Western Maine cross country runners vying for back-to-back races at Twin Brook

Daryn Slover/Sun Journal St. Dom's Alyse Carney climbs ahead of Madison's Jessica Theberge (91) and Monmouth Academy's Kayla Minkowsky during the Mountain Valley Conference Cross Country Championship in Augusta on Saturday.

- Daryn Slover

If, as forecast, heavy rains meet Western Maine's top cross country runners when they descend upon Twin Brook Recreation Area in Cumberland Saturday, at least one coach hopes organizers will allow the competitors to tough it out.

"I'm hopeful (the Western Maine regionals will go on as scheduled)," Poland coach Sean Galipeau-Eldridge said. "I'm of a mind that cross country should be run in just about everything but lightning. But there has been more of a conservative approach (by the Maine Principals' Association) over the last few years. We'll see what happens, but (postponing the meet) does interfere with your training and peaking for the right moment."

Twin Brook will also host the state meet the following week, and it is the perfect place to host big cross country events in back-to-back weeks, rain or shine.

"It's a great course," Galipeau-Eldridge said. "It's got a little of everything. You've got open fields, plenty of woods and rolling hills. The trails are wider. It's a challenging course. It's a good place to have a championship."

"There aren't a lot of places where you get stuck behind things, but there are places where, if you get ahead of someone in the woods, you can lose sight," he added. "And if someone puts a move and puts in a surge when they go around a corner, it could make an impact."

Galipeau-Eldridge's Knights are hoping to make an impact in a strong Class B field dominated by Western Maine Conference teams. Reigning WMC and defending Western B champion Greely is the favorite on its home course, with Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth and York expected to challenge.

On the girls' side, WMC champion Cape Elizabeth is expected to take home its seventh straight regional title. York and Poland are expected to provide the greatest challenge.

"The team goal for the girls is still try to get into that top three, kind of keep our position," said Galipeau-Eldridge, whose team's only regular season losses came to Cape Elizabeth and York. "They've been real solid, certainly five deep. The top five has been real strong."

Poland's Kendra Lobley, who finished second at WMC's on Oct. 8, is among the individual favorites, along with WMC champion Emily Attwood of Cape, Maranacook's Abby Mace, Rachel Nichols of Cape and Michaela Swiatek of York.

"Right around that top three, that's what we're shooting for her. That's the goal for her," Galipeau-Eldridge said.

The goal for the MVC schools in the Class C meet is to crack the expected two-team race between WMC powers Waynflete, the two-time defending champions, and Freeport. St. Dom's plans to compete hinge on whether it can get some runners healthy during the week leading up to regionals is to get healthy. The Saints ran the Mountain Valley Conference championships with a hobbled Alyse Carney, who rolled her ankle during warm-ups and finished eighth, and without an injured Carolyn Joseph, another one of their top runners. Favored to win the MVC's, they finished third behind Monmouth and Madison.

The Mustangs have made a habit of peaking at the right time, so counting them out of the mix isn't advisable. North Yarmouth Academy and Madison will also vie for top-five status. Individual favorites include Waynflete's Martha Veroneau and Amy Allen, MVC champion Laura MacDonald of Hall-Dale, Winthrop's Anna Doyle, Ellie Soule and Kiera Berkemeyer of Freeport, and Lisbon's Meagan Thomas.

Freeport, MVC champion Boothbay, Lisbon and Monmouth should compete for the boys' crown. Matt McClintock of Madison, Boothbay's Chase Brown, Patrick McInnis of Monmouth, Lisbon's Alex Branson and Ben Lewis of Telstar should be among the top individual competitors.

In Class A, Scarborough, Cheverus, Gorham and Massabesic are expected to battle for the boys' and girls' titles.