The State Cross Country Championships came to an exciting close at Hereford HS as qualilfying teams and individuals took to the hills and met the challenges head on. When the dust settled, Will Bertrand of Clarksburg (4A) ran the best boys time of the day at 16:02.7 and Caroline Beakes of Bethesda-Chevy Chase (4A) ran the best girls time of the day at 19:17.4. Select the links above to view State meet results and region meet results. (updated 11/11/12, 9:30 pm)
On the boys' side, Severna Park (4A) and Boonsboro (1A) brought home state champion trophies for the first time ever. Also reaching the champion podium was Class 3A Annapolis's Harry Bullen (16:19.5) and the Hereford team pulling down 52 points for their third consecutive title. David Dorsey from Catoctin (16:25.2) won the Class 2A title and the Catoctin team followed suit landing their second ever state crown. Ty Franks of Class 1A Bohemia Manor won with his time of (16:58.8) but it wasn't enough for his team to beat Boonsboro for the title, 69-70 in the closest team finish of the day.
On the girls' side, Reservoir (3A) and Calvert (2A) brought home state champion trophies for the first time ever. Also reaching the champion podium was Class 3A Urbana's defending champion Emily Mulhern (19:20.1) and Class 2A Oakland Mills' Brit Lang (19:21.8). The Bethesda-Chevy Chase team pulled down 67 points for their second consecutive Class 4A team trophy. Sarah Zielinski from Boonsboro (19:48.6) won the Class 1A crown and the Boonsboro team followed suit landing their sixth state title overall, but their first in 17 years.
Congratulations on a job well done to all of the officials, coaches, and athletes participating in the Championship races. Kudos to Hereford HS, Athletic Director Mike Kalisz, and the Hereford HS staff for their tireless efforts in hosting this huge event. We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the State Cross Country Committee and Director Ron McGaw for planning and carrying out a successful meet. We truly appreciate the group committment to making this meet the best that it can be. Keep up the great work!