Meet Preview: 2021 MPSSAA State XC Championships

Nov 12, 2021

2021 MPSSAA State Championships: 1A

Boys Varsity Race - Virtual Meets: 3 Mile, 5K

(Alex Xavier, John Condon and Day Leone pictured during 2021 1A East Region Race)

On the boys' side, there are a few contenders vying for the first-place title. Starting with the number one seed based on 5K performances, Pikesville's Kaleb Berhanu could be the race champion with a season-best of 16:09.70. However, Berhanu could easily go neck-in-neck with Bohemia Manor's Day Leone (16:09.96) as a 0.26 gap separates the two. The third contender is Fallston's Alex Xavier with a 5K season-best of 16:21.03. More notably, he is the number one seed based on 3-mile performances as he boasts a time of 15:34.40. A fourth athlete that could make the ranks is Cambridge South Dorchester's John Condon who is ranked fourth based on 5K performances and is ranked third based on 3-mile performances.

Honorable mentions: Alexander Contreras (Catoctin), Quinn Daly (Fallston), Ray Gibson (Brunswick), Sean Milligan (Smithsburg), Bryce Kahler (Fallston)

Regarding the team title, it looks like Xavier could potentially lead the Fallston team to victory. The team sits at the number one spot with a range of 25 to 40 points. The runner-up could be Bohemia Manor, led by Leone. The third contender is likely to be the Brunswick boys.

Girls Varsity Race - Virtual Meets: 3 Mile, 5K

(Caroline Matthews pictured during the 2021 Bull Run Invitational)

On the girls' side, there is a battle brewing between Boonsboro's Caroline Matthews and Fallston's Emily Atha. Matthews is predicted to become the 1A race champion, but Atha may challenge that. Atha is only about 3 to 4 seconds behind Matthews, which means that anything could happen. We could expect a neck-in-neck race. Another contender to add to the mixture is South Carroll's Molly Senisi who ranks third on the list based on 3-mile performances. Additionally, Mountain Ridge's Mary Delaney puts up a fight, clocking in at third on the list based on 5K performances.

Honorable mentions: Lydia Nelson (Northern Garrett), Jenna Conley (Catoctin), Kathleen McGivern (Washington), Serena Lewis (Southern Garrett)

The team winner could be the Northern Garrett girls with a couple of top 20 finishes from Lydia Nelson, Arrisyn Amtower, and McKenzie Upole. Smithsburg seems like the likely runner-up behind the Northern Garrett team. Brunswick and Fallston are contenders as well.