The Cool Guy

NCAA Championship Preview: 8 Butler vs 3 UConn

2011-04-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

It all ends tonight when the Butler Bulldogs face off against the UConn Huskies. Butler will be looking for redemption after coming within inches of a title last year while streaking UConn hopes to top off a magical run behind the brilliant play of first team All-American Kemba Walker. It will also be a battle of coaches tonight. Jim Calhoun looks to put another title on his impressive resume while Butler coach Brad Stevens will look to become the youngest coach (34) to win an NCAA title. Will Kemba carry his team tonight? Will Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard get their revenge from last year? It all tips of at 9:23 pm. Here is a break down of the ultimate edge:

Back court
Butler
Best Three:
Shelvin Mack 15.9 PPG 3.6 RPG 4.3 APG
Shawn Vanzant 8.1 PPG 3.2 RPG 1.7 APG
Ronald Nored 5.3 PPG 3.1 RPG 2.5 APG

UConn
Best Three:
Kemba Walker 23.9 PPG 5.3 RPG 4.3 APG
Jeremy Lamb 11.1 PPG 4.5 RPG 1.5 APG
Shabzz Napier 8.0 PPG 2.4 RPG 3.0 APG

All eyes will be on Kemba Walker tonight as he looks to bring UConn to the top. In his way will be the Butler guards consisting of Shelvin Mack and Ronald Nored. The key match up in tonight will be Kemba Walker vs Ronald Nored. Kemba is arguably the most talented player in the country. His speed and quickness make him incredibly tough to guard. Ronald Nored is considered one of the best individual defenders in the country. In order for Butler to win, Nored will have to contain Kemba's penetration and force him to take perimeter shots. Shelvin Mack will have to have another good game as well. He was shot the ball remarkably well over the tournament, and if he can stay hot Butler will be in good position tonight. For UConn it's pretty basic; Kemba Walker has to play well. When he plays well his team plays well and vice versa. The ex factor tonight will be Jeremy Lamb. If he can hit a few shots early in the game it will take some pressure off of Walker.

Edge: UConn

Front court
Butler
Best Three
Matt Howard
Khyle Marshall
Garett Butcher

UConn
Best Three
Alex Oriahki 9.6 PPG 8.6 RPG 0.4 APG
Roscoe Smith 6.5 PPG 5.2 RPG 0.5 APG
Jamal Coombs-McDaniels 5.8 PPG 2.7 RPG 0.4 APG

Matt Howard still has that sour taste in his mouth since last April. Howard played with four fouls for the last minutes of last years title game. Tonight his main concern should be to stay out of foul trouble. His tenacity and energy is great, but it can sometimes lead him to dumb fouls. He needs to stay out of foul trouble if Butler is going to win tonight. Howard has added a perimeter game to his arsenal this year so look for that to make a difference tonight. He has shot 40.9 percent on three pointers this year. For UConn, Alex Oriahki will have to continue his stellar play in order for them to win tonight. He has been an offensive rebounding machine during the post season. It will be critical for him to give his team second opportunities to score tonight.

Edge: Butler

Coaching:
Jim Calhoun vs Brad Stevens

The coaching match up tonight will be outstanding. Jim Calhoun has lead a team loaded with freshmen and sophomores to the National Title game. That is a very tough task indeed. His ability to coach through adversity has been incredible. Remember this is his third title game in the last 12 years so it's not like he hasn't been here before. Brad Stevens is arguably the best in game coach in the country. His ability to get the best out of his players is truly remarkable. I don't think anybody had Butler going this far. Don't expect Butler to be phased this time. They now have the experience to know what it takes to win the title.

Edge: Even

All in All:
Expect this game to go down to the wire. Both teams are used to playing very physical so expect this to be a low scoring affair. Butler really likes to get at you physically and mentally. They like to take other teams out of their game so look for them to try and mix things up tonight. On the other hand, Butler hasn't faced a player as good as Kemba since early December (Kyrie Irving, Duke won 82-70). Walker has the ability to completely take over a game by himself. But it will be his teammates job to consistently make plays throughout the game.

Prediction:
Butler 63-61 game winning shot by Shelvin Mack at buzzer
Kemba Walker 21 Points 5 Rebounds 4 Assists

NCAA Final Four Preview and Predictions

2011-04-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

It should be an exciting Final Four tonight including two teams who have been national powers over the last decade and two teams who, between them, only have one Final Four appearance. Butler is looking to go to it's second straight title game behind tough defense and Coaching brilliance by Brad Stevens while VCU looks to continue to shock the tournament world behind the gutsy play of Joey Rodriguez and Jamie Skeen. In the nine o clock game we have two of the most storied college basketball programs in the country squaring off. UConn will look to reach its third national title game in 12 years while Kentucky will look to make it's first national title game since 1998. A rivalry will be renewed tonight when Jim Calhoun and John Calipari face off tonight. These two coaches were battling for the best team in New England during the 90's and now they will get a chancee to face each other at the biggest stage. Lets start with the VCU vs Butler game.

11 VCU 28-11 vs 8 Butler 27-9 6:09 PM

Back court

VCU
Best Three:
Joey Rodriguez 10.5 PPG 3.3 RPG 5.1 APG
Bradford Burgess 14.3 PPG 6.2 RPG 1.6 APG
Brandon Rozzell 11.6 PPG 2.3 RPG 1.5 APG

Butler
Best Three:
Shelvin Mack 15.9 PPG 4.3 RPG 3.6 APG
Shawn Vanzant 8.1 PPG 3.2 RPG 1.7 APG
Ronald Nored 5.3 PPG 3.1 RPG 2.5 APG

VCU's back court has carried them throughout the tournament so look for them to do the most damage tonight. Joey Rodriguez has had a sensational tournament so far. He may not score a lot but his toughness and energy brings VCU to another level. Bradford Burgess has carried the scoring load throughout the tournament as evidence to his 26 points in a one point win against Florida State. For Butler, Shelvin Mack will have to have a good game. He is one of the best guards in the country as evidence to his seven three pointers against Florida in the elite eight. He will be asked to carry the load for Butler tonight.

Edge: VCU

Front court
Best Three:
Jamie Skeen 15.4 PPG 7.4 PRG 1.6 APG
Juvonte Reddic 3.5 PPG 1.9 RPG 0.3 APG
Toby Veal 2.4 PPG 2.2 RPG 0.2 APG

Butler
Best Three:
Matt Howard 16.7 PPG 7.7 RPG 1.5 APG
Khyle Marshall 5.3 PPG 3.8 RPG 0.3 APG
Garett Butcher 1.6 PPG 1.3 RPG 0.2 APG

The front court matchup between Jamie Skeen and Matt Howard should be very intriguing to watch. Both players aren't afraid to get down and dirty so expect that matchup to be a battle. After those two neither team has many quality players so it will be critical for role players to step up. The question is which ones will step up?

Edge: Butler

Coaching:
Brad Stevens vs Shaka Smart
On one hand we have Shaka Smart who will be making his first appearance in the Final Four tonight. He's been able to rally his Rams to greatness over the past couple of weeks. On the other hand we have Brad Stevens, who is quickly becoming one of the best coaches in the country. Both coaches have different strategies. Smart likes to have his players run up and down the court while Stevens prefers to play a half court game and tough nosed defense. I give the edge to Brad Stevens on this one.

Edge: Butler

Prediction:
Butler will make it's second straight national title game this year behind the gutsy play of Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard and coaching wizz Brad Stevens. VCU hasn't played a defense all year that has been as physical as Butler so that could be the difference in this one.

Butler 70-65

4 Kentucky vs 3 UConn 8:49 PM
Back Court
Best Three
UConn
Kemba Walker 23.9 PPG 5.3 RPG 4.5 APG
Jeremy Lamb 11.1 PPG 4.5 RPG 1.5 APG
Shabazz Napier 8.0 PPG 2.4 RPG 3.0 APG

Kentucky
Best Three
Brandon Knight 17.3 PPG 3.9 RPG 4.3 APG
Doron Lamb 12.3 PPG 2.0 RPG 1.7 APG
Darius Miller 11.4 PPG 4.6 RPG 1.7 APG

Kemba Walker has been a man on a mission the past month. If they voted for National Player of the Year after the tournament he would be the winner. His speed and quickness will cause trouble for Kentucky. But for UConn to beat Kentucky Jeremy Lamb will have to hit some shots early to get some pressure off of Walker. For Kentucky, freshmen Brandon Knight will have to continue to play at a high level if they want to win. He hit some huge shots in their elite eight win over UNC so expect him to have the ball in his hands at the end of the game. Doron Lamb and Darius Miller will have to step up big if Kentucky wants to win tonight. I give the slight edge to UConn because they have Kemba Walker

Edge: UConn

Front Court
UConn
Best Three:
Alex Oriahki 9.6 PPG 8.6 RPG 0.4 APG
Roscoe Smith 6.5 PPG 5.2 RPG 0.5 APG
Jamal Coombs-McDaniels 5.8 PPG 2.7 RPG 0.4 APG

Kentucky
Best Three:
Terrence Jones 15.8 PPG 8.7 RPG 1.6 APG
Josh Harrellson 7.6 PPG 8.8 RPG 0.8 APG
DeAndre Liggins 8.8 PPG 4.1 RPG 2.5 APG

The front court match ups tonight will be very intriguing to watch tonight. Alex Oriahki is one of the top offensive rebounders in the country. He will play a critical role tonight. If he can get some offensive rebounds early to get second chance opportunities then UConn will be in good position. For Kentucky, Terrence Jones will need to make plays tonight. He's a match up nightmare every time he steps on the court. He made big play after big play against UNC last Sunday so he will be relied on heavily to produce some big numbers. Josh Harrelson has really stepped up his game this year. He has become Brian Zoubek Part II except Harrelson can shoot from 15-18 feet. He, like Oriahki, will be relied on to get his team second opportunities to score.

Edge: Kentucky

Coaching: John Calipari vs Jim Calhoun

The old New England rivalry will be renewed tonight on the biggest stage. Calhoun is looking for his third title while Calipari is just trying to make it to Championship without it being vacated.

Edge: UConn

Prediction: UConn will advance to it's first National Title game since 2004 behind another brilliant game from Kemba Walker. He will go for at least 25 tonight. If UConn can control the boards tonight they should be in very good position.

UConn 77-73

Looking Forward to Next Fall

2010-12-13T11:11:00.000-08:00

With the cross country season officially over it’s time to look at what’s in store for next year. It seems like Falmouth and Scarborough are good every year and that won’t change next fall as both teams bring back at least three runners from their top five. These two teams are very evenly matched and it if they both go to Festival of Champions next year, it should be a very entertaining meet. There is a big gap after those two teams. Greely has the best chance to catch Falmouth. They lack the fire power up front, but they have great depth and they should very dangerous going into the post season. Edward Little is the next best class A team. Expect them to challenge Scarborough next year. NYA will be the top class C team next year as they will look to defend his title. The individual title for class A is up for grabs once again. There are at least five runners who could take the title. The class B title is a little more predictable. Silas Eastman was undefeated in the state of Maine this past fall. He will be the favorite to take the crown next year. The class C race might be the most competitive. We have two of the best runners in the state going against each other in Matt McClintock of Madison and Chase Brown of Boothbay. Don’t sleep on Wayneflete’s Abshir Horor. He had a great first season of XC and he will only get better. Here’s a look at what’s in store for next year:

1. Falmouth
Place at State meet: Runner up Class B
Top Returners: Tim Follo, Connor McGrory, Thomas Edmonds
Falmouth will return four runners from their top five next year which makes them the team to beat in class B for the second year in a row. Look for Tim Follo to have an outstanding senior year as he’ll look to close the gap between him and Fryeburg’s Silas Eastman. They key for Falmouth will be their four and five runners. If Henry Briggs and Azad Jalalia can improve over the summer look for them to push Falmouth over the edge. Falmouth will definitely be a title contender next year.

2. Scarborough
Place at State Meet: 1st Class A
Top Returners: Nick Morris, Robby Hall, Ian Morris
It seems like Scarborough is good every year and next year shouldn’t be any different. Their loss to Tom Hague and Zach Brown will hurt them, but they have the class A winner Nick Morris leading them along with Robby Hall who will look to have a break out year next year. The key for the Red Strom next year will be the improvement of Ian Morris and Wout Moulin. If they improve over the summer Scarborough will be in good shape to defend their state title.

3. Greely
Place at State meet: 5th Class B
Top Returners: Stefan Sandrueter, Nathan Maderia, Issac Emery
This will be the first year in a while where Greely doesn’t have any fire power in front. Stefan Sandrueter is their top returner. He placed 10th at the state meet so expect him to have a great season next year. Nathan Maderia and Isaac Emery will look to improve upon last season. If they can close the gap between them and Sandrueter expect Greely to contend for the title next October.

4. NYA
Place at States: 1st Class C
Top Returners: Cam Regan, Evan Kendall, Nate McPherson
NYA will return one of the best the top 1, 2 combos in the state next year in Cam Regan and Evan Kendall. Expect both of them to have great seasons. If their number three runner Nate McPherson can improve expect NYA to win their second class C title in a row.

5. York
Place at States: 6th Class B
Top Returners: Mitchell Finitz, Alec Jordan, Nick Eaton
York will once again be one of the top teams in class B next year. Expect Mitchell Finitz to have a great season. He placed seventh at the state meet running a time of 16:59.10 which was good enough to qualify him for the New England Championships. If York wants to be the crème of the crop in class B then Alec Jordan and Nick Eaton will have to have huge years.

6. Ellsworth
Place at States: 7th Class B
Top Returners: Dan Curts, Blake Pattengale, Kody Holmes
Ellsworth will be the top B team in the east next year behind the brilliance of Dan Curts who had an amazing freshmen year. If Ellsworth wants to contend with Falmouth, Greely, and York for the state title then Kody Holmes and Blake Pattengale will have to step up next year.

7. Wayneflete
Place at States: Runner Up Class C
Top Returners: Abshir Horor, Abukar Adan, Josh Espy
Wayneflete has arguably the best trio in the state which makes them one of the favorites to take the class C crown in 2011. Abshir Horor had a great first season of cross country and he will only get better. The key for Wayneflete will be there four and five runners. If they can step up they will challenge NYA for the title next year.

8. Edward Little
Place at States: 5th Class A
Top Returners: Justin Leclair, Loucas Bourget, Nathan Mulligan
Edward Little placed fifth at the class A state meet this past fall and with Justin Leclair and Loucas Bourget returning look for them to improve upon their placing next year. Look for Justin Leclair to have a breakout year. He will be one of the top runners in the KVAC.

9. Kennebunk
Place at States: 10th Class A
Top Returners: Chris Dunn, Cameron Weiwil, Robert Ekland
Kennebunk will surprise a lot of teams next year. The bring back Chris Dunn, who is one of the top runners in the state, and Cameron Weiwil who placed 27th at the state fall in October (17:35.98). With that formidable 1, 2 punch look for Kennebunk to make some noise next year in the SMAA.

10. South Portland
Place at States: 13th Class A
Top Returners: Ryan Tuttle, Ben Allen, Austin Gotts
South Portland was very young this year so look for them to comeback a more experienced and successful next year. Ryan Tuttle, Ben Allen, and Austin Gotts all placed in the top 40 at the state meet so they should defientely be able to move up next year.

Predictions

Class A Top Three
1. Scarborough
2. Edward Little
3. Kennebunk

Class B Top Three
1. Falmouth
2. Greely
3. York

Class C Top Three
1. NYA
2. Wayneflete
3. Boothbay

Individual Rankings

1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg JR
Place at States: 1st Class B
Fastest Time: 16:02.44
He didn’t lose in the state Maine this year. What makes you think next year will be any different? The kid is a stud. Look for Eastman to go to a whole new level next year. He will be the heavy favorite to defend his individual title next year.

2. Matt McClintock Madison SR
Place at States: 1st Class C
Fastest Time: 16:00.91
McClintock had a breakout year this fall as we saw him run the fastest time of all classes at the state meet in October (16:00.91). Look for him to continue to improve next year. He will be looking to defend his title next year, but he will be challenged by Boothbay’s Chase Brown.

3. Harlow Ladd Messalonksee SR
Place at States: 8th Class A
Fastest Time: 16:08
Ladd had a very impressive season this fall topped off with a second place finish at the Festival of Champions (16:11.5). An early stumble at the state meet caused Ladd to run in pain for the rest of the race. Expect him to contend for the individual title at the state meet next October.

4. Tim Follo Falmouth SR
Place at States: Runner Up Class B
Fastest Time: 16:21.44
Follo took his talents to the next level in the post season. He was the runner up at the class B state meet running a time of 16:21.44 and he was the second Maine finisher at the New England Championships placing 33rd. Expect Follo to continue to get better as he looks to close the gap between himself and Silas Eastman.

5. Chase Brown Boothbay SR
Place at States: Runner up Class C
Fastest Time: 16:12.05
Brown had a fantastic fall as we saw him place second to Matt McClintock at the class C state meet running a time of 16:14.97 which was good enough for the third fastest time of all classes. Expect Brown to have another great season next fall as he hopes to track down Matt McClintock.

6. Dan Curts Ellsworth SO
Place at States: 3rd Class B
Fastest Time: 16:26.45
Curts had a ridiculous freshmen year topped off with a third place finish at the state meet (16:28). Expect him to continue to excel now that he has a year of XC under his belt. Look for him to chase down Silas Eastman and Tim Follo next year.

7. Nick Morris Scarborough SR
Place at States: 1st Class A
Fastest Time: 16:25.15
Morris had a terrific fall as he won the class A state title running a time of 16:25. Look for him to be at the top of the pack next year as he looks to defend his title.

8. Andy Reifman-Packett Mt Ararat SR
Place at States: Runner up Class A
Fastest Time: 16:28.85
Reifman-Packett was the runner up at the class A state meet running a time of 16:28.85. Expect him to be with the crème of the crop next year as he looks to improve upon his finish at the state meet.

9. Eben Hodgkins Erksine SR
Place at States: 5th
Fastest Time: 16:32
Hodgkins had a breakout year this fall as we saw him place fifth at the class B state meet (16:41.15). Expect him to contend for a top three finish next fall.

10. Abshir Horor Wayneflete SR
Place at States: 10th
Fastest Time: 16:38
Horor had a brilliant first season of XC and he will only get better next year. He had an off day at the state meet as he placed 10th in class C running a time 17:20.38. Look for him to contend with McClintock and Brown for the class C title next year.

Predictions

Class A Top Five
1. Harlow Ladd Messalonskee SR
2. Nick Morris Scarborough SR
3. Andy Reifman Packett Mt Ararat SR
4. Bryant Perkins Sanford SR
5. Chris Dunn Kennebunk SR

Class B Top Five
1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg JR
2. Tim Follo Falmouth SR
3. Dan Curts Ellsworth SO
4. Eben Hodgkins Erksine SR
5. Thomas Bottomley Cape SR

Class C Top Five
1. Matt McClintcok Madison SR
2. Chase Brown Boothbay SR
3. Abshir Horor Wayneflete SR
4. Joseph Holt Andrews SO
5. Jack Pierce Merriconeag JR

Runners Knocking on the Door: Joseph Holt Andrews Telstar, Jack Pierce Merriconeag, Thomas Bottomley Cape, Mitchell Finitz York, Chris Dunn Kennebunk, Stefan Sandrueter Greely, Jonah Jones Mt Blue, Will Shafer GNG, Alex Bulteel Orono, Cam Regan NYA

How will Maine do at New Englands?

2010-11-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

Girls Preview

Team
Cheverus has crushed the competition in Maine so far so we will get to see how they fair against the best in New England. Emily Durgin will go after her second straight New England title on Saturday and Fiona Hendry will battle for a top five finish. With that impressive 1, 2 combo look for Cheverus to place very high. Mt Ararat will battle for a top ten spot on Saturday. They will be led by junior Emma Wood who placed fifth at the state meet running a time of 19:11.57. Her teammates, Kate Spies and Emilia McGrath will have to step up if Mt Ararat wants a top ten finish on Saturday. Don’t count out Massabesic and Cape on Saturday. Massabesic will be led Charlotte Pierce. Look for her to have a great race. This will be the first time in a while where Cape wasn’t the favorite to be the top Maine team at New England’s, but don’t count them out. They obviously lack the fire power up front compared to recent years, but their top five is very talented with senior Rachel Nichols leading the way. Look for her to have a strong race. Look for the John Bapst girls to make a splash as well. They defeated the Capers to win the state title so expect them to contend for a top 15 finish well.

Prediction
Cheverus has a shot to win New England’s. They are that good. Emily Durgin, Fiona Hendry, and Shannon Conley will all place in the top 25 which is truly outstanding for a Maine high school team. The battle for the second spot in Maine will be very intriguing to watch between Mt Ararat and Massabesic. They were only separated by 15 points in the combined results so expect those two teams to be very close in score. Massabesic, John Bapst, and Cape will be very close in score. They key for those teams will be their number four and five runners.

1. Cheverus Top 3
2. Mt Ararat Top 10
3. Massabesic Top 20
4. John Bapst Top 20
5. Cape Top 20

Individual
With Abby Leonardi not racing, Emily Durgin will be the early favorite to win on Saturday. Durgin will go after her second straight New England title. Her teammates Fiona Hendry and Shannon Conley will look to contend for top ten finishes as well. Dacie Manion has had an outstanding season this fall as she won the class B title. Look for her to contend for a top 15 finish. Other runners who will contend for top 25 finishes will be Emma Wood of Mt Ararat, Kathleen McMahon of Brunswick, Nyajock Pan of South Portland, Charlotte Pierce of Massabesic, Mia Rapolla of Gorham, and Aleta Looker of Ellsworth.

Prediction
The Maine girls will be very well represented on Saturday. There are at least ten runners who have the potential to place in the top 25. Emily Durgin will successfully defend her title on Saturday, but expect her to be challenged by the top runners in New Hampshire, and Connecticut. Fiona Hendry will place in the top five and her teammate, Shannon Conley, will place in the top 15. Dacie Manion will also finish in the top 15. There will be a tight pack of Maine girl’s right behind her that will include Kathleen McMahon of Brunswick, Emma Wood of Mt Ararat, Mia Rapolla of Gorham, Nyajock Pan of South Portland, and Charlotte Pierce of Massabesic.

1. Emily Durgin Cheverus Favorite to Win
2. Fiona Hendry Cheverus Top 5
3. Dacie Manion Old Town Top 15
4. Shannon Conley Cheverus Top 15
5. Emma Wood Mt Ararat Top 20
6. Kathleen McMahon Brunswick Top 20
7. Nyajock Pan South Portland Top 25
8. Mia Rapolla Gorham Top 30
9. Charlotte Pierce Massabesic Top 35
10. Aleta Looker Ellsworth Top 45

Boys Preview

Team
Scarborough has been dominant this fall topped off with their fifth title in seven years. They will be led by Nick Morris who won the class A state title. Look for him to contend for a top 25 finish while his teammates Tom Hague and Zach Brown will battle to place in the top 50. Caribou looked very impressive at the state meet behind the brilliance of senior Christian Sleeper who placed fourth in class B. Look for Caribou to have another strong day on Saturday. Falmouth will look to prove why they were the favorite in class B on Saturday. They took a blow when their number two runner, John Lake, developed a stress fracture. Falmouth will be led by Tim Follo who will contend for a top 25 finish. If Falmouth wants to hang with Scarborough and Caribou, Connor McGrory and Thomas Edmonds will have to have strong races. Falmouth tends to do better in bigger meets so look for them to use this to their advantage. Don’t count out Mt Ararat and Cape. Mt Ararat was the runner up in class A behind front runner Andy Reifman-Packett who will contend for a top 30 finish. If Cape wants to get a high finish then Thomas Bottomley and Reid Douty will have to have outstanding races.

Prediction
Scarborough is flat out the best team in the state. Barring injury, look for them to contend for top ten finish behind their top three runners. The race for the second best team will be interesting because Caribou, Mt Ararat, and Falmouth were separated by a total of nine points in the combined results at the state meet so expect those three times to be right near each other. I’ll give the slight advantage to Falmouth because they tend to do better at bigger meets such as the Festival of Champions. I think Caribou will be right behind Falmouth. They have better quality four and five runners which will be the difference on Saturday. Rounding out the top five will be Mt Ararat and Cape.

1. Scarborough Top 10
2. Falmouth Top 15
3. Caribou Top 20
4. Mt Ararat Top 20
5. Cape Top 20

Individual Preview
The individual talent that Maine will bring this year will be very intriguing to watch. They might not put as many runners in the top 25 compared to previous years, but it should be fun to see who comes out on top. The top runners in the state are Silas Eastman of Fryeburg and Matt McClintock of Madison. They haven’t raced each other this season which makes this meet a lot more interesting. They will both contend for top 15 finishes. After that, there are only a couple of runners who could place in the top 25. Nick Morris of Scarborough has had an outstanding year. He relies on his devastating kick so he could very well pick off people at the end to sneak into the top 25. Chase Brown of Boothbay has the potential to place in the top 25. He was the runner up at the class C state meet behind McClintock. Harlow Ladd of Messalonskee is another runner who could sneak in there. He had an off day at the state meet, but look for him to bounce back. The dark horse will be Jack Terwilliger of Cheverus. He has been returning to form since his injury. He certainly has the talent to place in the top 20 the question is if he’s healthy enough. Other runners who could sneak in the top 25 if they have great races are Tim Follo of Falmouth, Andy Reifman-Packett Mt Ararat, Logan Marshall of Gorham, Dan Curts of Ellsworth and Josef Andrews from Telstar.

Prediction
The battle between Silas Eastman of Fryeburg and Matt McClintock of Madison will live up to its hype. I believe that Eastman will come out on top. He hasn’t lost a race in the state of Maine this year, and I think we will be the top Maine runner on Saturday. Expect him to place in the top ten. McClintock will be close behind him running to a top 15 finish. After that I think Harlow Ladd bounces back and places in the top 25. He is a very tough runner, so look for him to use the tough Vermont course to his advantage. Here is my bold prediction; Jack Terwilliger will place in the top 25. He has had plenty of rest since the state meet so look for him to return to form and run a great race. Chase Brown will also have a great chance to place in the top 25. He has run really well in big meets so look for him to have a good race. Runners who will be right on the cusp will be Nick Morris, Tim Follo, Andy Reifman-Packett and Dan Curts.

1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg Top 10
2. Matt McClintock Madison Top 15
3. Harlow Ladd Messalonskee Top 25
4. Jack Terwilliger Cheverus Top 25
5. Chase Brown Boothbay Top 30
6. Tim Follo Falmouth Top 40
7. Nick Morris Scarborough Top 40
8. Dan Curts Ellsworth Top 40
9. Andy Reifman-Packett Top 45
10. Josef Andrews Telstar Top 50

The Jack Kelly Award

2010-11-07T10:11:00.001-08:00

The Jack Kelly Award is given to the top runner in the state regardless of class. Christian Bale starred as lead Newsie Jack Kelly in the Disney film Newsies. The film follows the life of the newsies as they make a living selling news papers in New York in the year of 1899. Jack Kelly is the main vocal leader of the group. His dream has always been to run away from the refuge and live in Santa Fe where he can reunite with his parents. He and the newsies form a strike against Joseph Pulitzer and William Hearst because they raised the distribution price of the papers, and the newsies make a living off of selling papers. Jack Kelly gets every newsie in New York to turn against Pulitzer and Hearst to try to make a stop with this. With the help of his friends, and his singing voice, Jack Kelly beats Pulitzer and Hearst and they lower the distribution price. Kelly has the option to go to Santa Fe at the end of the movie, but chooses to stay in New York because he felt like he was a part of a family there.

And the winner is………

Silas Eastman Fryeburg
The kid is an absolute stud. He won his first state championships last Saturday running the second fastest time of all classes (16:02.44). The thing that is amazing about Eastman is that he was never challenged in any of his races. He simply dominated the state of Maine this year as evidence to his first place at the Southwest Classic where he ran a time of 16:40 in the heat, and was nearly 40 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. He won the Western Regional title running a time of 16:20 which was good for the second fastest time of all classes. He was slightly pushed the Western Maine Conference Championship where Abshir Horor and Tim Follo slowly started to close the gap on him, but that’s been it as far as competition. Eastman is only a sophomore so expect to improve over the course of his career. He has already received comparisons to Greely legend Ben True which is truly remarkable. Expect him to challenge for a top ten finish at the New England Championships on Saturday. I can’t wait to see what kind of times he will run over the course of his high school career.

Rest of the Top Five:

2. Matt McClintock Madison
Season Best: 16:00.91

3. Nick Morris Scarborough
Season Best: 16:25.80

4. Chase Brown Boothbay
Season Best: 16:12.4

5. Harlow Ladd Messalonskee
Season Best: 16:08

The George Feeny Award

2010-11-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

The George Feeny Award is given to the top coach in the state. William Daniels starred as George Feeny in the hit TV sitcom Boy Meets World for seven years. George Feeny starts out teaching Corey, Shawn, and Topanga for the first season, and then becomes a teacher/principle from season’s two to five. By the end of the series he follows the gang to the made up Pennbrook University and becomes a college professor. He always got the best out of his students whether it was helping Topanga getting that extra A to put her ahead of Minkus, or helping the troubled Shawn Hunter get into college. Even though he was probably the most serious character in the show he had his fair share of comic relief. While keeping Corey and Shawn in line, he was always quick to tease them of their mistakes. Mr. Feeny not only influenced characters in the show, but he also influenced the viewers who watched as well. He may go down as the greatest principle in a TV sitcom.

And the winner is………..

Dave Dowling Greely
A lot of people were uncertain of how Greely would do this year due to the departures of Mark McCauley, Logan Price, and Sam Humphries but what Greely accomplished this year was truly incredible. Dowling coached the Rangers to their fourth regional title in a row behind brilliant races from Stefan Sandrueter (8th, 17:33.96) and Nathan Maderia (12th, 17:47.14) while their usual number four runner, Isaac Emery, didn’t race. The Rangers hit their peak at that point in the season. They were one of the favorites going into the state meet, but they got a blow when their number one runner Sam Johnston was ruled ineligible. Had Sam Johnston been able to race that day, Greely may have contended for the top spot.

Rest of the Top Five:

2. Jim Harmon Scarborough

3. Thomas Beckum Caribou

4. Jorma Kurry and Danny Paul Falmouth

5. Peter Sillin NYA

The Big Three Award

2010-11-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Big Three Award

The Big Three Award is given to the top 1, 2, 3 combo in the state. When Danny Ainge brought in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in the summer of 2007, the Celtics instantly became the most popular team in the NBA. The Celtics jumped right out of the gate as they won 30 of their first 34 games behind the brilliance of Pierce, Allen, and Garnett. The reason why I chose to write about THIS big three and not the recent is because all three players meshed together. Ray Allen is the shooting specialist who will go down as maybe the greatest shooter ever in the NBA. Garnett is the crafty low post scorer who will certainly make the Hall of Fame when he is done, and then you have Paul Pierce who can shoot, pass, and slash to the basket. I’d like to make a shout out to Paul Pierce as he surpassed the 20,000 point mark last night in their win against the Bucks last night. The thing that really sets them apart from the other big three is that they know their role. The three all met in the summer before their championship run to make a compromise. They all realized that the number of shots that they’d take would go down, and they accepted their roles to make a championship team.

And the winner is……….

Scarborough
Nick Morris, Tom Hague, Zach Brown

All three runners had great seasons as Scarborough won its fourth state title in the last six years. Nick Morris had a phenomenal year as he won the state meet running a time of 16:25.8 while Tom Hague placed sixth (16:48.3) and Zach Brown, who had an off day, placed 22nd (17:26.7). The thing that is remarkable about this “big three” is that they all have run under 17 minutes more than once. At the Festival of Champions “the big three” were all placed in the top 20. Morris led the way that day as he placed 6th (16:36.44) while Tom Hague (16:51.67) and Zach Brown (16:56.99) placed 12th and 16th respectively. They were the reason why Scarborough was so dominant this year, and look for all of them to have great races at the New England Championship’s next Saturday.

Rest of the Top Five

2. Gorham
Logan Marshall, Jeremy Earl, Andy Turner

3. Caribou
Christain Sleeper, DJ Flynn, Celeb Chapman

4. Falmouth
Tim Follo, John Lake, Tom Edmonds

5. Cape
Thomas Bottomley, Reid Douty, Leo Ledman

The Corey and Shawn Award

2010-11-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

The Corey and Shawn Award (Best Dynamic Duo)

The Corey and Shawn Award is given to the best 1, 2 combo in the State. Corey Matthews (Ben Savage) and Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong) ruled the TV sitcom Boy Meets World for seven amazing years. As each season progressed the dynamic duo continued to get funnier and wittier. In the show, Corey and Shawn were best friends their entire lives. They did everything together whether it was taking a test together or plotting a scheme on Minkus. Even though they were best friends, there were times where it looked like their friendship may come to a halt. In season three Corey wanted to use a video that he had done to turn in Shawn’s half brother. Shawn didn’t like the idea so he ruined the tape. They ended up getting in a fight in the middle of the hall way that was broken up by Jonathan Turner and Eli Williams. They solved their issues by the end of the episode when Shawn saves Corey from getting beaten up by Shawn’s half brother. Corey asks why Shawn why he would threaten to turn in Shawn’s brother since he was “family”. Shawn responds saying that "you don’t have to be blood to be family". They hit their peak in season five. It was right around Corey and Topanga’s break up and they both gave us some great comic relief. Corey Matthews and Shawn Hunter will be remembered as two of the greatest sitcom characters in history, and two of the greatest people that have touched my heart.

And the winner is…….

Jacob Brooks and Peter LePage Massabesic
Jacob Brooks and Peter LePage both had fantastic seasons this year as they placed 7th and 9th respectively at the state meet last Saturday. They were also the key reason why Massabesic placed third in class A this year. Jacob Brooks was consistently the number one runner for Massabesic. He had a very impressive run at the Western Maine Regional’s placing second to Scarborough’s Nick Morris running a time of 17:02.8. LePage had on off race that day as he placed 13th with a time of 17:26.7. The two both had strong races at the Festival of Champions as Brooks and LePage finished 20th and 24th respectively. Brooks ran to a time of 17:03.69 while LePage was just behind running a time of 17:05.47. They both had very impressive seasons and look for them to have strong races at the New England Championships next Saturday.

Rest of the Top Five

2. Nick Morris and Tom Hague Scarborough

3. Logan Marshall and Jeremy Earl Gorham

4. Tim Follo and John Lake Falmouth

5. Cam Regan and Evan Kendall NYA

The Matt Saracen Award

2010-11-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

The Matt Saracen Award (Most Improved Runner)

The Matt Saracen Award is given to the runner who has improved significantly over the course of their high school career. In the show Friday Night Lights, sophomore Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) is forced into the starting quarterback position after QB1, Jason Street, gets paralyzed in the first game of the season. His job is a little rocky at first. Nobody in Texas, except for Coach Taylor, thinks that this 5’8” quarterback can lead Dillon to its first state title in a long time. Things get better for him though. His confidence in his passing game grows, and with the help of running back sensation Brian “Smash” Williams, Saracen leads Dillon to the state game where they eventually win on a game winning touchdown pass. In season two, Saracen turns into one of the better quarterbacks in Texas. Dillon fails to make the state game, but he has a great season despite some issues with “Smash” Williams. Saracen is an inspiration to many young players who want to play at the high school level in Texas.

And the winner is………

Harlow Ladd Messalonskee
Harlow Ladd had an exceptional junior year capped off with an eight place finish at the class A state meet running a time of 16:53.04. He was the early favorite to win the race, but he had some issues with cramps which caused him to suffer. As a sophomore Ladd failed to qualify for the state meet which really shows how much he has improved over the past year. Ladd really burst on to the XC and track scene when he ran 4:25 and 9:59 in the 1600 and 3200 at the class A state meet as a sophomore. At that point, we could tell that Ladd was in for a heck of a cross country season. He started his fall with a bang as he won the Laliberte Invitational running a time of 13:42 on the 2.4 mile course. He then placed second at the Festival of Champions running a time of 16:11. A few weeks later at the Eastern Regional’s, Ladd cruised to the win running a time of 16:30.95. Expect Ladd to have a stellar senior season, and contend for the title in 2011.

Rest of the Top Five
2. Andy Reifman-Packett Mt Ararat
Fastest Time: 16:28.85

3. Will Lundquist Cony
Fastest Time: 16:47.53

4. Tom Hague Scarborough
Fastest Time: 16:48.25

5. John Lake Falmouth
Fastest Time: 17:17.05

The Henry Rowengartner Award

2010-11-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

The Henry Rowengartner Award (Rookie of the Year)

This award goes to the top freshman in the state. In the movie Rookie of The Year, Henry Rowengartner (Thomas Ian Nicholas) led the Cubs to the World Series behind his stellar arm. Here’s the catch, he was only twelve. That’s right, a twelve year old who could throw 103 mph. It was a little rocky at first. The players in the club house didn’t enjoy his presence, and one of his best friends was very envious of him. With the help of Chet “The Rocket” Steadman (Gary Busey) Rowengartner quickly rose to fame, and the Cubs started their run towards the post season. In the final game against the Mets, Rowengartner re broke his arm as he headed out to warm up for the final inning. He didn’t have the firepower that he once had, and had to rely on his craftiness to get the Cubs to the World Series. He may go down as the best rookie of all time.

And the winner is…….

Dan Curts Ellsworth
Dan Curts had an amazing freshman campaign. Let’s look at some of his accomplishments; He placed third at the Class B state meet running a time of 16:28.60 which was good enough for him to qualify for the New England Championships in Vermont next Saturday. He placed eight at the Festival of Champions with a time of 16:46. His eight place finish at that meet is the highest finish ever as a freshman. Curts also won the freshmen two mile race at the Manchester Invitational running a time of 11:28 as he was 21 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. If Curts stays injury free for his career, he may go down as one of the greatest Ellsworth XC runners of all time which is truly remarkable if you look at the list of runners who have run there. Look for Curts to have an outstanding sophomore year as he will be right in the mix for the state title next year.

Rest of the Top Five
2. Josef Holt Andrews Telstar
Fastest 5k: 16:33.04
3. Will Shafer GNG
Fastest 5k: 17:08.07
4. Luis Maser Belfast
Fastest 5k: 17:22.04
5. Kelby Mace Maranacook
Fastest 5k: 17:49.34

End of the Season and Upcoming Awards

2010-11-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

State Meet Review
Saturday was the end of a great season for Maine XC. Scarborough took the title in Class A. Caribou surprised a lot of people in Class B as they won their first state title in a long time, and NYA took the class C title in dominating fashion. NYA was one of the most underrated teams this year. They have a great dynamic duo with Cam Regan and Evan Kendall, and strong 3-5 runners to make them the clear cut favorite in class C. They will return four of their top five next year so expect them to be one of the top teams in the state in 2011. Nick Morris of Scarborough took a lot of people by surprise as he took home the individual title out kicking Mt Ararat's Andy Reifman-Packett. Morris is only a junior so expect him to be right up there next year. Silas Eastman did what he has done the entire season as he dominated the field in the class B race running the second fastest time of all classes. He was 19 seconds ahead of second place finisher Tim Follo of Falmouth. Falmouth ran their hearts out on Saturday as they were without their number two runner John Lake, who suffered a stress fracture. Henry Briggs ran his best race of his high school career running a huge personal best of 17:30. Falmouth has four out of their top five returning so expect them to be the favorite in class B next year. Madison's Matt McClintock had the most impressive race of the day as he posted the fastest time of all classes running a time of 16:00.91.

Performers of the Week
Team: Caribou Vikings
Runner: Nick Morris Scarborough

Upcoming Awards
The awards for this season will be announced throughout the week. There are six categories. The award for the Rookie of The Year will be posted later today. Here is the schedule of awards:

Today
The Henry Rowengartner Award (Rookie of the Year)

Tuesday
The Matt Saracen Award (Most Improved Runner)

Wednesday
The Corey and Shawn Award (Best Dynamic Duo)

Thursday
The Big Three Award (Best Top Three in the State)

Friday
The George Feeny Award (Coach of the Year)

Saturday
The Jack Kelly Award (Runner of the Year)

Class C State Meet Preview

2010-10-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

Team Preview
That battle for the title in Class C will be very interesting to watch. NYA looks like the early favorite heading into the meet behind Cam Regan and Evan Kendall. Expect them to both have top 15 finishes. Freeport will look to prove why they belong at the top of Class C. The placed second at the Western Regional’s behind Taylor Saucier and Griffin day. Freeport relies on having a tight pack as evidence to their astounding 11 second 1-5 split at the Western Regional’s. So other teams will look to break up that pack on Saturday. Expect Wayneflete to be in the mix as well. They have been a pleasant surprise this year behind the brilliance of Abshir Horor who should contend for the individual title. In the East, look for Bangor Christian to challenge for a top three finish. The put their top five runners in the top 20 overall last Saturday so expect them to be right up there. Don’t count out Orono as well. They are lead by junior Alex Buteel who won the Eastern Regional last Saturday so look for them to contend for a top five finish. Don’t count out Boothbay as well. They are lead by front runner Chase Brown, so don’t be surprised if you see Boothbay crack into the top five.

Prediction
NYA will take the title this year behind top 15 finishes from Cam Regan and Evan Kendall. Their 3-5 pack will have to run great though if NYA wants to win. Following them will be Freeport. Expect Griffin Day and Taylor Saucier to place in the top 20, and Freeport’s tight pack will be broken up a bit. Look for Abshir Horor to have a great race, but Wayneflete’s 2-5 runners will have to step it up on Saturday. Following them will be Boothbay. Chase Brown will lead the way as he will contend for the individual title. One team that could make a splash is Merriconeag. Their number one, Jack Pierce, will contend for a top five finish on Saturday. Here is how the top five will play out on Saturday:

1. NYA
2. Freeport
3. Boothbay
4. Wayneflete
5. Merriconeag

Individual Preview
This is the race that everybody is looking forward too. Matt McClintock of Madison and Chase Brown of Boothbay will face off for the third time this season. McClintock has won two times, once at the Festival of Champions and this past Saturday at the Western Regional’s. Chase Brown beat McClintock at the MVC Championships a few weeks ago, so this has the potential to be a heavyweight fight. Aside from McClintock and Brown, look for Abshir Horor of Wayneflete and Jack Pierce of Merriconeag to contend for top five finishes. Pierce finished third at the Western Regional’s on Saturday with a time of 16:47, and Horor placed fifth. Also look out for freshman Joseph Holt-Andrews of Telstar. He was fourth at the Western Regional’s running to a time of 16:47.7 which is truly remarkable for a freshman on the Twinbrook course. Alex Buteel of Orono should be one to watch as well. He won the Eastern Regional title at Belfast last Saturday running a time of 16:43.80. Other runners who will contend for top ten finishes are Cam Regan of NYA, Matt Guiod of Mattanawcook, Charlie Jones of North Haven, Evan Kendall of NYA, and Nate Schwem of Boothbay.

Prediction
Matt McClintock will win the state title for the second year in a row, and Chase Brown will follow closely for a second place finish. Expect the times to be very fast depending on the weather conditions. The race for third will be very interesting to watch. Abshir Horor, Jack Pierce, and Joseph Holt-Andrews will duke it out for third place. Expect them to be all within ten seconds of each other. Alex Buteel and Matt Guiod will contend for top five finishes as well. Other runners who will look for top ten finishes are Charlie Jones of North Haven, Cam Regan and Evan Kendall of NYA, Nate Schwem of Boothbay, and Griffin Day of Freeport. Here is how the top ten will play out on Saturday:

1. Matt McClintock Madison
2. Chase Brown Boothbay
3. Abshir Horor Wayneflete
4. Joseph Holt-Andrews Telstar
5. Jack Pierce Merriconeag
6. Alex Buteel Orono
7. Matt Guiod Mattananwcook
8. Charlie Jones North Haven
9. Cam Regan NYA
10. Evan Kendall NYA

Class B State Meet Preview

2010-10-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Team Preview
The Class B State meet should be the most competitive, team wise, of all three meets. There are four teams that could possibly take the title if they have strong races. Falmouth will have the slight edge going into the meet. They have beaten Greely and Cape twice this year, and beat Caribou at the Festival of Champions in early October. The X Factor for Falmouth will be John Lake. If he runs the way he is capable of, then Falmouth will be in great position to win the title. Caribou is took its third Eastern B title in a row last Saturday as they beat Hampden Academy 52 points to 63. Look for them to be right up there with Falmouth. The X factor for Caribou will be freshmen Ryan Washington. He is usually their number four runner, but he came up huge on Saturday as he placed tenth. If Ryan Washington runs another race like that, Caribou will have a chance to take the title. Greely is looking for their fourth state title in a row. Their four and five runners are going to have to run a great race if they want to win on Saturday. Nate Madeira had an incredible race last week running just behind teammate Connor Reagan. If Greely wants to win he will have to run even better on Saturday. Cape is looking for their first title since 2006. They rely and their top three runners Thomas Bottomed, Reid Duty, and Leo Led man. They have all been consistent this year and expect them to all place in the top twenty. If Cape wants to win, Paul Trantina and Peter Doane will have to have great races.

PredictionFalmouth will win its first title since 2002 and John Lake and Thomas Edmonds will place in the top 15. Caribou will be right behind Falmouth with Christian Sleeper and DJ Flynn both placing in the top 15. The race for third spot will be very intriguing to watch. Cape and Greely are very evenly matched. It will all come down to the fifth runner which means that Paul Trantina of Cape and James Curry of Greely will have to run great. I like Trantina over Curry in this matchup. Expect Hampden Academy, York, and Ellsworth to fill in the next three spots. Other teams that will hunt for a top five finish are Ellsworth, Winslow, Maranacook, and Yarmouth.

Top 5
1. Falmouth
2. Caribou
3. Cape
4. Hampden Academy
5. York.

Individual
Preview
Silas Eastman of Fryeburg will be the overwhelming favorite to take the title on Saturday. Look for him to run a very fast time. If the weather conditions are up to par, then sub 16 is very likely for him. The battle for the runner up should be very interesting as well. Tim Follo of Falmouth has had a fantastic year and he placed second at the Western Regional’s running 16:37.50. Look for him to be right up there chasing Eastman. Freshmen Dan Curts of Ellsworth has had an incredible year. He took the Eastern Regional Championship on Saturday posting the fastest time of all classes (16:26.45) so expect him to be right there with Follo. Erksine’s Eben Hodgkins has had a great season as well. He placed second at the Eastern Regional’s running a time of 16:45.69. He, too, will battle for the second spot. Other runners who will contend for top ten finishes will be Evan Piccirillo of Hampden, Christian Sleeper of Caribou, Sam Johnston of Greely, Thomas Bottomley of Cape, Jeff Hale of Waterville, Ben Nickerson of Yarmouth, Ethan Burke of Hampden, and John Lake of Falmouth.

Prediction
Silas Eastman will take the crown winning by over 15 seconds. Follo and Curts will have a great battle for the runner up with Follo eventually coming out ahead. Eben Hodgkins will be fourth and Evan Piccirillo will take the fifth spot. The competition for the five through ten spots will be incredible. Don’t be surprised if other runners such as Mitchell Finitz of York, DJ Flynn of Caribou, Reid Douty of Cape, and Thomas Edmonds of Falmouth run to a top ten finish. All of these runners have run under 17:30 for the 5k. Here is how the top ten will look on Saturday:

1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg
2. Tim Follo Falmouth
3. Dan Curts Ellsworth
4. Eben Hodgkins Erksine
5. Evan Piccirillo Hampden
6. Sam Johnston Greely
7. Christain Sleeper Caribou
8. Jeff Hale Waterville
9. Thomas Bottomley Cape
10. Ben Nickerson Yarmouth

Class A State Meet Preview

2010-10-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Team Preview
Scarborough looks like the early favorite heading into the state meet with Mt Ararat, Gorham, Massabesic, Mt Blue, and Edward Little right at their heels. They key to this race will be the number four runners. If Scarborough wants to win, Robby Hall will have to try to close the gap between him and Scarborough’s “big three”. Gorham’s Will Ross will have to step up big time on Saturday especially since Cortland Dunn still isn’t back to race form since getting his appendix removed. Mt Ararat’s Nick Demonthenes will have to have a big race if Mt Ararat wants to close the gap between them and Scarborough. Other teams looking for top five finishes will be Lewiston, Cheverus, and Sanford.

Prediction
Scarborough will win their fifth title in the past seven years on Saturday. Nick Morris will lead the way for them as he will place in the top five, and teammates Tom Hague and Zach Brown will place in the top 15. Expect Scarborough to have a score in the low seventies. Mt Ararat will be the runner up, and their top runner, Andy Reifman-Packett, will contend for a top three finish. Following them will be Gorham, Massabesic, and Mt Blue. Other teams that could jump into the top five are Lewiston and Cheverus.

Top 5
1. Scarborough
2. Mt Ararat
3. Gorham
4. Massabesic
5. Mt Blue

Individual Preview
The individual race will be fun to watch as there are at least five runners who could take the crown. Leading that group of runners will be Messalonkee’s Harlow Ladd. Ladd won the Eastern A Championship running a time of 16:30.95 as he was ten seconds ahead of second place finisher Will Lundquist of Cony. Expect him to be in the top pack as well. Andy Reifman-Packett of Mt Ararat will look to make a splash as well. Scarborough’s Nick Morris won the Western A Regional on Saturday so expect him to contend for a top three finish as well. Jacob Brooks of Massabesic is another one to watch. He was second to Morris on Saturday running a time of 17:02.8. Gorham’s Logan Marshall should be right the top guys. He placed fifth at the Western A Regional’s on Saturday. Also look out for Faisal Noor of Edward Little. He was fifth at the Eastern A Regional’s on Saturday. Jack Terwilliger of Cheverus placed ninth in just his second race back from an IT Band injury that sidelined him for seven weeks, so he could very well sneak into the top five. Other runners who will look for a top ten finish will be Tom Hague of Scarborough, Bryant Perkins of Sanford, and Peter LePage of Massabesic.

Prediction
Harlow Ladd will pull away in the final mile to take the crown in what could be a very fast time depending on the weather conditions. Rounding out the top five will be Andy Reifman-Packett, Nick Morris, Will Lundquist, and Logan Marshall. The next five spots will be up for grabs so look for Jacob Brooks, Jack Terwilliger, Bryant Perkins, Tom Hague and Peter LePage to fill in those spots in no particular order. Also look for runners such as Jaron Jones of Mt Blue, Hussein Mohamed of Edward Little, and Jake Letourneau of Mt Ararat to make a run towards a top ten finish. The order of the finish will be:

1. Harlow Ladd Messalonskee
2. Andy Reifman-Packett Mt Ararat
3. Nick Morris Scarborough
4. Will Lundquist Cony
5. Logan Marshall Gorham
6. Jack Terwilliger Cheverus
7. Jacob Brooks Massabesic
8. Bryant Perkins Sanford
9. Tom Hague Scarborough
10. Peter LePage Massabesic

Week 9 Power Rankings

2010-10-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

Team

1. Scarborough
Previous: 1
Last Meet: Western A Regional’s
Finish: 1st
Scarborough dominated the Western A Regional on Saturday with an incredibly low score of 38 points. Nick Morris led the way for them as he placed first with a time of 16:59.3. Scarborough will be the heavy favorite to take home the state title on Saturday.

2. Mt Ararat
Previous: 8
Last Meet: Eastern A Regional’s
Finish: 1st
Mt Ararat took home the Eastern A crown on Saturday as they put their top three runners in the top ten overall. Look for Mt Ararat to contend for a top two finish at the State meet on Saturday.

3. Falmouth
Previous: 2
Last Meet: Western B Regional’s
Finish: 3rd
Falmouth lost just their second meet of the season on Saturday as they placed third at the Western B Regional. Maybe losing before the state meet was just what they needed. Look for them to contend for the title on Saturday.

4. Caribou
Previous: 5
Last Meet: Eastern B Regional’s
Finish: 1st
Caribou took the Eastern B Regional crown on Saturday behind DJ Flynn’s 6th place finish (17:21.57). They ended up putting three runners in the top ten overall. Look for Caribou to contend for the state title on Saturday.

5. Greely
Previous: 7
Last Meet: Western B Regional’s
Finish: 1st
Greely won the Western B Regional’s for the fourth year in a row. This was a surprise because many expected the Rangers to be behind Falmouth and Cape, but with all of the top guys running well, look for Greely to make a splash at the state meet.

6. Massabesic
Previous: 6
Last Meet: Western A Regional’s
Finish: 2nd
Massabesic placed 2nd at the Western A Regional’s behind Jacob Brooks 2nd place finish (17:02.80). Look for Massabesic to contend for a top three finish at the state meet.

7. Cape
Previous: 4
Last Meet: Western B Regional’s
Finish: 2nd
Cape ran a very solid race on Saturday as they were paced by Thomas Bottomley and Reid Douty who finished fourth and fifth respectively. Look for Cape to contend for a top three finish at the state meet.

8. Gorham
Previous: 3
Last Meet: Western A Regional’s
Finish: 3rd
Gorham placed third at the Western A Regional’s behind Logan Marshall’s fifth place finish (17:12.50). Look for Gorham to contend for a top three finish at the state meet.

9. Mt Blue
Previous: 9
Last Meet: Eastern A Regional’s
Finish: 2nd
Mt Blue placed second at the Eastern A Regional’s behind Jaron Jones’ sixth place finish (17:10.35). They ended up putting three runners in the top 11 spots overall. Look for Mt Blue to contend for a top four finish at the state meet.

10. Hampden Academy
Previous: UR
Last Meet: Eastern B Regional’s
Finish: 2nd
Hampden Academy ran to an impressive second place finish on Saturday behind Evan Piccirillo’s third place finish (16:53.63). Look for Hampden Academy to make a statement on Saturday.

Team of the Week: Mt Ararat

Teams Knocking on the Door: Edward Little, Lewiston, Cheverus, NYA, Ellsworth, York, Yarmouth

Individual
1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg
Previous: 1
Last Meet: Western B Regional’s
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:20.40
Eastman dominated the field at the Western B Regional on Saturday running to an impressive time of 16:20.40. He will be the overwhelming favorite to take the individual crown on Saturday.

2. Matt McClintock Madison
Previous: 3
Last Meet: Western C Regional’s
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:13.40
McClintock won round three on Saturday as he beat Chase Brown by 21 seconds running to a very impressive time of 16:13.40. His time was the fastest of all classes. McClintock will be the early favorite to take the class C title on Saturday.

3. Harlow Ladd Messalonskee
Previous: 4
Last Meet: Eastern A Regional’s
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:30.95
Ladd continued his fine season with a victory at the Eastern A Regional’s running a time of 16:30.95 which was the second fastest time of all classes. Ladd will be the favorite in the class A race on Saturday.

4. Chase Brown Boothbay
Previous: 2
Last Meet: Western C Regional’s
Finish: 2nd
Time: 16:34.3
Brown raced to a second place finish on Saturday running a time of 16:34.3. Brown will look to close the gap between him and McClintock as he looks for his first state title.

5. Tim Follo Falmouth
Previous: 6
Last Meet: Western B Regional’s
Finish: 2nd
Time: 16:37.80
Follo cruised to a second place finish at the Western B Regional’s running a fast time of 16:37.80. Look for Follo to contend for a top three finish on Saturday.

6. Dan Curts Ellsworth
Previous: 8
Last Meet: Eastern B Regional’s
Finish: 2nd
Time: 16:26.45
Curts crushed the field on Saturday as he raced to a time of 16:26.45. He had the fastest time of all classes which is truly remarkable for a freshman. Look for Curts to contend for a top three finish on Saturday.

7. Nick Morris Scarborough
Previous: 7
Last Meet: Western A Regional’s
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:59.30
Morris took the Western A title as he outkicked Massabesic’s Jacob Brooks running a time of 16:59.30. Look for Morris to challenge for top three finish at the state meet on Saturday.

8. Will Lundquist Cony
Previous: UR
Last Meet: Eastern A Regional’s
Finish: 2nd
Time: 16:40.66
Will Lundquist placed second at the Eastern A Regional’s running a time of 16:40.66. Look for him to contend for a top five finish on Saturday.

9. Andy Reifman-Packett Mt Ararat
Previous: UR
Last Met: Eastern A Regional’s
Finish: 3rd
Time: 16:57.30
Andy Reifman-Packett placed third at the Eastern A Regional’s running a time of 16:57.30. Look for him to contend for a top five finish on Saturday.

10. Eben Hodgkins Erksine
Previous: 9
Last Meet: Eastern B Regional’s
Finish: 2nd
Time: 16:45.69
Hodgkins ran to a second place finish at the Eastern B Regional’s running a time of 16:45.69. Hodgkins will be a part of that lead pack that will be chasing Silas Eastman on Saturday.

Runner of the Week: Dan Curts Ellsworth

Runners Knocking on the Door: Jacob Brooks Massabesic, Logan Marshall Gorham, Bryant Perkins Sanford, Evan Piccirillo Hampden, Jeff Hale Waterville, Christain Sleeper Caribou, Sam Johnston, Faisal Noor Edward Little, Jack Terwilliger Cheverus

Week 8 Power Rankings

2010-10-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

Team

1. Scarborough
Previous: 1
Last Meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Scarborough looked very impressive in their meet at the tough Smiling Hill Farms course as they had three runners under 17 minutes. They will head to Cumberland on Saturday as they look like the runaway favorite for the Western A title.

2. Falmouth
Previous: 2
Last Meet: WMC Championships
Finish: 1st
Falmouth didn’t compete this week which gave their top five some extra rest before they head towards the post season. Look for Falmouth to take home the Western B title at Cumberland on Saturday.

3. Gorham
Previous: 3
Last Meet: at Scarborough
Finish: 2nd
Gorham rested their number one, Logan Marshall, on Friday as they placed second to Scarborough at the Smiling Hill Farms course. Look for Gorham to challenge Scarborough for the Western A title on Saturday.

4. Cape
Previous: 4
Last Meet: WMC Championships
Finish: 4th
The Cape boys got some rest this week. We will see if that helps them when they look to challenge Falmouth for the Western B title on Saturday.

5. Caribou
Previous: 5
Last Meet: PVC Championships
Finish: 1st
Caribou dominated the PVC Championships on Saturday as they placed their top five runners in the top ten overall. They look like the early favorite to take the Eastern B title at Belfast this Saturday.

6. Massabesic
Previous: 6
Last Meet: at Bonny Eagle
Finish: 1st
Massabesic will head towards the post season as the third best team in the SMAA so look for them to contend with Scarborough and Gorham and the Western Regional’s on Saturday.

7. Greely
Previous: 7
Last Meet: at NYA
Finish: 4th
Greely rested their top runners on Friday as they placed 4th at NYA. With the extra rest, look for Greely to contend with Falmouth, and Cape for the top spot at the Western Regional’s on Saturday.

8. Mt Ararat
Previous: 9
Last Meet: KVAC Championships
Finish: 1st
Mt Ararat took the KVAC crown on Saturday behind a third place finish by Andy Reifman-Packett (17:39.8). Look for Mt Ararat to contend for the Eastern A title at Belfast on Saturday.

9. Mt Blue
Previous: 10
Last Meet: KVAC Championships
Finish: 2nd
Mt Blue took second at the KVAC Championships on Saturday as they were lead by Jaron Jones who raced to a 9th place finish (18:19.7). Look for Mt Blue to contend for a top three finish at the Eastern Regional meet on Saturday.

10. Edward Little
Previous: 8
Last Meet: KVAC Championships
Finish: 3rd
Edward Little placed third at the KVAC Championships on Saturday as they were lead by Faisal Noor who placed 2nd with a time of 17:39.6. Look for Edward Little to contend for a top three finish at the Eastern Regional meet on Saturday.

Team of the Week: Mt Ararat

Teams Knocking on the Door: Lewiston, York, Hampden Academy, Brunswick, Freeport, Yarmouth, Cony, NYA, Ellsworth

Individual

1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg
Previous: 1
Last Meet: WMC Championships
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:18.80
Eastman got some rest this week after his impressive run at the WMC Championships. He will be the overwhelming favorite to take the Western B crown on Saturday at Cumberland.

2. Chase Brown Boothbay
Previous: 3
Last Meet: MVC Championships
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:22
Brown became the first runner to defeat Matt McClintock as he ran to a very fast time of 16:22 at the MVC Championships. He will face off against McClintock again this Saturday at the Eastern Regional Championships.

3. Matt McClintock Madison
Previous: 2
Last Meet: MVC Championships
Finish: 2nd
Time: 16:32
McClintock suffered his first defeat of the season at the MVC Championships to Chase Brown. He will get another shot at Brown on Saturday when the two runners will face off at the Eastern Regional Championships.

4. Harlow Ladd Messalonskee
Previous: 4
Last Meet: KVAC Championships
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:14.0
Ladd dominated the field at the KVAC Championships as he cruised to a time of 17:14. Look for him to contend for the individual title at the Eastern Regional meet this Saturday.

5. Abshir Horor Wayneflete
Previous: 5
Last Meet: at NYA
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:52
Horor was pushed by Merriconeag’s Jack Pierce on Friday as Horor eventually pulled out the victory running a time of 16:52. Look for Horor to win the Western C title this Saturday at Cumberland.

6. Tim Follo Falmouth
Previous: 6
Last Meet: WMC Championships
Finish: 3rd
Time: 16:28
Follo has gotten plenty of rest since his third place finish at the WMC Championships. Look for Follo to push Silas Eastman at the Western Maine Class B Regional’s on Saturday.

7. Nick Morris Scarborough
Previous: 7
Last Meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:56
Morris was pushed by his teammates Zach Brown and Tom Hague on Friday as he eventually pulled the victory running a time of 16:56. Look for Morris to contend for the individual title at the Western Maine Class A Regional’s on Saturday.

8. Dan Curts Ellsworth
Previous: 10
Last Meet: PVC Championships
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:32
Dan Curts cruised to a first place finish at the PVC Championships on Saturday running a time of 16:32. Look for him to contend for the individual title at the Easter Class B Regional’s on Saturday.

9. Eben Hodgkins Erskine
Previous: 9
Last Meet: KVAC Championships
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:31.5
Hodgkins won the KVAC Class B Championships on Saturday running a time of 17:31.5. Hodgkins should be able to contend for the individual title at the Eastern Class B Regional’s on Saturday.

10. Faisal Noor Edward Little
Previous: UR
Last Meet: KVAC Championships
Finish: 2nd
Time: 17:39.6
Noor placed 2nd at the KVAC Championships on Saturday running a time of 17:39.6. Look for Noor to contend for a top three finish at the Eastern Class A Regional’s on Saturday.

Runner of the Week: Chase Brown Boothbay

Runners Knocking on the Door: Logan Marshall Gorham, Jack Terwilliger Cheverus, Andy Reifman-Packett Mt Ararat, Bryant Perkins, Evan Piccrillo Hampden Academy, Jacob Brooks Massabesic, Peter LePage Massabesic, Chris Dunn Kennebunk, Sam Johnston Greely, Jack Pierce Merriconeag

Week 7 Power Rankings

2010-10-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Team

1. Scarborough
Previous: 1
Last Meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Scarborough continued its winning ways when they easily won their home meet on Friday as they put their top five runners in the top six spots. They will be at their home course on Friday where they will be challenged by Gorham.

2. Falmouth
Previous: 2
Last Meet: WMC Championships
Finish: 1st
Falmouth looked very impressive on Thursday as the won the WMC Championships behind Tim Follo’s 3rd place finish (16:28). Falmouth will head to Traip on Friday where it looks like they will go unchallenged.

3. Gorham
Previous: 3
Last Meet: at Deering
Finish: 1st
Gorham easily defeated Deering and Kennebunk on Friday behind Logan Marshall’s first place finish (16:32). Gorham will head to Scarborough on Friday.

4. Cape
Previous: 4
Last Meet: WMC Championships
Finish: 4th
Cape rested their number one runner, Thomas Bottomley, on Thursday so that had an effect on their placing. Look for them to challenge Falmouth in the post season.

5. Caribou
Previous: 5
Last Meet: FOC
Finish: 4th
Caribou got some extra rest this week and they will need it when Caribou heads to Bangor for the PVC Championship meet on Saturday.

6. Massabesic
Previous: 6
Last Meet: at Bonny Eagle
Finish: 1st
Massabesic dominated at Bonny Eagle on Friday as they were lead by Jacob Brooks and Peter LePage. Massabesic will head to Marshwood on Friday.

7. Greely
Previous: 7
Last Meet: WMC Championships
Finish: 2nd
Greely placed 2nd at the WMC Championships last Thursday behind Sam Johnston’s 4th place finish (16:57). Greely will head to NYA on Friday where they should win easily.

8. Edward Little
Previous: 8
Last Meet: FOC
Finish: 11th
Edward Little got some extra rest before heading towards the post season. Look for them to contend for the top spot in Eastern A.

9. Mt Ararat
Previous: 9
Last Meet: Mt Blue Relays
Finish: 1st
Mt Ararat looked very impressive at the Mt Blue Relays on Friday as they were lead by first place finisher Andy Reifman-Packett. Look for Mt Ararat to challenge Edward Little for the Eastern A
Championship.

10. Mt Blue
Previous: 10
Last Meet: Mt Blue Relays
Finish: 2nd
Mt Blue took 2nd on their home course behind brothers, Jonah and Jaron Jones. Look for them to challenge for a top three finish at the KVAC Championships on Saturday.

Team of the Week: Falmouth Yachtsmen

Teams Knocking on the Door: Lewiston, York, Hampden Academy, Brunswick, Freeport, Yarmouth, Cony, NYA, Ellsworth

Individual

1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg
Previous: 1
Last Meet: WMC Championships
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:18.80 3 Mile
Eastman finally received some competition as he was pushed by Abshir Horor and Tim Follo in the last mile of the WMC Championships before he pulled away to finish with a time of 16:18.80. He will head to Cape on Friday where he will be challenged by Thomas Bottomley of Cape and Ben Nickerson of Yarmouth

2. Matt McClintock Madison
Previous: 3
Last Meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:34 5k
McClintock stayed undefeated as he smashed Wade Davis’s course record running a time of 16:34 on his home course. Look for him to continue his winning ways as he heads towards the post season.

3. Chase Brown Boothbay
Previous: 6
Last Meet: Mt Blue Relays
Finish: 1st
Time: 10:44 2 Miles
Brown looked very impressive in his win at the Mt Blue Relays as he ran to a time of 10:44. Look for Brown to challenge McClintock for the Class C title.

4. Harlow Ladd Messalonskee
Previous: 2
Last Meet: Mt Blue Relays
Finish: 3rd
Time: 10:49
Ladd finished 3rd at the Mt Blue Relays running to a time of 10:49. Look for him to challenge for the individual title at the KVAC Championships on Saturday.

5. Abshir Horor Wayneflete
Previous: 8
Last Meet: WMC Championships
Finish: 2nd
Time: 16:25 3 Miles
Horor gets better every week and he showed why he deserves to be with the top class C guys after placing second at the WMC Championships. Wayneflete heads to NYA on Friday where he will get challenged by Greely’s Sam Johnston and Merriconeag’s Jack Pierce.

6. Tim Follo Falmouth
Previous: 5
Last Meet: WMC Championships
Finish: 3rd
Time: 16:28 3 Miles
Follo placed 3rd at the WMC Championships running a fine time of 16:28. He will get challenged by Cape’s Thomas Bottomley when Falmouth heads to Cape on Friday.

7. Nick Morris Scarborough
Previous: 7
Last Meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:35 5k
Morris won easily at the Smiling Hill Farm course running to a time of 17:35. He should have another shot at running a faster time on that course when Scarborough hosts some of the SMAA teams on Friday.

8. Andy Reifman-Packett Mt Ararat
Previous: UR
Last Meet: Mt Blue Relays
Finish: 2nd
Time: 10:49
Reifman-Packett raced to a 2nd place finish at the Mt Blue Relays running a time of 10:49. He has been one of the most consistent runners in the state, and look for him to challenge for a top three finish at the KVAC Championships on Saturday.

9. Eben Hodgkins Erksine
Previous: UR
Last Meet: Mt Blue Relays
Finish: 6th
Time: 10:49
Hodgkins placed 6th at the Mt Blue Relays on Friday running to a time of 11:09. Look for him to challenge for the win for class B at the KVAC Championships on Saturday.

10. Dan Curts Ellsworth
Previous: UR
Last Meet: FOC
Finish: 8th
Time: 16:46.54
Curts has had an outstanding freshmen year so far. He placed 8th at the Festival of Champions last Saturday running a time of 16:46.54. Look for him to contend for a top five finish at the state meet.

Runner of the Week: Abshir Horor Wayneflete

Runners Knocking on the Door: Jacob Brooks Massabesic, Jack Terwilliger Cheverus*, Logan Marshall Gorham, Faisal Noor Edward Little, Peter LePage Massabesic, Bryant Perkins Sanford, Chris Dunn Kennebunk, Sam Johnston Greely

* Jack Terwilliger hasn't raced in almost a month due to an IT band issue

Week 6 Power Rankings

2010-10-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

Team

1. Scarborough
Previous week: 2
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 1st
Scarborough looked like a team on a mission on Saturday as they won the Festival of Champions by having their top three runners run under 17 minutes. They will host Cheverus and Marshwood on Friday, and it looks like they will win easily.

2. Falmouth
Previous week: 3
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 2nd
Falmouth looked very impressive on Saturday thanks to a huge run by Thomas Edmonds who ran to a personal record of 17:05. Falmouth heads towards the post season as the favorite in class B. They will host the Western Maine Conference Championships on Thursday. They will get challenged by Cape and Greely.

3. Gorham
Previous week: 1
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 13th
Gorham had an off day on Saturday as they placed 13th out 65 teams. Look for them to rebound when they head to Deering on Friday.

4. Cape
Previous week: 4
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 6th
Cape was the third class B team on Saturday as they raced to a sixth place finish overall. These next couple of weeks will be very challenging for the Capers as they head towards the post season.

5. Caribou
Previous week: 10
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 4th
Caribou had a very impressive meet on Saturday as they placed 4th, and were the 2nd class B team overall. Look for them to contend with the best of the east as they head towards the post season.

6. Massabesic
Previous week: 5
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 8th
Massabesic finished 8th at the Festival of Champions on Saturday behind Jacob Brooks and Peter Lepage. Massabesic will head to Bonny Eagle on Friday.

7. Greely
Previous week: 7
Last meet: South West Classic
Finish: 2nd
Greely got some extra rest this week before heading into the post season. They will be at Falmouth on Thursday for the WMC Championships and look for them to contend for a top three finish.

8.Edward Little
Previous week: 6
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 11th
Edward Little had an off day on Saturday as they finished 11th overall. Look for them to rebound at the Mt Blue Relays on Friday.

9. Mt Ararat
Previous week: 8
Last meet: at Morse
Finish: 1st
Mt Ararat got a perfect score on Friday against Brunswick on the 1.9 mile course. Look for them to continue their success when they head to the Mt Blue relays on Friday.

10. Mt Blue
Previous week: 9
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 9th
Mt Blue had a solid 9th place finish at the Festival of Champions on Saturday. Look for them to continue to get better when they host the Mt Blue relays on Friday.

Team of the Week: Caribou Vikings

Teams Knocking on the Door: Hampden Academy, Freeport, Yarmouth, Cony, NYA, Ellsworth, Lewiston

Individual

1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg
Previous week: 1
Last meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:03 5k
Eastman continues to roll over the competition week by week as he dominated the field on his home course running a record time of 16:03. Eastman will finally get some competition on Thursday when Fryeburg heads to Falmouth for the WMC Championship.

2. Matt McClintock Madison
Previous week: 5
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:06.07 5k
McClintock led from start to finish on Saturday running to a great time of 16:06.07. This was a great test for McClintock because he hadn’t had any real competition before. Look for him to continue to win as he heads towards the post season.

3. Harlow Ladd Messalonskee
Previous week: 3
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 2nd
Time: 16:11.15 5k
Ladd finished 2nd overall on Saturday running to a fantastic time of 16:11.15. This was Ladd’s first loss of the season, but don’t expect that to faze him when Messalonskee heads to the Mt Blue relays on Friday.

4. Jack Terwilliger Cheverus
Previous week: 2
Last meet: at Gorham
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:19 5k
Nagging injuries have caused Terwilliger not to race over the last couple of weeks so we will have to wait and see if that has any affect on his racing when Cheverus heads to Scarbrough on Friday.

5. Tim Follo Falmouth
Previous week: 5
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 5th
Time: 16:29.51 5k
Follo has been the most consistent runner in the state so far as he raced to a 5th place finish on Saturday running of a time of 16:29.51. He will get a huge test on Thursday when he faces off against Silas Eastman at the WMC Championships.

6. Chase Brown Boothbay
Previous week: UR
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 3rd
Time: 16:12.49 5k
Brown raised every body’s eyebrows as he ran to a third place finish on Saturday posting a time of 16:12.49. Look for him to challenge Matt McClintock as Boothbay heads towards the post season.

7. Nick Morris Scarborough
Previous week: 7
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 6th
Time: 16:36.44 5k
Morris was the 2nd class A finisher on Saturday as he ran a season best time of 16:36.44. Look for him to challenge Jack Terwilliger on Friday when Scarborough hosts Cheverus and Marshwood.

8. Abshir Horor Wayneflete
Previous week: 8
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 7th
Time: 16:38.09 5k
Horor has been impressive in his first year of XC so far. He placed 7th at the Festival of Champions on Saturday as he was the third class C runner to cross the line. Look for him to contend for a top three finish at the WMC Championships on Thursday.

9. Faisal Noor Edward Little
Previous week: 4
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 10th
Time: 16:46.54 5k
Noor placed 10th on Saturday running a respectable time of 16:46.54. He will get a chance to prove why he one of the top class A runners when Edward Little travels to the Mt Blue relays on Friday.

10. Logan Marshall Gorham
Previous week: 10
Last meet: Festival of Champions
Finish: 13th
Time: 16:54.33 5k
Marshall has been solid all year long as he placed 10th at FOC on Saturday. He will get challenged by Kennebunk’s Chris Dunn when Gorham travels to Deering on Friday.

Runner of the week: Matt McClintock Madison

Runners Knocking on the Door: Dan Curts Ellsworth, Chris Dunn Kennebunk, Bryant Perkins Sanford, Jacob Brooks Massabesic, Andy Reifman-Packett Mt Ararat, Will Lundquist Cony, John Lake Falmouth, Christian Sleeper Caribou, Charlie Jones North Haven

Festival of Champions Preview

2010-09-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

Girls Preview

Team
Cheverus and Massabesic go into the meet ranked 1 and 3 respectively in the latest poll which makes the girl’s race very interesting. Other teams who will want to make a statement this Saturday are Brunswick, John Bapst, Windham, and Falmouth. This will be a big test because we will finally see how the best teams stack up against each other. Will Cheverus run away with it? Will Massabesic finally put together and win? Or will we see an underdog come out on top a la The Mighty Ducks? We will have to wait and see.

Prediction
The Cheverus girls have looked very impressive this year, and they have been really hard to beat over the past couple weeks. The Massabesic girls have a lot of fire power with their top three runners Jocelyn Acheson, Charlotte Pierce, and Mikayla Frazier, but Cheverus has more talent and more depth. Other teams who look to contend for a top five finish will be Brunswick, Windham, John Bapst, and Falmouth. This is how the top five will play out on Saturday:

1. Cheverus
2. Massabesic
3. Brunswick
4. John Bapst
5. Windham

Individual Preview
Abby Leonardi looks like the runaway favorite in this one, and she will be looking to make history on Saturday as she looks to break Cassie Hintz’s record of 17:52.60. The top challengers for Leonardi will be Abby Mace of Maranacock and Cheverus teammates Emily Durgin and Fiona Hendry. Other runners who will be looking to make a splash are Mia Rapolla of Gorham, Kathleen McMahon of Brunswick, Dacie Manion of Old Town, Charlotte Pierce of Massabesic, and Addie Cullenberg of Mt. Blue. There is plenty of fire power in this race, and if the weather is acceptable then we could see some incredibly fast times on Saturday.

Prediction
Abbey Leonardi has to be the favorite. She has run under 18 minutes twice at distances of three miles, a feat that some fifth runners on boy’s teams haven’t even accomplished. The real question is will there be anybody to challenge Leonardi? Both Emily Durgin and Abby Mace have had very impressive seasons so far, and they could challenge Leonardi. Durgin won the New England championships last year so we know how well she can run, and Mace has won every meet so far by a considerable margin. Here is how the top ten will play out on Saturday:

1. Abbey Leonardi Kennebunk
2. Emily Durgin Cheverus
3. Abby Mace Maranacock
4. Fiona Hendry Cheverus
5. Mia Rapolla Gorham
6. Kathleen McMahon Brunswick
7. Charlotte Pierce Massabesic
8. Alecia Palmer Presque Isle
9. Dacie Manion Old Town
10. Addie Cullenberg Mt Blue

Boys Preview

Team Preview
This has the makings of a classic meet. Eight of the top ten teams in my Week 5 Power Rankings will be attending, so the star power will be at a maximum. Scarborough will look to rebound from last week’s performance at the Southwest Classic, and Falmouth should be fully rested for a great run. Gorham won the Southwest Classic last week, so expect them to have a strong performance. Other teams that will be looking to make a splash are Cape, Massabesic, Edward Little, and Mt Blue. Will Scarborough redeem themselves and come out on top? Will Gorham continue to roll? Or will Falmouth ran past everybody with their rested legs?

Prediction
The real key in this meet will be the number five runners. Cortland Dunn of Gorham will need to have a good race if Gorham wants to have a shot of winning. Also Falmouth’s Henry Briggs will have to have a strong race if they want to come out on top. Scarborough’s number five runner Ian Morris will also have to make a big impact if Scarborough wants to win it. Watch out for Edward Little as well. Faisal Noor has had an outstanding year, and he has a very strong supporting cast behind him. Cape Elizabeth will also like to prove why they are a top team. They have had an excellent year so far, and don’t be surprised to see them catch some of the top teams. If everything goes as it should, the top five will look like this:

1. Falmouth
2. Gorham
3. Scarborough
4. Edward Little
5. Cape Elizabeth

Individual Preview
The individual race will be very entertaining to watch on Saturday as there are four possible runners that could come out on top. Jack Terwilliger of Cheverus hasn’t raced in three weeks, but that shouldn’t affect him on Saturday as he will be fully rested. Harlow Ladd of Messalonske is another favorite to watch. He has posted the fastest 5k of all classes so far with a time of 16:08, and he is also undefeated this year. Edward Little’s Faisal Noor will be with the top pack on Saturday. He has the second fastest 5k year with a time of 16:09, so look for him to challenge for the top spot. Another runner who will be looking to challenge will be Mike Tate from JH Gillis in Nova Scotia. He finished 7th at the Festival of Champions last year as freshmen running a time of 16:21.7 so look for him to challenge as well. Other runners to look out for will be Matt McClintock of Madison, Nick Morris of Scarborough, Tim Follo of Falmouth, Bryant Perkins of Sanford, Jeremy Earl of Gorham, Abshir Horor of Wayneflete,and Chase Brown of Boothbay.

Prediction
Jack Terwilliger looks like the early favorite in this one. He hasn’t raced in three weeks, but I don’t think that will affect him. The battle for the two spot between Harlow Ladd, Faisal Noor, and Mike Tate should be very exciting to watch as well. If everything goes the way it should, the top ten will be looking like this on Saturday:

1. Jack Terwilliger Cheverus
2. Harlow Ladd Messalonske
3. Mike Tate JH Gillis-NS
4. Faisal Noor Edward Little
5. Matt McClintock Madison
6. Tim Follo Falmouth
7. Bryant Perkins Sanford
8. Nick Morris Scarborough
9. Abshir Horor Waynefleter
10. Jeremy Earl Gorham

Week 5 Power Rankings

2010-09-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Southwest Classic highlighted this week’s XC action as the top SMAA and WMC teams battled it out on Saturday. Falmouth and Cape rested their top runners while Gorham and Greely took the top two spots respectively. Individually, Fryeburg’s Silas Eastman dominated the field posting an impressive time of 16:42.44, and Wayneflete’s Abshir Horor was 2nd overall as we finally got to see how good he actually is. The heat played a big factor on Saturday as several top runners either dropped back or failed to finish. In other action, Edward Little continues to dominate the KVAC as they won easily at Oxford Hills on Friday while Mt Ararat and Mt Blue battled it out on Friday with Mt Ararat coming out victorious. Here are your updated rankings:

1. Gorham
Previous week: 3
Last meet: Southwest Classic
Finish: 1st
Gorham won the Southwest Classic on Saturday as Logan Marshall and Jeremy Earl both placed in the top 10. Gorham looks like the early favorite heading to the Festival of Champions.

2. Scarborough
Previous week: 1
Last meet: Southwest Classic
Finish: 5th
Scarborough moves down a spot after they placed 5th at the Southwest Classic on Saturday. Don’t be surprised to see them bounce back up to the top at Belfast on Saturday.

3. Falmouth
Previous week: 2
Last meet: Southwest Classic
Finish: 6th
Falmouth rested their top four on Saturday which was probably a good thing due to the heat. Look for them to have a big meet on Saturday.

4. Cape
Previous week: 4
Last meet: at Greely
Finish: 1st
The Cape boys have gotten some extra rest going into the post season so they should be fresh on Saturday when they head to Belfast. With some luck, they could get a top three finish.

5. Massabesic
Previous week: 5
Last meet: Southwest Classic
Finish: 4th
Massabesic finished 4th at the Southwest Classic on Saturday as Jacob Brooks and Peter Lepage both placed in the top 10. Look for Massabesic to challenge for a top five finish at Belfast on Saturday.

6. Edward Little
Previous week: 7
Last meet: at Oxford Hills
Finish: 1st
Edward Little looked very impressive on Friday as they placed their top five runners in the top seven overall. Look for them to challenge the best of class A at Belfast on Saturday.

7. Greely
Previous week: 9
Last meet: Southwest Classic
Finish: 2nd
Greely redeemed themselves as they looked very impressive on Saturday placing 2nd behind a 9th place finish from Sam Johnston. Greely will not be going to Belfast on Saturday.

8. Mt Ararat
Previous week: 6
Last meet: at Brunswick
Finish: 1st
Mt Ararat won easily at Brunswick as they put their top four runners in the top ten overall. Mt Ararat will be at Morse on Friday and they will be challenged by Brunswick.

9. Mt Blue
Previous week: 10
Last meet: at Brunswick
Finish: 2nd
Mt Blue placed 2nd on Friday as they were lead by Jonah Jones who placed 3rd overall. Look for Mt Blue to challenge for a top 8 finish at Belfast on Saturday.

10. Caribou
Previous week: UR
Last meet: Old Town Sectional Invitational
Finish: 1st
Caribou dominated the Old Town Invitational as they put their top five runners in the top ten overall. Look for Caribou to challenge for a top ten finish at Belfast on Saturday.

Team of the Week: Gorham Rams

Teams Knocking on the Door: Ellsworth, Yarmouth, Hampden Academy, York, Cheverus, Lewiston, Cony, York

1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg
Previous week: 1
Last meet: Southwest Classic
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:42.44
Eastman dominated the field at the Southwest Classic as he beat 2nd placed finisher, Abshir Horor, by over 40 seconds. Look for him to dominate again on his home course on Friday.

2. Jack Terwilliger Cheverus
Previous week: 2
Last Meet: at Gorham
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:19
Terwilliger has gotten some extra rest going into the final stretch and he will need it. He looks like the early favorite at Belfast on Saturday, but don’t be surprised to see Harlow Ladd or Faisal Noor to come out on top.

3. Harlow Ladd Messalonske
Previous week:
Last meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:08
Ladd has been winning races left and right, and he will get his chance to show his stuff against the best runners in the state on Saturday. Look for him to challenge Terwilliger and Noor for the win on Saturday.

4. Faisal Noor Edward Little
Previous week: 4
Last meet: at Oxford Hills
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:33
Noor continues to impress as he came out on top again at Oxford Hills on Friday as he easily won with a time of 17:33. He will challenge Terwilliger and Ladd on Saturday in what looks like to be a great race.

5. Matt McClintock Madison
Previous week: 6
Last meet: at Wiscasset
Finish: 1st
Time: 15:47 3 Miles
McClintock has dominated the MVC this season as he has won all three of his in conference races. We will see what he is really made of on Saturday when Madison heads to Belfast. A top five finish is very reachable for him.

6. Tim Follo Falmouth
Previous week: 5
Last meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:40 3 Miles
Folllo got some needed rest this week and he will need it when Falmouth heads to Belfast on Saturday. Look for him to place in the top five on Saturday.

7. Nick Morris Scarborough
Previous week: 7
Last meet: Southwest Classic
Finish: 3rd
Time: 17:26.31
Morris battled the heat on Saturday as he placed 3rd at the Southwest classic with a time of 17:26.31. Look for him to continue his success on Saturday when Scarborough heads to Belfast.

8. Abshir Horor Wayneflete
Previous week: UR
Last meet: Southwest Classic
Finish: 2nd
Time: 17:17.76
Horor’s first race against real competition was very impressive. He could very well challenge Matt Mclintock at the end of the year. Look for him to place in the top ten at Belfast this Saturday.

9. Bryant Perkins Sanford
Previous week: 9
Last meet: Southwest Classic
Finish: 4th
Time: 17:36.17
Perkins continues to surprise everyone in class A. He will have another chance against the top dogs on Wednesday when Sanford will head to Biddeford along with Scarborough and Portland.

10.Logan Marshall Gorham
Previous week: 8
Last meet: Southwest Classic
Finish: 5th
Time: 17:36.54
Marshall has been one of the most consistent runners this year, and he will have a chance to show his stuff against the best runners in the state on Saturday. A top eight finish is very reachable for him.

Runner of the Week: Abshir Horor Wayneflete

Runners Knocking on the Door: Chase Brown Boothbay, Chris Dunn Kennebunk, Jacob Brooks Massabesic, Sam Johnston Greely, John Lake Falmouth, Jeremy Earl Gorham, Andy Reifman-Packett Mt Ararat, Will Lundquist Cony, Eben Hodgkins Erksine, Jack Pierce Merriconeag

Week 4 Power Rankings

2010-09-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

It was another great for XC as we saw some great individual performances and team performances as well. The biggest meet of the week was at Messalonske where Harlow Ladd and Faisal Noor went head to head for 3.1 miles as they finished 16:08 to 16:09 respectively. The team race was just as exciting as Edward Little pulled out the victory over Mt Blue 38 to 48. Falmouth, again, proved why they are the favorite in class B, and Gorham beat Massabesic to prove why they will be a top contender this year. Here are your updated power rankings:

1. Scarborough
Previous week: 1
Last meet: at Westbrook
Finish: 1st
Scarborough looked very impressive in their win at Westbrook last Friday as they were lead by Nick Morris who won the race in 16:50. Scarborough will have a huge test on Saturday when they travel to Cumberland for the Southwestern Classic.

2. Falmouth
Previous week: 2
Last meet: Home between Greely, Yarmouth, Lake Region
Finish: 1st
Falmouth dominated on its home course on Friday as they put four runners in the top ten. Falmouth hasn’t really been challenged this year, but they will get their chance when the head to the Southwestern Classic on Saturday.

3. Gorham
Previous week: 3
Last meet: Home between Cheverus, Massabesic, Thornton Academy
Finish: 1st
Gorham passed their test as they defeated the 5th ranked team Massabesic on Friday. They put their top fie in the top ten. Gorham will also head to the Southwestern Classic on Saturday.

4. Cape
Previous week: 4
Last meet: at Greely
Finish: 1st
The Cape boys had the week off as they will head to the Southwestern Classic fresh on Saturday. Look for Cape to challenge for a top three finish.

5. Massabesic
Previous week: 5
Last meet: at Gorham
Finish: 2nd
Massabesic took 2nd at Gorham on Friday as they put their top five runners in the top 15. Massabesic will look to improve when they head to the Southwestern Classic on Saturday.

6. Mt. Ararat
Previous week: 7
Last meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Mt. Ararat proved why they are the favorite in the east as they easily won on their home course. Andy Reifman-Packett won the race running a time of 17:12.25. Mt Ararat will be at Brunswick on Thursday.

7. Edward Little
Previous week: UR
Last meet: at Messalonske
Finish: 1st
Edward Little looks like the sleeper team this year as they easily defeated rival Mt Blue on Friday. Edward Little heads to Oxford Hills on Saturday.

8. York
Previous week: 8
Last meet: at Poland
Finish: 1st
York easily won at Poland on Friday as they placed their top five runners in the top ten overall. York will have a monster test when they head to the Southwestern Classic on Saturday.

9. Greely
Previous week: 5
Last meet: at Falmouth
Finish: 2nd
Greely will look to rebound on Saturday when they host the Southwestern Classic. The Rangers will look to prove why they are one of the top teams in class B.

10. Mt Blue
Previous week: 9
Last meet:
Finish: 2nd
Mt Blue finished 2nd at Messalonske on Friday as they put their top four runners in the top twelve overall. Mt. Blue will head to Brunswick on Saturday.
Individual

Team of the Week: Edward Little Eddies

Teams Knocking on the Door: Caribou, Ellsworth, Lewiston, Hampden Academy, Yarmouth, Bangor, Cony, Cheverus

1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg
Previous week: 1
Last meet: at Merriconeag
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:30 5k
Eastman has been completely dominate since the season started, although he will have a bigchallenge this Saturday when he runs against the top class A boys in the Southwestern Classic.

2. Jack Terwilliger Cheverus
Previous week: 2
Last meet: at Gorham
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:19 5k
Terwilliger pulled away from Gorham’s Logan Marshall to pull out the victory on Friday with an impressive time of 16:19. Terwilliger will be one of the many favorites to win the Southwestern Classic on Saturday.

3. Harlow Ladd Messalonske
Previous week: 3
Last meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:08 5k
Ladd was pushed wire to wire by Edward Little’s Faisal Noor on Friday, with Ladd eventually coming out with a one second victory. His time of 16:08 is the fastest 5k time of all classes so far and he looks to improve on that when Messalonske heads to Skowhegan.

4. Faisal Noor Edward Little
Previous week: 9
Last meet: at Messalonske
Finish: 2nd
Time: 16:09 5k
Noor gets the fourth spot after pushing Harlow Ladd to the wire on Friday. He looks poised for a great season and look for him to contend with Ladd at the Eastern A Championships.

5. Tim Follo Falmouth
Previous week: 5
Last meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:40 3 Miles
Follo won his third meet in a row on Friday as he covered the tough Falmouth course in 16:40. His streak will be on the line on Saturday as he will face the top dogs of class A at the Southwestern Classic on Saturday.

6. Matt McClintock Madison
Previous week: 6
Last meet: at Winthrop
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:45 5k
McClintock went unchallenged at Winthrop as he cruised through the 3.1 mile course in 16:45. He will get a tough test on Wednesday when he faces of against Boothbay’s Chase Brown.

7. Nick Morris Scarborough
Previous week: 4
Last meet: at Westbrook
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:50 3 Miles
Morris lead wire to wire as he paced the Scarborough Red Storm to a 1st place finish. He will get his chance to show his stuff against the best of class B on Saturday.

8. Logan Marshall Gorham
Previous week: 8
Last meet: Home
Finish: 2nd
Time: 16:28 5k
Marshall challenged Terwilliger for the first two miles of the race on Friday until Terwilliger pulled away. He will get another shot on Saturday when he faces the best of class A and B.

9. Bryant Perkins Sanford
Previous week: 10
Last meet: Sanford
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:12 5k
Perkins won easily on his home course as he cruised to a time of 17:12. He will get his shot to prove why he is a top runner on Saturday at the Southwestern Classic.

10. Chase Brown Boothbay
Previous week: 7
Last meet: Home
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:46
Brown got some extra rest this week and he will need it on Wednesday when he faces off against Madison’s Matt McClintock.

Runner of the Week: Jack Terwilliger Cheverus

Runners Knocking on the Door: Sam Johnston Greely, Andy Reifman-Packett Mt Ararat, Will Lundquist Cony, Abshir Horor Wayneflete, Will Shafer GNG, John Lake Falmouth, Eben Hodgkins Erksine, Charlie Jones North Haven, Chris Dunn Kennebunk

Week 3 Power Rankings

2010-09-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

What a glorious weekend it was in the XC community. There were 15 meets this weekend and each one of them were just as exciting as the other. There were several big time performances this week which made the performance of the week really tough to choose. Some of the top performances were Matt McClintock’s 16:32 5k at Carrebec, Will Lundquist’s 16:44 at Lawrence, and Faisal Noor of Edward Little who ran a time of 16:35 on his home course. The big surprise of the week was freshman Dan Curts of Ellsworth who won the Caribou Invitational with a time of 16:19 which was 14 seconds faster than the 2nd place finisher, Christian Sleeper of Caribou. Here are your updated power rankings:

1. Scarborough
Previous week: 1
Last Meet: at Marshwwod
Finish: 1st
Scarborough had a perfect score on Wednesday as they were led by junior stud Nick Morris. Scarborough will be at Westbrook this Friday.

2. Falmouth
Previous week: 2
Last Meet: at Freeport
Finish: 1st
Falmouth looked very impressive on Saturday as they placed their top three runners within the top four. Falmouth will have a tough test on Friday as they will host Greely, Yarmouth, and Lake Region.

3. Gorham
Previous week: 3
Last Meet: at Sanford
Finish: 1st
Gorham finished first out of four teams on Saturday as they put four runners in the top ten. Gorham will have a tough test on Friday when they will host Cheverus, Massabesic, and Thornton Academy.

4. Cape
Previous week: 6
Last Meet: at Greely
Finish: 1st
Cape beat Greely and York at Twinbrooks last Friday as they were lead by Reid Douty and Tom Bottomley. Cape, along with Gray and Traip, will head to Wells on Friday.

5. Greely
Previous week: 5
Last Meet: Home
Finish: 3rd
Greely didn’t use their home course to their advantage as they were third out of three teams on Friday. Greely will look to rebound when they head to Falmouth on Friday.

6. Massabesic
Previous week: 4
Last meet: at Deering
Finish: 1st
Massabesic won easily at Deering as Peter LePage and Jacob Brooks finished first and second respectively. Massabesic will head to Gorham on Friday.

7. Mt. Ararat
Previous week: 7
Last Meet: at Edward Little
Finish: 2nd
Mt Ararat was lead to a second place finish behind Andy Reifman-Packett who ran to an impressive time of 16:45.48 which was good for second overall. Mt. Ararat will host Morse, Brunswick, Rockland, and Winslow on Thursday.

8. York
Previous week: 8
Last meet: at Greely
Finish: 2nd
York proved why they will be a force in class B west as they finished 2nd to Cape at Greely on Friday. York will head to Poland on Friday.

9. Mt. Blue
Previous week: UR
Last Meet: at Lawrence
Finish: 1st
The Jones’ Brothers lead Mt. Blue to a win at Lawrence as they put their top three runners in the top five. Mt. Blue will be at Leavitt on Friday.

10. Caribou
Previous Week: UR
Last Meet: Caribou Invitational
Finish: 2nd
Caribou finished 2nd on their home course as they were lead by senior Christian Sleeper who had the 2nd fastest time overall. Caribou will be at Presque Isle on Saturday.

Teams knocking on the door: Ellsworth. Fryeburg, Brunswick, Lewiston, Edward Little, Hampden Academy, Yarmouth, Bangor

Team of the Week: Cape Elizabeth Capers

1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg
Previous week: 1
Last meet: Fryeburg
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:58 5k
Eastman got some extra rest as Fryeburg didn’t race last Friday. Eastman will be challenged by Wayneflete’s Abshir Horor on Friday when Fryeburg heads to Merriconeag.

2. Jack Terwilliger Cheverus
Previous week: 2
Last meet: Jack Wilkinson Invite
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:16 5k
Terwilliger hasn’t raced since the first week of the season so he should be ready when Cheverus heads to Gorham. Terwilliger looks like the early favorite to win.

3. Harlow Ladd Messalonske
Previous week: 4
Last meet: at Waterville
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:59.47 5k
Ladd continues to impress as he placed first at Watervile with a time of 17:59.47. He was 45 seconds ahead of the 2nd place finisher. Messalonske will host Skowhegan, Gardiner, Lewiston, and Waterville on Friday, on Ladd looks like the early favorite to come out on top.

4. Nick Morris Scarborough
Previous week: 3
Last meet: at Marshwood
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:15 2.9 miles
Morris easily won at Marshwood running to a respectable time of 17:15 as he won by over 30 seconds. Look for him to be challenged by Kennebunk’s Chris Dunn when he and Scarborough head to Westbrook on Friday.

5. Tim Follo Falmouth
Previous week: 5
Last meet: at Freeport
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:52 5k
Follo went unchallenged on Saturday at Freeport running to a time of 16:52. He will have a tough test on Friday when Falmouth will host Greely, Yarmouth, and Lake Region.

6. Matt McClintock Madison
Previous week: 6
Last meet: at Carrebec
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:32 5k
McClintock dominated the field at Carrebec winning by over a minute with a time of 16:32. He looks like the early favorite on Wednesday when Madison travels to Winthrop

7. Chase Brown Boothbay
Previous week: 9
Last meet: Boothbay
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:46 5k
Brown won by over a minute on his home course on Friday, while also breaking the course record. It looks like he will go unchallenged on Wednesday when Boothbay travels to Hall-Dale.

8. Logan Marshall Gorham
Previous week: 8
Last meet: at Sanford
Finish: 3rd
Time: 17:06 5k
Marshall placed 3rd on Saturday on the rough Sanford course. Look for him to continue his success when Gorham faces off against Cheverus, Massabesic, and Thornton Academy.

9. Faisal Noor Edward Little
Previous week: UR
Last meet: Edward Little
Finish: 1st
Time : 16:35 5k
Noor cracks into the top ten after easily winning on his home course with an impressive time of 16:35 which was ten seconds faster than Mt. Ararat’s Andy Reifman-Packett. Edward Little will head to Medomak Valley on Friday where Noor will be challenged by Erksine’s Eben Hodgkins.

10. Bryant Perkins Sanford
Previous week: UR
Last meet: Sanford
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:55 5k
Perkins cracks into the top ten after he won on his home course with a time of 16:55. He will get a chance to show his stuff against the #4 ranked runner Nick Morris when Kennebunk travels to Westbrook on Friday.

Runner of the Week: Faisal Noor Edward Little

Runners knocking on the door: Will Shafer GNG, Sam Johnston Greely, Eben Hodgkins Erksine, Charlie Jones North Haven, Andy Reifman-Packett Mt. Ararat, Abshir Horor Wayneflete, Will Lundquist Cony, Chris Dunn Kennebunk

Week 2 Power Rankings

2010-09-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

It was another great week for xc as we saw many of the top teams compete this past friday. Falmouth showed why they are ready for a big season by beating host Cape Elizabeth 32 to 40 behind an impressive win by Tim Follo who raced to a time of 16:12 with Tom Bottomley seven seconds back. York came out victorious this weekend behind Mitchell Finnitz's 2nd place finish. Harlow Ladd continues to impress as he easily won at Mt Blue clocking in at 17:21 which was only four seconds behind Kelton Cullenberg's course record. Team wise, Mt Blue was victorious by putting their five runners in the top ten. The real story of the week was GNG's Will Shaffer. Shaffer, who is only a freshman, came in 2nd to Silas Eastman running an impreesive time of 17:39 for the 5k. Here are the updated power rankings for this week.

1. Scarborough
Last meet: SMAA Relays cancelled
Finish: N/A
The SMAA relays were cancelled this week due to extreme weather conditions. Scarborough travels to Marshwood this Wedensday as they look like the early favorite to win the meet.

2. Falmouth
Last meet: at Cape between Lake Region and NYA
Finish: 1st
The Yachtsmen proved why they should be near the top of this list by beating Cape behind a 1st place finish by junior Tim Follo. Falmouth will be at Freeport on saturday.

3. Gorham
Last meet: SMAA relays cancelled
Finish: N/A
Gorham got some extra rest due to the cancellation of the SMAA relays. Gorham will host Kennebunk and Sanford this saturday.

4. Massabesic
Last meet: SMAA relays cancelled
Finish: N/A
Massabesic will travel to Deering this saturday as they look to show their muscles against the top dogs in the SMAA.

5. Greely
Last meet: at Fryeburg
Finish: 1st
Greely got the win last friday at Fryeburg behind a 3rd place finish by senior Sam Johnston. Greely hosts Cape and York on friday.

6. Cape
Last meet: between Falmouth, Lake Region and NYA
Finish: 2nd
The Capers looked very solid in their meet last week as Tom Bottomley was the runner up posting a time of 16:19 over the three mile course. Cape will travel to Greely on friday.

7. Mt.Ararat
Last meet: between Morse, Lincoln, Maranacock, Monmouth, Leavitt, Oxford Hills, Winthrop
Finish: 1st
Mt. Ararat had a very impressive meet last friday as they put their top four runners in the top ten. They travel to Edward Little on friday.

8. York
Last meet: between Freeport, Wells and Merriconeag
Finish: 1st
York won on their home course by putting their top three runners in the top five. York will travel to Greely on friday.

9. Brunswick
Last meet: between Edward Little, Lewiston and Cony
Finish: 4th
Brunswick had an off day on friday as they placed 4th out of four teams. Look for them to rebound this week as they will head to Lawrence along with seven other teams.

10. Fryeburg
Last meet: between Greely, Yarmouth, GNG and Poland
Finish:4th
Silas Eastman keeps on getting better, but Fryeburg is gonna have to step it up. Fryeburg will look to improve from their last showing on friday when they travel to Lake Region.

Teams knocking on the door: Freeport, Hampden Academy, Edward Little, Caribou, Mt. Blue, Lewiston

Team of the week: Falmouth Yachtsmen

Individual Power Rankings

1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg
Last meet: between Geely, Yarmouth, GNG and Poland
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:58 5k
Eastman looked very impressive on friday as he blew away the field, and finished over 40 seconds faster than the 2nd place finisher. Fryeburg heads to Lake Region this week where Eastman looks like the early favorite to win.

2. Jack Terwilliger Cheverus
Last meet: Jack Wilkinson Invite
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:16 5k
Terwilliger hasn't raced since the Jack Wilkinson Invite due to the cancellation of the SMAA relays, but that shouldn't affect him. Cheverus will host Biddeford and Windham this friday as it looks like he will go unchallenged.

3. Nick Morris Scarborough
Last meet: Community Parks Relays
Finish: 1st
Time: 9:29.5 1.75 miles
All of the SMAA teams didn't compete last week due to the cancellation of the SMAA relays. Scarborough heads to Marshwood on wedensday and expect Morris to come out on top.

4. Harlow Ladd Messalonske
Last meet: at Mt. Blue
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:21
Ladd's time of 17:21 at Mt. Blue was only four seconds off the course record which was set by Kelton Cullenberg. Messalonske will be at Waterville on friday.

5. Tim Follo Falmouth
Last meet: at Cape
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:12 3 miles
Follo had an impressive run at Cape on friday as he pulled away from Cape's Tom Bottomley to pull out a seven second victory. Falmouth heads to Freeport on friday where Follo will be challenged by Freeport's Griffin Day and GNG's Will Shaffer.

6. Matt McClintock Madison
Last meet: at Telstar
Finish: 1st
Time: 16:54 5k
McClintock proved why he is a force to be reckoned with as he dominated the field at Telstar posting a time of 16:54 which was over a minute faster than the 2nd place finisher. Madison will be at Winthrop this week, and it looks like McClintock will go unchallenged.

7. Jeremy Earl Gorham
Last meet: Jack Wilkinson Invite
Finish: 3rd
Time: 18:25 5k
Earl got the week off due to the cancellation of the SMAA relays so look for him to be nice and fresh for his next meet when Gorham will host Kennebunk and Sanford.

8. Logan Marshall Gorham
Last meet: Jack Wilkinson Invite
Finish: 5th
Time: 18:35 5k
Marshall will look to improve on his fith place finish a few weeks ago as Gorham will host Kennebunk and Sanfordon saturday.

9. Chase Brown Boothbay
Last meet: at Mt. Blue
Finish: 2nd
Time: 18:01 5k
Brown challenged Harlow Ladd for the first half of the race until Ladd took over. Brown will have another chance to show his stuff when Boothbay will travel to Hall-Dale.

10. Will Shaffer GNG
Last meet: at Fryeburg
Finish: 2nd
Time: 17:39 5k
The freshman cracks the top ten!! Shaffer looks to have a stellar season after he took down Greely's number one runner Sam Johnston. Shaffer will have a tough test on saturday when he will face off against Falmouth's Tim Follo and Freeport's Griffin Day.

Runner of the week: Will Shaffer GNG

Runners knocking on the door: Sam Johnston Greely, Andy Reifman-Packett Mt Ararat, Faisal Noor Edward Little, Will Lundquist Cony, Abshir Horor Wayneflete, Tom Bottomley Cape, Griffin Day Freeport

Week 1 Power Rankings

2010-08-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

It looks to be a great season this year and if last week was an indication then this will be an amazing and exciting season. Severeal of the top teams competed last week. #1 Falmouth and #2 Scarborough faced off at the first annual Community Parks Relay in Falmouth where Scarborough took it to the Yachtsmen and got the win behind a strong performance by Nick Morris who had the fastest time of the day covering the 1.75 mile course in 9:29.5. In other meets, the Gorham boys won the Jack Wilkinsson invite as they put their top three runners in the top five. Jack Terwilliger came out on top that day running a time of 17:16. The biggest meet of the week was the Laliberte Invitational at Cony High School. Harlow Ladd of Messalonske out ran the field covering the 2.4 mile course in 13:42 with Charlie Jones of Fox Island 13 seconds back. There is a change at the top of the rankings with Scarborough getting the number one spot after deafeating the Yachtsmen this week. Here is the rest of the top 10:

1. Scarborough
Preseason Rank: 2
Last meet: Community Park Relays
Finish: 1st
The Red Storm take the one spot this week by beating the Yachtsmen on their own course. Junior Nick Morris ran a very impressive race powering through the hilly 1.75 course in 9:29.5. Scarborough will be at the SMAA relays this thursday.

2. Falmouth
Preseason Rank: 1
Last meet: Community Park Relays
Finish: 3rd
Falmouth moves down to the second spot for now as they finished third out of three teams on Friday. They were without there number two runner John Lake who attended a wedding. Falmouth will be at Cape this Friday as they look to rebound from the loss.

3. Gorham
Preseason Rank: 3
Last meet: Jack Wilkinson Invite
Finish: 1st
Gorham defeated Cheverus and Bonny Eagle this week as Jeremy Earl, Andy Turner, and Logan Marshall took the 3-5 spots. With Andy Turner now runnning well look for Gorham to climb up the rankings these next couple of weeks. Gorham will be at the SMAA relays this thursday.

4. Massabesic
Preseason Rank: 4
Last meet: N/A
Finish: N/A
Marshwood will kick off their season on September 8th as they will host Scarborough, South Portland, and Thorton Academy. Peter LePage and company will look to take down the #1 Red Storm

5.Greely
Preseason Rank: 5
Last meet: N/A
Finish: N/A
Greely will travel to Fryeburg on friday along with Gray, Poland, and Yarmouth. This will be a good early season test for the Rangers who look to win their third straight state championship, but with that Sam Johnston and comapny will have to step up their game.

6. Cape Elizabeth
Preseason Rank: 6
Last meet: N/A
Finish: N/A
Cape will host Falmouth, Lake Region and NYA on Friday. This will be a good chance for the Capers to show what they can do against Falmouth as Tom Bottomley and Reid Douty look to challenge for the win.

7. Fryeburg
Preseason Rank: 7
Last meet: Lake Region Invitational
Finish: ?
Silas Eastman dominated the field on friday covering the 2.4 mile course in 13:42. In order for Fryeburg to contend with Falmouth, Greely and Cape their 2-6 guys will have to try and close the gap between them and Eastman. Fryeburg hosts Greely, Gray, Poland and Yarmouth this friday.

8. Mt. Ararat
Preseason Rank: UR
Last meet: Laliberte Invitational
Finish: 1st
Mt. Ararat won the Laliberte Invitaional on saturday as the were lead by a fourth place finish by there number one runner Andy Reifman-Packett. Along with Jake Letourneau, and a solid 3-5 group, look for Mt. Ararat to make a run at the title hos year. They head to Maranacock on friday.

9. Brunswick
Preseason Rank: 8
Last meet: Laliberte Invitational
Finish:9th
Brunswick got off to a rough start on friday placing 9th at the Laliberte invitational. George Mills was their top runner as he placed 15th with a time of 15:11.78 over the 2.4. The Dragons will look to rebound as they head to Edward Little on friday.

10. York
Preseason rank: 9
Last meet: MDI relays
Finish: 2nd
York placed 2nd as a team at the MDI relays just three seconds behind Caribou. Silas Freeman has improved over the summer and he looks to have a great season. York hosts Freeport, York and Wells on friday.

Teams knocking on the door: Yarmouth, Freeport, Hampden Academy, Caribou

Team of the week: Scarborough Red Storm

Indvidual
1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg
Preseason rank: 1
Last meet: Lake Region Invitational
Finish: 1st
Time: 13:42 2.8 miles
Silas Eastman dominated the field at the Lake Region Invite covering the 2.8 mile course in a time of 13:42. His pace at 4:53 is probably the lowest time we have seen from a sophomore since Ben True in 2001. If he continues this throughout the season we might as well give him the trophy.

2. Jack Terwilliger Cheverus
Preseason rank: 2
Last Meet: Jack Wilkinson
Finish: 1st
Time: 17:16 5k
Terwilliger started out his season with a win at the Jack Wilkinson Invite with a time of 17:16 which was more than a minute faster than the runner up. He and his teammates will head to the SMAA relays this thursday where he looks like the early favorite to win.

3. Nick Morris Scarborough
Preseason rank: 7
Last Meet: Community Parks Relay
Finish: 1st
Time: 9:29.5 1.75 Miles
Nick Morris looked very impressive at the Community Park Relays on friday as he finished 20 seconds ahead of the 2nd place finisher. He and the Red Storm will run at the SMAA relays on thursday as he looks to challenge Jack Terwilliger for the win.

4. Harlow Ladd Messalonske
Preseason rank: UR
Last Meet: Laliberte Invitational
Finish: 1st
Time: 13:43 2.4 Miles
I usually wouldn't jump the gun this early, but Harlow Ladd is really good. He won the Laliberte Invitational by 12 seconds over Charlie Jones in the 2.4 mile race. Ladd had a very impressive spring running 4:25 at the state meet so if that is any indication of how good he is, he could very well win the class C championship.

5. Tim Follo Falmouth
Preseason rank: 4
Last Meet: Community Parks Relay
Finish: 5th
Time: 10:12.4 2.4 Miles
Follo took it easy on friday easily cruising to a time of 10:12.4 which was good for 5th overall. He looks ready for another stellar season, and he will get to show his stuff on friday as Falmouth travels to Cape.

6. Matt McClintock Madison
Preseason rank: 5
Last Meet: N/A
Finish: N/A
Time: N/A
Matt McClintock hasn't raced yet this season, but he looks poised to have a great season, and he looks like an early favorite for a top three finish at the class C championship.

7. Gabe Stewart John Bapst
Preseason rank: 3
Last Meet: N/A
Finish: N/A
Time: N/A
Stewart looks like the early favorite to take the eastern B title this year as he looks to improve this season. He had a very solid outdoor season last spring and I can't wait to see what kind of times he will run this fall.

8. Jeremy Earl Gorham
Preseason rank: 8
Last Meet: Jack Wilkinson
Finish: 3rd
Time: 18:25 5k
Earl showed his skills this past spring running 10:03 and 4:39 for the 3200 and 1600 respectively. He nabbed the 3rd spot at the Jack Wilkinson Invite. He looks to have another great season. Don't be surprised if you see Earl in the top five at the state meet.

9. Logan Marshall Gorham
Preseason rank: 6
Last Meet: Jack Wilkinson
Finish: 5th
Time: 18:35
Marshall drops down three spots after placing 5th at the Jack Wilkinson Invite. Remember he was abroad for 6 months this past year so that may have an affect on his racing this year. He will challenge his teammate Jeremy Earl for the #1 spot this year.

10. Chase Brown Boothbay
Preseason rank 9
Last Meet: N/A
Finish: N/A
Time: N/A
Chase Brown was the first high school finisher at the Beach to Beacon running an impressive time of 33:58. If that is any indication of his fitness, then he will have a stellar season. Look for him to challenge for the win at the class C state meet.

Runner of the week: Harlow Ladd Messalonske

Runners knocking on the door: Sam Johnston Greely, Faisal Noor Edward Little, Abshir Horor Wayneflete, Charlie Jones North Haven, Will Shaffer GNG, Will Lundquist Cony, Hussein Inbrahim Lewiston, Peter LePage Massabesic, Griffin Day Freeport

2010 XC Preview and Predictions

2010-08-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

It should be another exciting cross country season in Maine. With that outstanding senior class gone, we will see who steps up, and who chokes. Silas Eastman of Fryeburg looks to be the top returner of all classes while Falmouth, Scarborough and Gorham look to contend for the top team in the state. Here are the pre season top 10 teams state wide:

1. Falmouth
Last Years Finish: 3rd Class B
Depth is the reason why Falmouth takes the first spot on this list. They return five of their top seven runners including junior stud Tim Follo who will lead the way for the Yachtsmen. Impact runners for Falmouth will be senior John lake, junior Connor McGrory, junior Thomas Edmonds, and junior Henry Briggs. With that strong nucleus and Follo leading the way, Falmouth looks like the early favorite in class B.

2. Scarborough
Last Years Finish: Runner up Class A
Scarborough looks like the early favorite in class A with top returnee Nick Morris leading the way. Sophomore Robby Hall looks to have a strong year as he will likely be the number two runner for the Red Storm. Other impact runners who will likely step up for the Red Storm include Zach Brown, Tom Hague, and Ethan Law. With that impressive group of runners Scarborough looks like the preseason favorite for class A.

3. Gorham
Last Years Finish: 4th Class A
They have the best 1,2 combo in the state in Logan Marshall and Jeremy Earl which is why Gorham gets the fourth spot. Andy Turner, Alex Thuotte, and Joe Deroy round out their top five as they look to begin their quest for a title. With some luck, Gorham could be holding some hard ware come November.

4. Massabesic
Last Years Finish: 3rd Class A
Massabesic looks to continue their recent success as they bring back their top two returners in Jacob Brooks and Peter Lepage. Zachary Cost, Nate Harris, and Cody Vachon round out their top five which stews together a strong nucleus of runners. This talented group of runners could very well bring Massabesic to a top three finish in class A.

5.Greely
Last Years Finish: Class B Champions
With Mark McCauley and Logan Price gone, the Rangers have a big hole to fill luckily they have Sam Johnston who will likely be the number one runner for Greely while Connor Regan and Stefan Sandrueter will battle for the two spot. James Curry and Issak Emery will round out the top five for Greely as they look to contend with Falmouth for the top spot in class B.

6. Cape Elizabeth
Last Years Finish: 4th Class B
The Capers will have a very talented top three in Reid Douty, Tom Bottomley, and Leo Ledman. Other runners who will have to make an impact are Sean Thomas, Paul Trantina, and Bobby Yokaboskas. With that core of runners, the capers could very well make a strong run towards a top three finish in class B.

7. Fryeburg
Last Years Finish: 9th Class B
They return the top runner in the state in Silas Eastman. Their top five consists of Silas'brother, Seth, Ryan Ahearn, Logan Gerchman, and Chris Solter. A lot of people wonder if Fyeburg will be able to handle the top teams in the WMC, but with there solid 2-5 guys and Silas Eastman, you have to think that Fryeburg could be a top five team in class B.

8. Brunswick
Last Years Finish: 5th Class A
With Will Geoghegan and Liam Cassidy gone, Brunswick's chances of winning a class A title seem pretty slim. But it doesn't mean they can't get a top five finish. George Mills will be there top returner, as Benson Worthington and Patrick Horan will battle for the two. Along with Jamie Ross, and Matt Schwab, Brunswick could very well get a top five finish in class A.

9. York
Last Years Finish: Runner up Class B
York will ovviously miss Alex Moser, as they look for another runner to fill that number one spot. Silas Freeman is there top returner, and Nick Eaton and Josh brooks will have to step up as well if the Wildcats want to contend for a top spot in class B.

10. Freeport
Last Years Finish: Runner up Class C
Freeport looks like the early favorite in class C with Griffin Day leading the way. Other impact runners for Freeport will be Wade Bennett, Max Jennings, and Taylor Saucier. They will all have to step up if they want to win the class C title.

Predicted Winners
Class A: Scarborough
Individual: Jack Terwilliger Cheverus

Class B: Falmouth
Individual: Silas Eastman Fryeburg

Class C: Freeport
Individual: Matt McClintock Madison

Individual Power Rankings
1. Silas Eastman Fryeburg SO
Fastest Time Last Year: 16:20.82
Silas was the runner up to York's Alex Moser at the class B state meet last year running a time of 16:21 He had a stellar outdoor season running a 4:30 mile at the state meet placing him 5th. Look for him to continue his success this year as he looks like the early favorite to win the individual title in class B this year.

2 Jack Terwilliger Cheverus SR
Fastest Time Last Year: 16:42.00
This will be the year that Terwilliger puts it all together. He had a phenomonal spring running 4:15.60 and 9:27.75 at the state meet followed up with an impressive win in the emerging elite race in the 3200 at the New Balance Nationals. The real question is whether Terwilliger can get through the season without any injuries or illnesses.

3 Gabe Stewart John Bapst JR
Fastest Time Last Year: 16:27.00
Stewart had a breakout year last year as we saw hime place eight at the Festival of Champions running a time of 16:27. He continued to improve over the winter and spring, so don't be suprised if Stewart challenges Eastman at the state meet this year.

4 Tim Follo Falmouth JR
Fastest Time Last Year: 16:44.00
Follo placed 6th at the state meet last year running a time of 16:58.95 which was good enough to qualify for the New England Championships. He had a great outdoor season as well. He placed 6th in the mile at the state meet running a time of 4:32.78 which was good enough to earn a spot at the New England Championships. Look for him to be a top three runner at the state meet.

5 Matt McClintock Madison JR
Fastest Time Last Year: 16:28.30
Matt McClintock won the class C state meet last year with a time of 16:54 which was also good enough to earn him a spot at the New England Champions where he suprised a lot of people as he was the 10th Mainer to cross the finish line that day placing 46th with a time of 17:19. He continued to imporve in the spring as he lowered his mile and two mile times, and he looks like a lock to repeat this year in class C.

6 Logan Marshall Gorham SR
Fastest Time Last Year: 16:39.50
Marshall placed 11th at the class A state meet last year with a time of 16:55 just ahead of his teammate Jeremy Earl. His time that day was good for the 17th fastest time of all classes. He had a very strong outdoor season as he repeatedly broke ten minutes in the two mile and he has a good chance to finish in the top three at the state meet this year.

7 Nick Morris Scarborough JR
Fastest Time Last Year: 16:48.00
They say the best thing about sophomores is that they turn into juniors. This looks like the case for Scarborough's Nick Morris. He had a very solid season last fall as he was there number two runner behind Nate Hathaway, and he should continue to lower his times this year after a very solid spring season. He looks like a lock for a top five finish this year.

8 Jeremy Earl Gorham SR
Fastest Time Last Year: 16:49.50
Earl placed 12th at the state meet right behind his teammate Logan Marshall which earned him a spot at the New England Championships. He had a very good outdoor season this year, and he looks ready to continue his success this fall. A top five finish is very reachable for him.

9 Chase Brown Boothbay JR
Fastest Time Last Year: 16:52.00
Brown was the runner up in class C last fall as he put together a very strong season. He has been nothing but consistent so far during his high school career as he has always been a top 15 runner. He looks like a lock for a second place finish in class C.

10 Sam Johnston Greely SR
Fasest Time Last Year: 16:52.01
Sam Johnston will be the number one runner for Greely as they look to repeat as state champions. He was over shawdowed last year due to running behind Mark McCauley and Logan Price, but look for him to have a breakout year this fall, as he looks like a sure bet for a top ten finish in class B.

Runners Knocking On the Door: Faisal Noor Edward Litte, Abshir Horor Wayneflete, Charlie Jones North Haven, Will Shaffer GNG, Will Lundquist Cony, Hussein Inbrahim Lewiston, Omar Abdi Edward Litte, Peter LePage Massabesic