Returners: William Jones, Bryce Kampert, Landon Yi, Grayson Fleck, Nicholas Snyder, Gavin Fleck, Anthony Marcelli
Others to Watch: Ryan Ververs, Connor Croft, Jacob Hauf, Braden Moyer, William Eisentraut, Alexander Barton
13. Walter Johnson High School Wildcats (Bethesda, MD)
The Walter Johnson boys qualified as a team for the state meet last year for the first time since 2015. Now, Jacob Marks and the Wildcats will try to steer the program back toward its recent heights; from 2006-15, they finished no lower than seventh at the state meet, and won four state titles. (Photo by Craig Amoss)
County: Montgomery (4th) Region: 4A West (3rd)
Top Seven Returners: Jacob Marks, Seth Bangser, Alex Scott, Andrew Schell, Nathaniel Gray, Yariv Simhony, Declan Burros
Others to Watch: Allen Moises, Adam Morad
12. Winston Churchill High School Bulldogs (Potomac, MD)
Depth will be the name of the game for the Bulldogs in 2019. Eight returning runners ran between 17:14 and 18:31, and with a roster that featured nearly 100 boys alone, there's a good chance new varsity runners will emerge throughout the season. (Photo by Dasam Gill)
County: Montgomery (3rd) Region: 4A West (2nd)
Top Seven Returners: Andrew Misura, Tsach Mackey, Samuel Wank, Daniel Nusraty, Benjamin Strauch, Sebastian Angel, Edward Lee
Others to Watch: Andrew Sidawy, Aaron Wong, Oliver Adkins, Henry Burd
11. South River High School Seahawks (Edgewater, MD)
If any team is going to take down Severna Park this season, it might be the one with the second-fastest returning runner from last year's state meet (across all classifications). After clocking a 9:14 full two mile last winter, senior Sam Keeny will be eager to capture his first state title this fall. (Photo by Mike Piotrowski)
County: Anne Arundel (2nd) Region: 4A East (2nd)
Top Seven Returners: Sam Keeny, Garrett Gallaher, Ryan Hepler, Tyler Kempton, Joseph McDonald, David Loomis, Noah Fridrich
Others to Watch: Paul Watson, Dennis Flake, Michael Burgess, Ryan Smith, Ryan Lomax, Riley Nolan
Photo by Lisa McArthur