The Hereford girls cross country program has become synonymous with success, but head coach Adam Hittner isn't interested in letting the latest championship define the program. After winning its seventh 2A state title in nine seasons in 2025, the Bulls return six of their seven runners from last year's state championship team, giving a young but experienced group another opportunity to compete at the highest level.
For Hittner, the championship is ultimately just one piece of a much bigger experience. Hereford's traditions, relationships, and ability to make running an enjoyable part of athletes' lives, have remained at the center of the program throughout his 11 years at the school. With senior captain Charlie Brill leading a talented returning group, the Bulls enter 2026 looking to continue that tradition while building something that lasts well beyond a single November race.
Coach Questions - Answered by Head Coach Adam Hittner
1. Looking back now, what does that championship mean to you and your program?
Coach Hittner: So much and so little all at the same time, which I know is a ridiculous thing to say. Our implied goal at the start of every season is to compete for a state championship. (We have won seven of nine girls state titles in my 10 years at Hereford -- 2021 we didn't have a state meet.) Usually it is something that is mentioned at the very beginning of the season, then we put that away and don't even need to talk about it. We work deliberately every week and every day towards being the best we can possibly be and that typically means we will have a chance on a November Saturday to bring home the big trophy. But along the way, so much else happens: the team gets closer and closer, people have ups and downs, the team has ups and downs, but we get together, six days a week, and put our best foot forward together for two hours each day. When the state meet ends, winning feels amazing for the girls and for the coaches. But not winning isn't some devastating thing. The three months together during the season, the summer of working together, the track seasons and all the things that have come before and will come after are bigger than any one race. So yes, if there is a score being calculated, we damn sure want to win. But we don't overthink it, or overvalue it. So this past November it was great for the girls to finish on top, and hopefully we can do it again in a few months. But Hereford cross country is a special experience, and there is tremendous joy for every member of the team whether we win or we don't.
2. Was there a race, workout, or turning point when you realized your team had the potential to accomplish something special?
Coach Hittner: With last year's team I knew coming in they would have a shot. But I also knew that two of our top three runners had never run cross country before and that our eventual varsity lineup would lean very young and very inexperienced. So it was about being patient with them learning how to race cross country, and steadily pushing the team. We did some things differently in training last year that I think really helped the young team grow (our state meet team had five sophomores in the lineup and only one senior). So there was no turning point. We knew it was a possibility, it was just a matter of how quickly the group would evolve.
3. As you turn the page to 2026, what excites you most about this year's team?
Coach Hittner: I love coaching cross country at Hereford. It is truly a gift to be able to work with these teams year after year, so I am always excited about the start of any new season. With this group in particular, I am excited that we return six of our state meet seven from last year. I am excited that our returning athletes have made significant progress through track season and have put in a lot of work over the summer in order to be even better than they were before. I am excited about some new members of the team that I think will make an impact on the program as well. I am excited to have a great time at practice every day, and to see where things end up as the season plays out.
4. Who are some athletes that you expect to take on bigger roles this fall?
Coach Hittner: Everyone! I think Dempsey Nelson is going to be at an entirely different level than she was in CC last year. I think Kylie Jacobson (who won counties for us last year and was 7th at states) will be even better. I think Charlie Brill is the glue that holds everything together. The most experienced member of the team -- she finds the right balance of calm and fired up and the team follows her lead. Addison Abraskin is healthy again after getting injured late last fall and will be in line for a great year. Brenna Hubbell has continued to improve every single day and is going to compete really hard for us. Isabella Messina is ready to be a full-time runner and she is as tough as it gets and really brings a lot of fire to our team. Molly Gorra was in her first season of running last fall and has improved so much since last August and has a chance to fight for spots in our varsity lineups this year. Sophie Bedon is our second senior and is a fantastic teammate that works hard every single day. We have some new girls coming out for the first time as well that I am excited to see what they can do this fall. But everyone is expected to go a step or two further than they did last year.
5. What goals have you and your team set for this season, and are there any invitationals or championship meets you're especially looking forward to?
Coach Hittner: Every time we race, we are trying to win, and I think this year we will be very competitive everywhere we go. We are doing something new this year and going to Great American in Cary, North Carolina, the first weekend of October, so that will be a fantastic new experience.
6. What do you hope this year's team is remembered for when the season is over?
Coach Hittner: For continuing all of the traditions of Hereford cross country. So many shared experiences that travel back years and even decades. These girls will keep all of those alive, including the quest to win the county and state championships.
7. How long have you been coaching? How did you get your start?
Coach Hittner: So I am entering year #23 of coaching, and my 11th year at Hereford. I started off at Loch Raven High School in the fall of 2004 (where we won the girls 1A state title that fall!) and was there for five years; then at Pikesville High for seven year before joining Hereford. I got started in coaching because I was a sprinter/hurdler/decathlete at Towson University and after my junior year they cut the men's program. So I had some free time and a love for the sport (track and cross country: I ran four years of cross country at Urbana High School!) so I applied through Baltimore County and Loch Raven was the first place to call me!
8. What's one of your favorite memories from your coaching career that still makes you smile?
Coach Hittner: I smile every time I get a text from alumni, whether it be about track and running, or life in general, or see a Strava post from someone I used to coach still running in their free time as an adult now. But if I had to say something that makes me smile, it is thinking about how much I have become part of the Hereford community and how much I enjoy that. How 11 years ago John Roemer was able to sneakily take photos when I proposed to my now wife. Eight years ago, three members of the team attended my wedding. Or how at the indoor track 2025 end of season banquet the families turned it into a surprise baby shower before the birth of my son and blessed my wife and I with so many amazing gifts. I work with amazing people every single year and every single day. I do not take that privilege lightly. They give me their best, and I give them mine.
9. If someone spent one practice with your team, what's something they'd quickly learn about your program's culture?
Coach Hittner: They would probably be shocked by just how un-serious we are at times. We have a lot of fun at practice, we laugh and make jokes and the athletes give me a hard time, and then it's time to put in the work and we do that better than anybody I imagine. But those days are full of so much more than just hard workouts. And that is what makes us so successful year after year. The team is bigger than any one person or any one race or any one year. We never lose sight of the big picture (and I am not talking about a high school cross country meet being the big picture).
Captain Questions - Answered by Charlie Brill
1. What's one word that best describes this year's team, and why?Charlie: Selfless. We have a really talented group, but what stands out most is how willing everyone is to work for each other. Everyone works hard to see the success of the team as a whole. With most of our runners being on the younger side, there’s a lot of room for us to grow together. Everyone is pushing themselves, but they’re also pushing the people around them. Our success comes from how well we race as a team, not just individually.
2. What's one goal this team has that goes beyond winning races?
Charlie: Our biggest goal beyond winning races is to leave the team better than we found it. We have a really young group this year, and we want to build a team culture that lasts beyond one season. We want everyone to become a better runner, but also a better teammate, leader, and person. The seniors and captains have a responsibility to set that standard now so the younger runners can carry it forward for years to come.
3. What message would you like to send to your teammates and fans as the 2026 season begins?
Charlie: To my teammates: I really just want us to soak in every moment of this season together. It’s my last year running with this group, and that makes it mean even more to me. We have a lot of talent, but what’s made this team special is the people and the bond we’ve built over the years. Keep showing up for each other, keep believing in each other, and don’t take any of this time for granted.
To the fans: thank you for supporting us and showing up for us. We’re excited to represent Hereford and give everyone something to be proud of this season. We’re ready to work, ready to compete, and ready to see what this group can accomplish.
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The Hereford girls cross country program has become synonymous with success, but head coach Adam Hittner isn't interested in letting the latest championship define the program. After winning its seventh 2A state title in nine seasons in 2025, the Bulls return six of their seven runners from last year's state championship team, giving a young but experienced group another opportunity to compete at the highest level.
For Hittner, the championship is ultimately just one piece of a much bigger experience. Hereford's traditions, relationships, and ability to make running an enjoyable part of athletes' lives, have remained at the center of the program throughout his 11 years at the school. With senior captain Charlie Brill leading a talented returning group, the Bulls enter 2026 looking to continue that tradition while building something that lasts well beyond a single November race.