The History
2023 Top Teams: Einstein, Churchill, Whitman
2022 Top 3 Teams: Severna Park, Churchill, Whitman
2023 Top 5 Individuals: James Partlow (TJ), Tsedeke Jakovics (Old Mill), Mateo Gross-Slovinsky (Whitman), Nate Swanson (Churchill), Alejandro Berrio (Seneca Valley)
2022 Top 5 Individuals: Ty Dailey (Dulaney), Frederick Alfonso-Frank (Blair), Noah Fisher (RM), Chris Nunn (Sev Park), Nikhil Manickam (Dulaney)
2021 Top 3 Teams: Sev Park, Walt Whitman, Winston Churchill
2021 Top 5 Individuals: Luke Coffin (Annapolis), Tucker Sangster (Arundel), Andrew Schell (WJ), James Glebocki (Sev Park), Ty Dailey (Dulaney)
The Course
The State Meet course is run on the infamous Bull Run Course. The dip defines the course and it’s universally known throughout the running community. The course is certainly challenging, but it rewards toughness and durability. Depending upon one’s definition of a hill, there are at least eleven hills on the course-some more challenging than others. The second mile is by far the most challenging mile in the course with two steep, challenging hills. The second hill after the soccer field, which demarcates the half way point, is arguably the most challenging part of the course.
One is advised to commit to the race early on, but to be advised a faster than average first mile will result in a very long second mile. The final mile is actually a net downhill with a set of rolling hills on the back side of the course. This leads to the return to the dip.
One factor with racing this course in November versus September is that the weather is significantly different. One doesn’t need to contend with a scorching sun, but precipitation may not evaporate, which can lead to certain areas being slick, in particular the ninety degree turn leading to the return to the dip. Another nuance in the change of seasons is that one can see up the dip from a distance away, and one can also see the runners make their way to the dip following the second mile.
A full course preview is below.
The Teams
Blair
Blair comes into this state championship as a light favorite. The Blazers took the highly competitive MOCO Championships and they finished second narrowly to BCC at the 4A West championships. The Blazers were the first Maryland team at MDXC in early October beating Churchill by a small margin.
Whitman
Whitman is hopeful in their chances for Saturday. They did not have a top performance at MDXC, but their post season has been trending positive. The Vikings finished second at MOCO champs, only eight points behind Blair. At 4A West Regionals, they showed a commanding performance taking the title by almost thirty points over Urbana. Head Coach Ben Thoms is optimistic is heading into Saturday. “Our boys season has had its ups and downs, and fortunately we do feel like we’re on an up right now. I’m really proud of this group and how they’ve battled all season, and the only expectation is that they give it their all on the 9th.”
Churchill
The Bulldogs best meet this year was winning the elite division at Bull Run, albeit by a single point over Whitman. Churchill also ran well at MDXC, though they were forty points behind Blair. In the post season, the Bulldogs finished fifth at MOCO Championships, but they bumped up to third in the 4A West region finishing only one point behind Urbana.
Leonardtown
Leonardtown has been trending up this season. They were fifth at Seahawk, falling behind Crofton, a team they came back against and beat handily at 4A East Championships last week. Leonardtown won the Bull Run large division though their victory was not against any of these teams they hope to challenge. They also won the SMAC championships by a wide margin two weeks ago.”We’re looking forward to this Saturday’s competition! As recent Southern Maryland Athletic Conference Champions and 4A East Regional Champions, our boys are looking forward to returning to a familiar course and running their race. They have the endurance and the heart, they just need to give it all they got and compete for a spot on the podium!”
Einstein
Einstein was the upset winner last year, narrowly taking the state title by just five points. They return several members of last year’s state championship team. They have a target on their back this year, adding to pressure to defend that championship. While they did win the 4A North region, they were only ninth at MOCO Championships, whereas they were fourth at MOCO in 2023. The key to their success this year is their #5.
Urbana
To start the season, Urbana was only six points behind Blair at the Hood College Invite. Urbana comfortably won Frederick county championships, and Urbana was second at the very competitive 4A West Regionals, though they were a distant second to Whitman that day. Head Coach Jackie Suarez is excited for Saturday. “Look for us to be led by juniors Joshua Rothery & Korey Kauflin side by side, and sophomore Simon Lipchock following suit. One of our biggest strengths is in our tight pack with our 4-7 finishing 22-23-24-25 at the 4A West Region. Our goal is to “hold the rope” all the way to the finish. If we can cross the line knowing in our hearts we never let go then we have done all we can, and let the chips fall where they may.”
BCC
BCC is also a team that looks to make a championship run in this highly competitive field. They’ve been trending upwards when it counts the most. They were only fifteenth at MDXC. They ran well at MOCO to finish fourth, and their biggest race this year was their 4A North title, beating out a top team in Blair.
The Individuals
Nate Swanson (Churchill), Mateo Gross-Slovinsky (Whitman), Santiago Gutierrez (Churchill), Ayaan Ahmad (Clarksburg), Henry Nichols (Northwood), Griffin Lupes (Einstein), Sam Buxton (Einstein), Jonathan Regules (TJ), Naasir Bakari (Northwest), Jaleb Saunders (ER), Kieran White (Parkdale), Grady Roberts (Annapolis), Campbell Gelineau (Crofton),