The Mount Desert Island and Houlton/Greater Houlton Christian Academy girls cross country teams are among the favorites to capture state championships on Saturday at Twin Brook Recreation Area in Cumberland.
The Class C boys meet will kick off the action at 11 a.m. over the 3.1-mile course followed by the girls at 11:40. The A meets will be next with the boys starting at 12:20 p.m. and the girls at 1 p.m.
Class B concludes the day with a 1:40 p.m. starting time for the boys and 2:20 p.m. for the girls.
The Mount Desert Island girls will be seeking their first state Class B title since 2021. They finished sixth a year ago.
The Trojans cruised to a B North regional championship in Belfast last weekend, tallying 20 points which was 75 better than runnerup Old Town.
MDI senior Amelia Vandongen won the B North meet in 18:36.43 and freshman teammate Rebecca Rand was second in 19:47.20. Senior Meri Rainford and freshman Marlee Cananese finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
York is the defending two-time champ but was a distant second to Freeport in the B South meet at Twin Brook. Freeport had 51 points and York had 81.
The Houlton/GHCA girls were triumphant in the C North meet, collecting 23 points to outdistance George Stevens Academy by 24.
Seniors Teanne Ewings (18:17.20) and Natalie Johnson (18:52.37) finished one-two for the Shires and teammates Andrea Ross and Katie McQuarrie were sixth and ninth, respectively.
Houlton/GHCA was third at the states a year ago.
Orono is the defending six-time state champ and has three quality runners in Clara White, Maya Boyington and Ruby Beane, who finished third, fourth and seventh at the regional.
But they are Orono’s only runners so the Riots can’t compete for another team title.
The top five finishers for each team are counted and runners six and seven are tie-breakers.
Dirigo of Dixfield had 84 points to easily win the South regional meet.
The girls from Buxton’s Bonny Eagle High School have won the last five state meets but were ninth in the South regional meet.
Falmouth, with 50 points, and Portland (67) will be the primary contenders from the south with Camden Hills of Rockport and Hampden Academy being serious contenders from the North after their one-two finish in the North meet. Camden Hills had 35 points, four better than Hampden Academy.
Hampden Academy’s Addison Elliott, a sophomore, was the A North winner in 19:26.15 followed by junior teammate Gretchen Plant (19:27.38). HA senior Emily Kneser finished eighth.
Camden Hills runners Cassie Middleton, Isabella Anderson, Siena Scordino and Piper Brenton occupied the fourth through seventh spots.
Camden Hills finished second in the state a year ago, just five points behind Bonny Eagle.
Portland’s Samantha Moore, a senior, will be back to defend her state championship. She finished second two years ago as a sophomore.
Moore won the South regional meet.
Portland won the state Class A boys crown a year ago by 10 points over Scarborough and won the South regional by 27 points over Scarborough.
Hampden Academy, state champ in 2022 and 2021, triumphed in the North regional by 28 points over Messalonskee of Oakland.
Asher Valentine and Tim Collins of Hampden Academy finished second and third in the regional behind Lewiston’s Enzo Giampolo.
In Class B boys, Lake Region of Naples’ Sam Laverdiere will look to defend his title while the Freeport boys seek a fourth state title in a row.
Laverdiere won the South regional while Freeport runners Alex Gilbert, Conner Smith and Owen Dawson finished third, fourth and 10th.
John Bapst of Bangor, which was ninth in the state meet last season, was best in the North regional by six points over Caribou.
John Bapst’s Griffin Merrill won the North race in 16:40.95 with teammates Henry Milan and Benedict Hoskins placing third and 11th. Caribou’s Teowolde Stewart and Seth Dubay were fourth and ninth.
In C boys, Orono looks to be the favorite after an impressive showing in the regional.
Orono posted 23 points to outdistance Houlton by 54 points.
Orono finished second to Sumner of East Sullivan in last year’s state meet and is seeking its first title since 2021..
The Orono boys put five runners in the top eight in the regional meet.
Ben Arsenault won it in 16:40.75 and teammate Owen Beane was second (17:03.11). Andrew Barrett was fifth, Camden Brown was seventh and Liam Waring was eighth.
