Photo by Dasam Gill
Preseason Power Rankings Daily Schedule
Friday, August 16th - 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 top ten 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!
5. Richard Montgomery High School Rockets (Rockville, MD)
Photo by Phil Grove
County: Montgomery (1st) Region: 4A West (1st)
Top Seven Returners:
1. Nick Olano (senior): 16:34 5K
2. Aidan Goldenberg-Hart (senior): 16:46 5K, 2:05 800, 4:49 1600
3. Rafael Berhanu (junior): 16:52 5K, 4:43 1600, 10:11 3200
4. Garrett Suhr (senior): 16:57 5K, 1:55 800, 4:13 1600
5. Alejandro Balaban (junior): 17:13 5K
6. Edward Sorensen (junior): 17:46 5K, 4:53 1600, 10:10 3200
7. Elias Applebaum (junior): 17:56 5K, 2:01 800, 4:33 1600
Others to Watch:
Lucas Corea (sophomore): 18:21 5K, 4:54 1600, 10:14 3200
Henry Kaye (sophomore): 18:34 5K, 2:10 800, 4:56 1600
The Rockets entered last fall with two of the top returning distance runners in the state in senior Mark Unger and junior Garrett Suhr, both of whom had run sub-16:00 in 2017. However, neither were completely healthy last fall, and several boys stepped up in their absence. Suhr and Unger returned for the final part of the season; even without their top runners being 100%, they won the 4A West regional title in convincing fashion.
Unger and fellow senior Connor O'Brien are the only members of that varsity squad gone, and Suhr returned in top form on the track (state-leading 4:13 1600 to end the season at the DMV Meet of Champions). Returning behind him is one of the deeper groups in the state, led by experienced seniors Nick Olano (above) and Aiden Goldenberg-Hart and four underclassmen who either ran under 10:15 or under 4:35 this past track season.
With a boys roster that featured over 70 runners last year, depth won't be an issue for the Rockets. If Suhr regains his 2017 form (when he finished fourth at the state meet as a sophomore) they will be one of the top teams to watch at any race they go to this fall. If everything goes right, they have a shot at a podium finish at the 4A state meet in November.