Boys
1. Dwight Parker – Woodlawn. He could take the pace out fast and see if anyone stays with him. He could decide to run with the pack and then blow them away in the last mile. Whatever, he should win going away unless the pack gangs up on him on the back of the course and ties him to a tree.
2. Jesse Jaeger- Perry Hall. Unless it's hot or he's sick or his allergies get him or he doubts himself, he should be able to put some distance between himself and the pack. His workouts the past two weeks tell me he could stay with Parker for awhile. .
4. Vince Walsh – Dulaney. Look for Matt Bond and then look 3 inches behind him and you will find Vince. Sometimes you think that if Matt falls, then Vince will fall down also. Besides Thaler, probably the best kick in the group. If the pack is altogether up the last hill, he could pull out second. .
5. Adam Sierakowski – Perry Hall. An incredibly analytical runner. He is still learning how to do this and has worked harder than anyone that I've ever worked with to improve so quickly. His first year of xc might be taking a toll on his legs now and a quick early pace could doom him. .
6. Zach Friedman – Pikesville. Casanova has been laying low all season. If the early pace is pedestrian, he will just hang on the back of the pack and pick the pace up over the last mile. A good finishing kick despite the lack of natural speed. .
8. Justin Thaler – Pikesville. The last mile of the race is still just a little bit too much for him. He has a lot of heart which will keep him up with the leaders.
(Note: The SAT scores for the juniors and seniors in this group are so high that they'll probably all be talking physics during the race) .
9. Jordan Chang – Dulaney. A great team leader who keeps his Dulaney mates focused and will probably lead the pack for the first mile. .
12. Pete Spencer – Dulaney. The goat king could be up into the top 10. A great attitude and desire to help the team will keep him with the leaders. 13. Tyler Westgate – Eastern Tech. Great talent, but stuck in the second division in the county which doesn't help with running against the best runners in the county. .
14. William Finney – Woodlawn. Hey- Coach Pryor did it with Dwight last year. This is his project this year. .
15. Tim Caprio – Parkville. Tim pulls off great races every season and if he doesn't run well, I'm going to have Monkey chase him down (inside joke) .
Teams
1. Dulaney – Yeah, like Overlea is going to beat them. .
2. Hereford – They might not place anyone in the top 10, but their top 5 runners will only have a 20 second spread among them. .
3. Pikesville – If they're 3,4,5 can stay with Hereford, they'll move up. .
4. Towson – I wouldn't be surprised if they finish in second place. The two freshman have made great improvements. .
5. Loch Raven – Surprisingly coming together strong
6. Perry Hall – Their third runner has been removed from the team, their #5 has a hip flexor injury and the good 1-2 punch won't be enough to move them up. .
7. Parkville – They have four solid runners that need to step it up. If they run like they can, they'll move up to 5th. .
8. Woodlawn- Pryor will find people somewhere. .
9. Patapsco – Coach Wright has done a nice job with the team bringing them along during the season. .
Girls
1. Lauren Capone – Towson. Far and away the class of the girls field. If she has overcome her early season health problems, she could win by a minute.
2. Sara Cimino – Dulaney. Consistently the next best runner in the county, but is being pushed by two freshman teammates
3. Kelly Rush – Dulaney. If you don't look hard, you'll miss her. Coach Boyle is the luckiest coach in the county. Wake up and here comes some great freshman runners
4. Michelle Donadio – Franklin. The typical front runner that comes back to the pack. She hasn't been running against a lot of first rate competition this year which could hurt her.
5. Emma Larkin – Dulaney. Another one of those freshman who made a big move at Georgetown Prep
6. Amy Morlock – Perry Hall. Put her swimming on the side for a while to concentrate on running. It has shown in her workouts and her body structure. She can run with the second and third runners
7. Amy Blair – Loch Raven. Same as Donadio, in that she has not been at a lot of top notch meets this season.
8. Erin Whelan – Catonsville. A dark horse. Has her first year of xc beat her up a little bit. She'll have to pick it up a notch in order to compete
9. Sara Hearn – Dulaney. Needs a little more speed to stay with the first pack of runners, but heart could get her there.
10. Suzanne Stettinus – Hereford. Should lead a pack running Bulls crew. Not enough hills on this course for her.
11. Chrissy Shoemaker – Dulaney. A fast early pace could leave her scrambling to make up room. A strong second half runner.
12. Katie Askins – Dulaney. Six runners in by 12th place. Ouch. Has shown earlier this season that she can run with Kelly and Emma.
13. Hannah Pfeiffer – Catonsville. Dissapeared for a while this season. If she has her form of earlier, she could move up to 8th.
14. Sarah MacCausland – Hereford. This could also be Val Steen of Hereford. The whole Bulls clan could finish together at this position.
15. Megan DiGregorio – Perry Hall. Has shown that she has the ability to beat most of the runners ranked directly above her. If she goes out with the lead pack, she will stay there.
Teams
1. Dulaney – They could score less than 25 points for a total.
2. Hereford – Pack running should get them second, but if they are too far back as a pack they could be passed
3. Loch Raven – Blair leads the way but could finish anywhere from 2-4
4. Perry Hall- Their 2,3,4 runners have moved up considerably over the season. They could put three in front of Hereford's #1, but their 5th runner is the key.
5. Towson – After Capone, they have a developing crew.
6. Catonsville – Growing
HARFORD COUNTY
Boys
1. Brett Kelly Ba: Should win, will depend on how he handles pressure, and what pace he goes out in.
2. Kevin Rate C: Running really well last 2 meets, could take it if Kelly falters
3. Mike Disney C: Injury dosen\'t seem to have slowed him down, if he gets back further he could win it.
4. Cory Pfarr N: The darkhorse, flat course will benefit him
5. Brandon Hepner C: You never know with Hepner, has the talent to take the crown
6. Dan Shephard N: Solid performer who runs well late in season.
7. Andrew Mahone B: up and coming but cracking the top 3 will be a big achievement
8. Josh Knight C: Tough and solid usually runs well at counties.
9. Roman Galeone F: early pace will decided his placing.
10. Andrew Judd B: best freshman in county
11. Barshied Bowman C: if he is on could be a top 5 runner.
12. Matt Provonche C: coming on and looking to make CMW more of a solid team
13. Elliot Mattson B: another one of Bel Air\'s young runners who could finish as high as 10th.
14. Brad Hanly C: CMW\'s surprise of the season
15. Paul Erickson F: Fallston has been running well lately and he could move up.
Teams
1. CMW: Depth should prevail
2. Bel Air: Alot better than people expected, no one in top 5 can have a bad day.
3. North Harford: deeper than Fallston
4. Fallston: vastly improved, but still no better than 3rd.
Girls:
1. Allison Barnes C: Strongest runner in county
2. Kelli Buck C: If she is on, she could beat Barnes
3. Sara Bailey C: maybe best freshman in the state
4. Megan Ravenscraft C: maybe one of the best #4 runners in the country.
5. Danielle Burcham C: has taked CMW from a good team to a great team.
7. Leah Estremera C: has gotten confidence back
8. Sarah Zader B: if she controls her pace early she may break up CMW\'s top 5.
9. Lindsay Lippencott C: best freshman no one knows about.
10. Heather Troutman N: may finish 1 or 2 spots higher
11. Cate Burns B: hasn\'t had the senior year she hoped for
12. Megan O\'Connor F: could finish higher as high as 10.
13. Julia Wagner B: injury plagued 2nd season.
14. Jenny DiMauro F: hard to believe she was top 5 2 years ago.
15. Claire Hatfield N: good day may go 13th.
Teams:
1.CMW: real question is whether or not they will get 15
2.Bel Air: Not as good as predicted earlier in the year.
3.North Harford: depends on 4 and 5
4.Fallston: Could take down North Harford if having a good day.
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
Boys Individuals
1. Matt Centrowitz- Broadneck. Many people in Anne Arundel County consider him the favorite. If he has a game plan and runs a smart race then he may improve his chances of becoming County Champion.
2. Will Eden- Annapolis. This is Will\'s senior year and he will do what ever it takes to repeat as County Champion. This will be a great race to watch. .
3. Shane Fraser- Chesapeake. Needs to worry about Llano and not get caught up in the Centrowitz, Eden battle to finish third. .
4. Matt Llano- Broadneck. Needs to have a good race. If he\'s aggressive early in the race might be able to hold off Fraser who seems to have his number. .
5. Andrew Madison- South River. Capable of running with Fraser and Llano. .
6. Chris Wallace- Northeast. Got his confidence back running really well. Finished right behind Fraser last years County meet. .
7. Fagan Harris- Glen Burnie. Surprise of the season!!! .
8. Bryan Cyr- Severna Park. Solid performer who\'s getting better. Could move up. .
9. Charles Robertson- Meade. Another surprise of the season. .
10. Kolten Koelzer- Broadneck. Runs really well at times. Capable of moving up with a good race. .
Boys Teams
1. Broadneck- To much depth for Anne Arundel County Teams. .
2. Chesapeake- Needs a good team performance behind Fraser to hold onto second place. .
3. Meade- Proved a week ago that they are for real beating Chesapeake on their home course. .
4. South River- Could move up it depends on their number 4 and 5. .
5. Northeast- Could be the dark horse. If over looked could move up as high as second like last year. .
6. Arundel- Been struggling the last couple of meets, but coach Shelby will have them ready. .
Girls Individuals
1. Marissa McPhail- Arundel. With Centrowitz gone this should be her time to shine. If she\'s healthy, she should improve on her runner up finish at last years County meet. .
2. Liya Kasimova- Severna Park. \"Will\" challenge McPhail for the County Title. Very capable of upsetting McPhail and winning the County Title. .
3. Tait Woodward- Broadneck. Could win the County title if McPhail and Kasimova over look her. .
4. LaKeisha Pointer-Allen- Meade. Improving consistently this cross country season. Has proved to her critics that she is one of the top runners in the County. .
5. Bryn Pittinger- Severna Park. A solid performer who steps up when her team needs her. .
6. Jennine Strange- Severna Park. A four-hundred meter runner who\'s proving that she can also run cross country. Having a great season. .
7. Kasey Jamison- Broadneck. Was having a great season until she got injured a couple of weeks ago. If she\'s recovered, she could help her team challenge Severna Park. .
8. Christine Brus- Severna Park. Running well lately, could move up. \"A tough competitor\".
9. Emily Nagel- Broadneck. Not having the senior year she wanted, but if she gets her confidence back by the County Championship she could challenge for the title. .
10. Kara Seigert- Severna Park. Steadily improving. .
Girls Teams
1. Severna Park- With the injuries on the Broadneck team, they may repeat as County Champs. .
2. Broadneck- The big question is are the healthy enough to challenge Severna Park for the team title. .
3. Chesapeake- They are the surprise of the County. Everyone expected their boys team to be good but the girls are bad either. Pack running should help this improved team chances of finishing third. .
4. Annapolis- Needs to have a good race to stay in the top five. .
5. Arundel- With McPhail they needs their numbers two through five to have a good race. Not much depth on the girls side. .
IAAM Cross Country Preview
Wednesday, 3pm, October 27 at Oregon Ridge, 3 miles, rolling hills.
Both the A and B Conferences compete on the same course at the same time, however, team scoring is separate, as are individual placings for award purposes. .
But this combination will inject interesting dynamics into the competition. Especially, how will the A conference leaders react to Devon Williams of Towson Catholic and will it have an effect on the A Conf. team race? .
A total of 24 schools should have teams on the starting line. .
A Conference Individuals
Lauren Childs, Bryn Mawr, soph, a heavy favorite after back-to-back wins over the Sullivan twins at Georgetown Prep, following a dual meet win in 18.45 at Oregon Ridge (BMS' home course). Second at Mount St. Mary's, Meade and 3rd at Georgetown Prep. .
1. Glenna Sullivan, Maryvale, sr., defending IAAM champ, has been consistently well placed in invitationals 3rd at Lake Forest, Del, 11th at Georgetown. Also won the IAAM as a freshman. .
2. Kelly Sullivan, Maryvale, sr., never far behind and always well placed has twice been 2nd in the IAAM champs. High placer at Georgetown, 13th, and Lakeforest, Del, 2nd. Like Glenna consistently under 20 minutes. .
3. Jessica Clarke, Mount de Sales, jr., 4th at Barnhart and Georgetown (Div. 1) and 9th at Harford still learning to run cross country. .
4. Beth Links, McDonogh, sr., having her best season, has beaten Clarke earlier in the season but was 15 seconds behind her at Georgetown. .
5. Karen Buchheiser, Mercy, led her team all year placed 7th at the Spiked Shoe and 11th at Maymont, Va. .
6. Christie Johnson, Bryn Mawr, soph., impressive in her own right with a 3rd at Doc Jones and 12th at Meade. .
7. Laura Paulson, Bryn Mawr, jr., only a few seconds behind teammate Johnson most of the time. Fourth at Doc Jones. .
8. Jill Krawczie, St. Mary's, consistent top 20 invitational runner including a 5th at the Doc Jones meet. .
9. Emily Selonik, McDonogh, has improved greatly this season regularly placed in front of opponents number two's in dual meets. .
10. It's a toss up among a number of other runners who should be in the top 20 but could edge into the top 10. .
Included are: Archbishop Spalding: Allison Humen, Claire Patterson .
Bryn Mawr: Sinead Nyham.
Mercy: Maggie King, Jamie Antonious.
Mount de Sales: Kearny Raver, Kathryn Cohgan.
St. Paul's: Mary Lynn Denholm.
A Conference Teams:
Bryn Mawr is a heavy favorite to win its fourth league title. Well placed on the invitational circuit and unbeaten, 8-0, in A Conf. duals. Runners 1-4 have run a tight group with fifth close to the mix. Won the Doc Jones, 2nd at Meade, 5th at Mount St. Mary's, 7th at Bull Run. .
Maryvale is odds on for second with the expected 2-3 by the Sullivans, as long as the rest of the squad stays among the top six of other teams. Lost only to BMS in dual meets, won St. John's Invite, 2nd at Lakeforest, Del., 5th at William & Mary, 10th at Georgetown Prep. .
Mercy placed, 2nd in the Spike Shoe and 3rd at Maymont,has displayed a good top five during the season, but has not raced in two weeks and should be well rested went 5-3 in the regular season. .
Mount de Sales, 2nd Georgetown (Div. 1), 3rd Barnhart, 5th Harford, also finished the dual meets 5-3 with losses to the above three teams. They have run as a tight group behind Clarke, with a separation of about 30-seconds between no.'s 2 and 7. .
Archbishop Spalding's top two runners are usually ahead of opponents' second runner, however, no. five can be a minute or more behind the team's other scorers. .
St. Paul's could move into the top five if they have a healthy five. .
The remaining teams, McDonogh, Notre Dame Prep and St. Mary's, either lack depth in their program or strength at the front of the pack to be contenders. .
B Conference Individuals
Devon Williams, Towson Catholic, soph., seldom seen this season, but capable of, and expected to, challenge for first place overall in the combined race. Has by far the best speed in the field, indoor and out 1600 and 3200 champ, national record holder, Baltimore-Washington Private Schools Invitational champ last year. .
1. Katie Sacker, Seton Keough, fr., has run fast and placed well with a second at the Doc Jones meet and lead her team to a regular season B Conf. dual meet season title. Regularly placed ahead of A Conf. runners in invitationals. .
2. Samantha Matthews, Glenelg Country School, seventh in the Georgetown Prep Division 1 race. .
3. Other Strong B Conference Individuals: .
Seton Keough: Kerry Shea, Julianne Fernandes.
St. John's Prospect Hall: Liz Milligan, Sarah Biddinger, .
Severn: Emily Oliver, Sarah Meisenberg.
B Conference Teams:
Seton Keough: Unbeaten in league dual meets. .
Glenelg Country: Lost in duals only to Seton Keough.
John Carroll, Institute of Notre Dame, St. John's, Severn and Towson Catholic lack the depth to challenge for first in the conference team race. The remaining 10 B teams in the will have little impact on outcome.