Both the Towson High Girls and Boys Teams had a remarkable 2022 season. They achieved a very rare accomplishment as both the boys and girls won the 3A titles. Looking to 2023, both squads have familiar faces; however, both squads lose some key members from their 2022 season.
The 2022 boy’s team was elite. They were third at Barnhart, second in the Bull Run Elite division, and second at MDXC Black and Gold. In the postseason, they took the Baltimore County Championship, their region championship, and they capped it off with the 3A State title; more impressively, they were the overall state champion among all four classifications at Hereford.
The 2022 girl’s team was a roller coaster ride. They finished second at Barnhart, and appeared well on their way to a championship run. As the season went on though, the wheels started to wobble. They finished eighth at MDXC and fifth at Gunpowder. Yet, as a championship caliber team, they regrouped and turned things around as they finished second at the Baltimore County Championships and then pulled off a remarkable run at the state meet to take the title by a mere five points.
Both sides understand the expectations and challenges of defending a title, but the post season triple crown is the vision.
For the boy’s, Head Coach Gil Stange remarks, “We graduated some very successful and experienced leaders on both squads last spring, so our primary goals this fall are to prepare our up-and-coming runners to fill those spots, improve our team average and total times, and squeeze down the 1-5 gaps. On the boys side, Jack Fields and Theo Brown had great outdoor seasons and will join our State top 25 returners Kieran Mischke, Evan Cline, and Jack Blanchfield. Hunter Parsons and Trent Raffaelli are with us for their first XC experience after strong indoor and outdoor seasons last year and we have a nice group of promising frosh runners.”
Coach Stange continues, “For the girls Cecilia van Lierop and Isabel Backer are back from last years State team, and Alex Lohse is with us for her first season of XC coming off an outstanding spring track campaign. Freshmen Catherine van Lierop and Audrey Sorensen look strong so far in the preseason and we have several returners from last year’s JV who are ready to make the jump to varsity. If we can keep everyone happy and healthy, we can focus on improving our performances from 2022.”
Below, some members of both the girls and boys team discuss their team and individual goals.
Boys 2022 3A State Meet Video
Girls 2022 3A State Meet Video
2022 Season Preview for Towson High
https://chasingthestandard.com/2022/08/towson-high-xc-preview-generals-have-begun-their-march/