2021 Top 3 Teams:Â Hebron, River Hill, Centennial
2022 Top 3 Teams:Â Towson, Chopticon, Centennial
2021 Top 5 Runners:Â Antonio Camacho-Bucks, Tim Synowiec, Aiden Neal, Joseph Raudabaugh
2022 Top 5 Runners:Â Henry Hopper, Kieran Mischke, Sebastian Martinez, Christian Brower, Antonio Camacho-Bucks
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
With the changes in classification for many teams, the make up of this race looks significantly different from last year. Towson is the defending 3A Champion, but they also were the overall combined winner from last year. Though Towson lost several members of their 2022 state championship team, their guys have been running well all year, and their focus is to defend their title. The generals won Barnhart, the Bull Run Elite division, Baltimore County Championships, and the 3A North Region. 3A sees the addition of the perennial power Severna Park. The Falcons have been right there this season. They won Seahawk, the Anne Arundel County Championship, and the 3A East Region. Wootton is a new addition to 3A this year, and they can make a run at the state championship. The Patriots dominated the Montgomery County Championship, which is the deepest and largest county championship in the state. They also won the West region last week. Howard, new to 3A this season, is also a team that can challenge for a podium position. They’ve had a strong season winning Top of the Hill, Eagle, the Howard County Championships, and the South region. Chopticon is a team that could play spoiler and shock the field. They are the SMAC champions, and they were fourteen points behind Severna Park at the East Regional meet.
Towson beat Wootton at MDXC by a decent margin, but Wootton’s margin of victory at MOCO indicates the Patriots are peaking at the right time.  All five of these teams have not matched up together in the same meet this year, but at Bull Run, albeit six weeks ago, Towson was first, Wootton was second, and Severna Park was third.
Patriots Head Coach Kellie Redmond says, “Our goal is to have that best team race. For us this would mean having the confidence on the line that we can compete with anyone there, and maintaining that confidence throughout the race. Â I believe we can have a successful day if they run for something bigger than their own individual performance.”
Falcons Head Coach Josh Alcombright says, “It’s going to be a dog fight for a spot on the podium. We need to run well, but I like how we have been improving all season and the momentum we are coming into the meet with. The key will be to execute the race plan correctly.”
The Generals Head Coach Gil Stange says, “We’re looking at States the same way we’ve looked at other races: how to use our experience and learn to improve as a team. 1-5 gap and average time are our metrics, and things over which we have some measure of control. We’ve got good data on the course from Bull Run this year and States last year. But we’re not an expectations/results oriented program-we’re more focused on the process. We want to enjoy the ride.â€
The Individuals
A few individuals who will be in the lead pack include:Â Kieran Mischke (Towson), Evan Cline (Towson), Troy Bailey (Wootton), Edward Sun (Wootton), Taylor Jarvis (Sev Park), Logan Amis (Man Valley), Weston Carr (Chopticon), Zaiden Lane (Arundel), Caden Lazzor (Sev Park), Owen Infante (South River), Alex Paciello (Chesapeake), Joey Ensor (Howard), Justin Banks (Tuscarora), Sean Gravell (Sherwood), Kidus Zeleke (Reservoir), Jack Blanchfield (Towson), Braden Gutekunst (Great Mills), Nick Watson (Chopticon)
2022 State Meet Video
Course Preview
Results Research from: