[Baltimore Sun] Baltimore Sun high school girls cross country preview: Storylines, runners to watch and top 15 teams heading into 2024 season

Here’s what you need to know for the 2024 high school girls cross country season in the Baltimore area:

Storylines to watch

McDonogh embarks on a season of change

McDonogh has claimed the past three Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference titles but its quest for a fourth will have a new look. Phil Turner, who coached the Eagles since 2017 and was at Mount Saint Joseph for five years before that, stepped down and now lives and works in Wisconsin. Vincent Crisp will take over the coaching duties, but his first task will be finding a replacement for Mary Gorsky, last year’s IAAM A Conference champion and a top-four finisher at every league meet since 2021. Crisp will look to Olivia Vassar, McDonogh’s No. 2 runner a year ago and 10th-place finisher in the league, as a new leader.

What will Taylor Colson do for an encore?

Colson couldn’t have had a better freshman year. The Century standout won five races and finished as a runner-up in two others last season. She won the Carroll County championship by nearly 90 seconds over her closest challenger and captured the Class 2A state crown on her way to being named All-Metro Runner of the Year. All that as a freshman. So what can we expect from her sophomore season? The offseason triathlete will be a favorite in just about every race. But the season likely won’t be a breeze. Hereford’s Sylvia Snider, who finished just over three seconds behind Colson at last year’s state meet, will be gunning for the top spot this time around.

Can we expect another nail-biter in Class 2A?

Last year’s Class 2A state championship was decided by roughly two-and-a-half seconds. That was the margin Hereford’s fifth scorer, Ridley Lentz, finished ahead of Centennial’s fifth, Allison Crumley — the difference for the Bulls, who edged Centennial by two points (65 to 67). Both return six of their top seven runners, setting up a potential rematch, although Hereford does have to replace third-place overall finisher Rebekka Hillier. And then throw in Colson’s Century Knights, who return their top three runners and five of their top seven, and the 2A competition will be fun to watch.

Will anyone stand in the way of a Severna Park three-peat?

If there ever was a year for a school to chase down Severna Park it would’ve been 2023. The Falcons’ top three runners were two sophomores and a freshman. But no one did. So the eight-time overall and two-time defending state champions are poised to keep their title run going again. With juniors Kathryn Murphy and Jocelyn DiAngelo and sophomore Josephine Kamas another year more experienced, the Falcons will be tough for anyone in Anne Arundel County or Class 3A to catch.

Will we see more of Emma Patrick this year?

One of the best races in the area last season was Severn sophomore Emma Patrick’s performance at the IAAM championships. Patrick finished in 18 minutes, 14 seconds to win the B Conference title with a time that was 45 seconds better than anyone else who ran that day. However, according to Athletic.net, that was her only race of the season. Patrick later ran at the NXR Southeast Regional and finished 16th in 17:46.3. Her times and ability would have her among the area’s best. But will we get to see her in direct competition with the region’s other top runners?

Runners to watch

Taylor Colson, Century, sophomore

The All-Metro girls Runner of the Year dominated Carroll County and claimed the Class 2A state championship. Her personal best time was 18:43 to win last year’s Frank Keyer Invitational.

Isabel DeVos, Harford Tech, senior

DeVos returns for another shot at a state championship after finishing third at last year’s Class 1A state championship race. She led the Cobras to a runner-up team finish after she won the 1A East Region crown.

Riley Herdson, Centennial, senior

Centennial nearly won a state title last year based on a strong pack, but at the head of it was Herdson. She was fifth at the Class 2A state meet and third at the Howard County championships.

Josephine Kamas, Severna Park, sophomore

Kamas finished third behind two teammates at last year’s Anne Arundel County championships, but topped both and finished fourth at the Class 3A state meet.

Fallston’s Gabi Murphy placed sixth at last year’s Class 2A state meet. (Brian Krista/Staff)

Gabi Murphy, Fallson, junior

Murphy ran a personal best 18:17 to finish second at last year’s UCBAC championships. She followed that up with a second-place finish in the Class 2A East Region and a sixth-place finish at the 2A state meet.

Fiona Santos, Bryn Mawr, senior

Santos was the IAAM A Conference runner-up last season and will lead a Mawrtians team looking to unseat McDonogh as conference champions.

Claire Sivitz, Howard, sophomore

Sivitz burst on the scene a year ago, winning the Howard County and 3A South Region championships and finishing as state runner-up in Class 3A.

Hereford’s Sylvia Snider has been runner-up at the past two Class 2A state championship races. (Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff)

Sylvia Snider, Hereford, senior

Snider has been runner-up at the past two Class 2A state championship races. She’s won each of the past two Baltimore County championships but would love to end her high school career with a state gold.

Cecilia Van Lierop, Towson, senior

If anyone can break the Hereford stranglehold on Baltimore County, it’s Van Lierop. She finished third at the league championships last year and was runner-up at the Class 3A East Regional, leading to a top-10 state finish.

Brielle Whitworth, Edgewood, senior

Whitworth was the Class 3A North Region champion and finished eighth at states. Her confidence, though, is sure to be high after winning two track state championships in distance races.

Preseason Top 15 teams

1. Severna Park

Coach: Josh Alcombright

Last season: No. 1 ranking

Postseason: Class 3A state champion

Outlook: The Falcons have built one of the strongest cross country programs in Maryland, and this group is poised to continue that legacy. They will be led by sophomore Josephine Kamas and juniors Jocelyn DiAngelo and Kathryn Murphy.

2. Centennial

Coach: Kevin McCoy

Last season: No. 6

Postseason: Class 2A state runner-up

Outlook: The Howard County champions were only seconds away from a state championship, but bringing back their top six runners should have them in position to go after this year’s title.

3. Hereford

Coach: Adam Hittner

Last season: No. 2

Postseason: Class 2A state champion

Outlook: The Bulls also return six of their top seven from last year. Replacing Rebekka Hillier won’t be easy, but Hittner says there’s a “small army of girls looking to take a step forward.”

4. McDonogh

Coach: Vincent Crisp

Last season: No. 3

Postseason: IAAM A Conference champion

Outlook: There are holes in the lineup to fill, but Crisp likes the team he’s inherited with a lot of quality runners who have a “winning championship mindset.”

5. Century

Coach: Chris Mead

Last season: No. 9

Postseason: Third in Class 2A

Outlook: Taylor Colson was backed last year by Emily Mitroka, Carroll County runner-up and fifth-place finisher at states. Add in Emily’s twin, Elizabeth, and Century has a strong trio that will allow them to contend at any meet.

6. Bryn Mawr

Coach: Sarah Feiss

Last season: No. 5

Postseason: IAAM A Conference runner-up

Outlook: The Mawrtians are looking to end McDonogh’s grasp on the IAAM A Conference. Santos and Payton Van Zile, second and third place in the A Conference last year, respectively, headline a group in which six of the top seven runners return.

7. Towson

Coach: Richard Malloy

Last season: No. 10

Postseason: Fifth in Class 3A

Outlook: The Generals will again be a contender in Class 3A and will provide a stiff challenge to Hereford’s recent dominance of Baltimore County. Their top six finishers at states last year were underclassmen.

8. Dulaney

Coach: Emily Kachik

Last season: No. 8

Postseason: Fourth in Class 3A

Outlook: The Lions also have six of last year’s top seven runners back, led by junior Catherine Campbell, the fifth-place finisher at the Baltimore County championships and a top-20 runner at the state championships.

9. Notre Dame Prep

Coach: Jim Lancaster

Last season: No. 7

Postseason: Third in IAAM A Conference

Outlook: Olivia Sobkowicz, who finished fifth in the conference last year, headlines a group that returns five of its top seven and could challenge McDonogh and Bryn Mawr for the top spot this year.

10. Howard

Coach: Tammy Liu Hermstein

Last season: No. 4

Postseason: Class 3A runner-up

Outlook: The Lions were hit hard by graduation and will be young with “a lot of potential for growth,” according to Hermstein. But Sivitz will provide a low starting score every time she runs.

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11. North Harford

Coach: Laura O’Leary

Last season: No. 12

Postseason: Eighth in Class 2A

Outlook: The UCBAC champions had three freshmen in their top four placers at last year’s conference championships. Two of them were top-40 finishers at states. Senior Eden Hussung also returns as the team’s No. 1 runner.

12. Harford Tech

Coach: Darrell Diamond

Last season: No. 15

Postseason: Class 1A runner-up

Outlook: DeVos led the Cobras to a state runner-up finish a year ago and she’s back for another try at the championship. Their top three runners, all top-21 finishers at states, return.

13. South River

Coach: Caleb Foster

Last season: No. 14

Postseason: 10th in Class 3A

Outlook: The Seahawks bring back five of their top seven runners, including sophomore Sophie Green, who was 25th at states last year. Catching Severna Park is a long shot, but they could win the race for second in the county.

14. Glenelg

Coach: Phillip Johnson

Last season: Not ranked

Postseason: Seventh in Class 2A

Outlook: The Gladiators had a strong showing at the end of last season, including a third-place finish at the county championships, with four freshmen running in their top seven.

15. Atholton

Coach: Earl Lauer

Last season: No. 11

Postseason: Ninth in Class 3A

Outlook: Gabrielle Shord finished 28th at last year’s state championships and leads a group with six of its top seven runners returning.

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