The Lisbon boys will be going for their third consecutive title today, with Mother Nature being one of the top concerns at the state cross country meet.
The course at Leavitt Area High School has been hit by an excessive amount of recent rainfall. Now couple those wet conditions with expected temperatures in the low 40s along with a chance of snow flurries, and the racetrack feeling is all but gone.
“The field conditions even the running field,” says Lisbon coach Hank Fuller, “but we’ve gone on mud runs once a week during the regular season.”
The Leavitt course features what many teams simply call “The Hill.”
It is a long and winding hill strategically placed near the two-mile mark.
“It separates the men from the boys,” says Eastern Class B champion Corey DeWitt.
Although they’ve only run the course once this season, the Lisbon boys are well prepared for hill climbing. After last week’s Western C regional race, St. Dom’s Justin Richardson came in second behind Tyler Clark of Lisbon. Clark is also the favorite to cross the finish line first on Saturday.
“I learned he’s very strong up hills,” said Richardson.
“We run what we call hill blasts,” says Fuller. “The kids have to run up the hill in a certain time and then back down in a certain time. Then we do it again.
“The (kids’) mood is excellent. They’re also realistic. They’ve had a successful regular season, but they know they need to win one more race.”
Winthrop and Orono will be the teams with the chance of knocking the Greyhounds from their stronghold on Class C.
Freeport is a solid favorite on the girls’ side in quest of a third straight state title.
The Class A boys’ competition will be tight. Mt. Blue and Lewiston from the east will battle Portland, Scarborough and Bonny Eagle from the west.
Not only will these teams be vying for the state title, but they’ll also be competing for the three wildcard spots given to Maine teams for entry in the New England championships on Nov. 12 in Vermont. The three class winners, along with the teams regardless of class, that have the next best times in both boys and girls are given invitations.
The boys’ individual favorites include Portland’s Joshua Wang, Bonny Eagle’s Evan Embrey along with Adam Deveau of Mt. Blue and Nick Kazar of Edward Little.
In Class A girls, Brunswick, Hampden, McAuley, Kennebunk and Deering are the teams to watch. Krystal Douglas of Mt. Ararat and Mandy Ivey of Oxford Hills are the front runners for the individual crown along with Abby Iselborn of McAuley.
The Leavitt boys hope the home course will be an advantage for them in the race for Class B, but Ellsworth, Cape Elizabeth and Falmouth are the teams to beat. The most anticipated individual match may be in B between Lake Region’s Miles Bartlett and DeWitt.
The two have not faced each other this season on Maine soil. In a race held in Manchester, N.H. earlier this fall, Bartlett ran 13 seconds faster, but the two were in different heats.
The B girls’ championship should be between Cape Elizabeth and Maranacook from the west and Old Town and Mt. Desert out of the east.
Maranacook’s Abby Pullen and John Bapsts’ Madeline Glover are the top individuals.
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