2025 was a great year for Calvert Hall. The Cardinals captured both the MIAA and Maryland Private School championships and picked up a major early season win at the Adidas XC Challenge in North Carolina.
Now, Calvert Hall enters 2026 with what Head Coach Scott Baker calls the oldest and most talented group he has coached. Led by seniors Kaden Omopariola, JD Hughes, and Ben Ghahhari, the Cardinals have their sights set beyond defending championships at home. With trips to the Trinity Invitational in Kentucky and NXR ahead, Baker hopes his team can continue getting one percent better, check enough boxes along the way and perhaps put itself into the NXN conversation by November.
Last Year Quick Recap
1. 2025 Titles/Notable Results:
MIAA and MD Private Championship. I think our best result was winning the Adidas XC Challenge in NC.
2. What was the biggest highlight or turning point of your 2025 season?
Our upset victory at Adidas XC Challenge, where we beat two of the top teams in our Nike region.
The Team This Year
1. What makes this year's group different from previous teams?
This is our most talented and oldest group we have had. Our varsity in general has a good mix of classes but our top five will most likely be all seniors
2. Who are some athletes to look out for this season?
Our strength this year will be our top three. Kaden Omopariola, JD Hughes, and Ben Ghahhari. But our biggest surprise will be Colton Schafer.
3. What are your goals for this season?
One of the benefits to being good year over year is that can you start to dream big. The past couple of years we have been trying to get 1% better to get in the conversation of making NXN. So we will keep checking boxes and see if we have a shot on the day.
4. What invitationals or championships are you most excited for?
We are trying a new invitational for us up in Kentucky, so I think that will be exciting. It will be the Trinity Invitational and then NXR.
5. What would make this season a success for your team?
Being at our very best in November.
Culture
1. What makes your team unique from other teams?
I think the two best things about our team is our diversity and our mid-distance guys ability to run well in cross.
2. What values define your program?
Our team mission is to be good teammates and win championships. The focus is on the order of that sentence, so if you focus on being good people -- good stuff follows.
3. What are some team traditions?
Our biggest two are pretty simple but we do a 3200 time trial before the season starts and the guys draft teams and have an intra-squad competition. Second, we have an end-of-season breakfast and the guys love that.
4. What's one thing you hope every athlete who graduates from your program takes with them?
I hope they understand that if they work really hard at something and stay committed, odds are they will accomplish said thing.
5. When alumni come back to visit, what do they say they remember most about their time on the team?
The team trips. The long bus ride down to NXR. That or doing countless 800s.
6. What is one thing about your team that you wish people outside your program knew about?
That we are actually pretty good. Winning public school state championships I think gets you the most attention, it seems.
The Coach
1. Tell us your coaching story. How did you become a cross country coach and how long have you been coaching?
I started coaching in 2019 at Calvert Hall as an assistant cross country coach. From 2020 on I have been the head coach. I always wanted to coach but I had a boring desk job in Frederick that didn't allow me to coach and one day I got fired and moved back to Towson. The next day I asked the Calvert Hall coach if I could help out while I looked for a job and the rest was history. He let me write some training in my first week and then I helped out till he left the next year because of Covid.
2. How has your coaching philosophy evolved over time?
I think the only thing that has really changed is understanding it's okay if high schoolers train pretty hard. The sport has changed and its important we don't get left behind.
3. What's one of your favorite memories from your coaching career?
I'm sure Cam would be mad if I didn't say it involved him haha. I think there is a close tie between going to NXN with Cameron Davis or this past spring when our 4x800m relay at outdoor New Balance Nationals got fourth and ran under 7:40.
4. Looking back over your coaching career, is there one team that will always hold a special place in your heart? What made that group so memorable?
I am still young so hopefully a few more will replace this group. Right now, it's our 2023 team. That was essentially my first group I did all four years with and the senior group got along well and we went on countless seven or eight hour drives down to North Carolina together. They were also very talented and probably an injury away from an NXN berth.
5. Quick Answers
Favorite Course: Paul Short
Favorite Workout: Progressive long run for me. 800s at threshold for the boys.
Favorite Quote: "Another day, another dollar."
Upperclassmen Answers
1. If someone joined your team tomorrow, what's the first thing they'd notice about the team?
- If someone joined our team tomorrow, I think the first thing they’d notice is how close everyone is and how welcoming the team is. Everyone supports and pushes each other, but we also have a lot of fun together.
- If someone joined us tomorrow, the first thing they’d notice is how goofy everyone is, but also how quickly we can flip the switch from joking around to working hard.
2. What's one word that defines this team?
3. What's one goal this team has that goes beyond winning races?
- To make sure everyone feels like they’re part of the team while helping each person improve and reach their potential.
- Holding each other accountable.
4. What's one thing Coach does to support the team that most might not notice?
- Coach puts a lot of thought into making sure each runner gets the training and support they need.
- The hours of planning out every single workout and training blocks so all we have to do is show up and execute what we’re told.
Quick Answers 1
Favorite Course: Wake Med
Favorite Workout: Six-mile tempo
Team DJ: JD
Team Comedian: Ben
Most likely to forget their spikes: Kaden
Quick Answers 2
Favorite course: WakeMed Soccer Park
Favorite workout: 8 x 400m at mile pace
Team DJ: Kaden
Team comedian: Ben
Most likely to forget their spikes: Kaden
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