Photo by Bill Shearn
Preseason Power Rankings Daily Schedule
Monday, August 19th - 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!
2. Calvert Hall High School Cardinals (Baltimore, MD)
Photo by Craig Amoss
Conference: MIAA (1st)
Top Seven Returners:
1. Owen Johnson (senior): 16:12 5K, 4:17 1600, 9:17 3200
2. Spencer Doyle (junior): 16:52 5K, 2:00 800, 4:30 1600
3. Nick Gonzalez (junior): 17:13 5K
4. Daniel Ryan (senior): 17:18 5K, 4:41 1600, 10:04 3200
5. Joshua Schield (senior): 17:23 5K, 2:07 800
6. Ethan Berger (senior): 17:48 5K, 2:08 1600
7. Connor Paszkiewicz (senior): 17:49 5K, 4:41 1600, 10:35 3200
Others to Watch:
Casimir Pozecki (senior): 18:11 5K, 10:19 3200
Kyle Zimmerman (senior): 18:15 5K, 2:16 800, 4:44 1600
Heeter Hobbs (sophomore): 18:27 5K, 4:46 1600, 10:23 3200
Last year's MIAA Championships featured an epic battle between two teams with different constructions. The Loyola-Blakefield boys had three of the top five finishers, while Calvert Hall had the individual champion (Owen Johnson) and three more in the top 11. The result was a narrow two-point victory for the Dons, their second-straight conference title.
However, the tables seem to have turned heading into 2019. The Cardinals graduated just one of their top seven runners from last year's meet and return one of the deepest groups in the state. Coming off a junior track season during which he clocked a 9:20 full two-mile, Owen Johnson is one of the top returning distance runners in the state. The Cardinals' top five returners all ran under 17:30 last season, led by juniors Spencer Doyle and Nick Gonzalez.
Their depth also extends beyond their top five, as Casimir Pozecki (10:19 3200), Heeter Hobbs (10:23) and Kyle Zimmerman (4:44 1600) could all improve upon their cross country performances if their track times are any indication. Entering this fall, the Cardinals look as though they could be one of the top private school teams in the entire DMV, along with teams like St. Christopher's (VA) and Gonzaga (DC).