Photo by Craig Amoss
Two separate three-peats and two berths to Nike Cross Nationals marked an extremely successful decade for the Severna Park boys. Their 2020 team has a chance to be even better. Rising seniors Jake Gelfand and Carson Sloat (third and fourth at last year's 4A state meet, respectively) lead a team that returns five of its seven runners from last fall's state meet. The Falcons nearly went 1-2 at the state meet back in 2013, when Ryan Forsyth and Rhys Burgett went 1-3, and they will certainly have a chance to do it this year. It goes without saying that they will be the favorite to capture yet another county title.
Photo by Craig Amoss
If anyone in the county was on track for a breakout spring track season, it might have been Annapolis' Luke Coffin. After finishing in the top ten at the county championships in the fall and qualifying individually for the state meet, Coffin ran 9:47 in the indoor 3200 at the state meet (the third-fastest sophomore time in the state). He's the top non-Severna Park returner from last year's county meet and could be ready to jump into top-ten territory at states as a junior.
Photo by Keeley Olson
South River missed junior Garrett Gallaher during the second half of the 2019 cross country season. He finished 11th in the elite race at the Bull Run Invitational and ran 16:34 at the Great American Cross Country Festival; that time is sixth-best among county returners. For a team that loses four of its seven runners from last year's state meet (including individual champion Sam Keeny) getting Gallaher back could help them keep pace with Broadneck in the battle for the second spot in the county.
Rand (middle), alongside teammate Henry Taylor and Annapolis' Luke Coffin. (Photo by John Roemer)
Aidan Rand was Broadneck's top runner at the state championships, helping them beat out South River at the county and state championships. He leads a strong group of returning Broadneck seniors who will once again be battling with South River for the second spot in the county. Rand and Coffin are the only returning non-Severna Park boys who finished in the top 15 at last year's county meet.
Photo by Brandon Miles
Nine Anne Arundel County boys ran under ten minutes in the 3200 this winter. The ninth on that list? Chesapeake's Hayden Healey, who twice ran 9:59 after entering the season with a 10:29 personal best. Healey finished 28th at last year's 3A state meet and is the 11th-fastest returning runner from last year's Anne Arundel County Championships.
