Class 2A Boys Preview
Team Preview - A few weeks ago this race looked like Centennial's to lose, and for the most part, it still is, however over the last few weeks Wilde Lake has emerged as a serious contender. The Wildcats placed 3rd at the Howard County Championships, only 10 points behind Centennial who finished second, and last week they upset the Eagles and won the 2A West Regional. It's important to note that Centennial did not run their #4 and #5 runners that day which would have made a significant impact. At Counties, Wilde Lake's 1-5 average was only 2 seconds slower than Centennial, a stat that may help them since they have a very strong number 1 runner in Henry Hopper. The Wildcats will rely on their top 4 to place as high as they can to hopefully offset their weaker #5. Through 4 runners at the Howard County Championships, Wilde Lake had a 3-point advantage over Centennial 29-32. If that advantage can grow at states and their number 5 runs well, they will have a real shot.
Centennial on the other hand is one of the deepest teams in the state. Their #7 runner will beat most teams 4-5. They will rely on that depth to hopefully set them apart from Wilde Lake to take home the title. They are led by David Hertzgerber and the closer he can stay with Hopper, the better chance they will have. Hertzberger struggled on the Hereford course last year in the final 400m and will look to get a little revenge on the tough 3-mile course this year.
Individual Preview - Ben Marks (Queen Annes) has emerged as one of the best runners in the state. He set a new Bayside conference record earlier this year and ran well at Bull Run too. He will be one of the favorites alongside Henry Hopper (Centennial), Eric Penkala (Southern-AA), and Ryan Hartranft (Century). Hopper, Hartranft, and Penkala battled last week at the 2A West Regional with Hartranft coming up with the win, 10 seconds ahead of Hopper, 15:47 to 15:57. Hopper was able to outkick Penkala by 1 second as he placed 3rd. These 4 individuals will most likely be together for most of the race. Hopper has always run well at Hereford and was the 3A State Champ last year as well as the Bull Run Champion earlier this year.
MileSplit Maryland Prediction:
Individual State Champion: Henry Hopper (Wilde Lake)
Individual Runner-up: Ben Marks (Queen Annes)
Top 3 Teams
Projected Team Scores
| PLACE | TEAM | POINTS | SCORERS | SPLIT | AVERAGE | |
| 1 | Centennial High School | 59 | 3+9+14+15+18 (25+33) | 1:10.10 | 16:51.28 | |
| 2 | Wilde Lake High School | 77 | 2+10+12+17+36 (51+57) | 1:35.60 | 16:52.72 | |
| 3 | Glenelg High School | 109.5 | 11+13+23.5+27+35 (63+68) | 37.20 | 17:13.44 | |
| 4 | Century High School | 156 | 1+6+29+59+61 (76+77) | 2:34.00 | 17:15.94 | |
| 5 | Hereford High School | 175 | 8+30+32+44+61 (70.5+72.5) | 1:34.69 | 17:34.57 | |
| 6 | Winters Mill High School | 178 | 7+19+21+65.5+65.5 (87+95) | 1:48.00 | 17:33.48 | |
| 7 | Poolesville High School | 178 | 4+37+42+43+52 (58+70.5) | 1:44.00 | 17:39.38 | |
| 8 | La Plata High School | 204 | 5+31+48+56+64 (89+93) | 1:53.83 | 17:43.62 | |
| 9 | Kent Island High School | 214.5 | 16+23.5+39+67+69 (79+84) | 1:19.00 | 17:48.80 | |
| 10 | Huntingtown High School | 219 | 22+26+41+50+80 (86+91) | 1:32.04 | 17:53.47 | |
