Century
Coach: Dyron Johnson, 3rd year
Next meet: Dec. 15 at HoCo Fesitval (PG Sportsplex)
2018 county meet finish: First
Key losses: Ben Kennedy, Stephen Shinholt, Jacob Spera, Max Tano, Jimmy Wiley, James Yankowski
Key returners: Kyle Brosenne, Tyler Dregely, Zachary Fenton, Brendan Graham, Jacob Havins, Jordan Schemm, Jalen Stanton
Outlook: The Knights repeated as county, region, and state champions in 2018, and are prepared for another strong showing this season. The team returns a core group of athletes capable of scoring many points for the Knights, led by the reigning Times Athlete of the Year in Stanton. “That coupled with a lot of new guys out who are eager to compete and looking for a way to add to our success; it will be exciting to see how it comes together,” Johnson said via email.
Francis Scott Key
Coach: Juan Cortez, 6th year
Next meet: Dec. 21 at Frostbite Invite (PG Sportsplex)
2018 county meet finish: Seventh
Key losses: Fru Bayelle, Jackson Conaway, Seth Forney, Jered Holland
Key returners: Devin Hurst, Jacksun Layne, Tanner Miller, Hayden Ritz, Jacob Watson
Outlook: The Eagles are looking at smaller numbers this season, but expect their athletes to be right where they need to be to find success. Longer distances and sprints should be ideal for the Eagles this year. “Some new faces have already made a big impact,” Cortez said via email. “We’re striving to stay competitive in a powerhouse county.”
Liberty
Coach: Amanda Milewski, 5th year
Next meet: Dec. 14 at CCBC-Essex
2018 county meet finish: Second
Key losses: Brooks Chaney, John Lemaster, Matt Leonhartt, Takota Stoner, Zachary Stump
Key returners: Tyler Apellaniz, Ethan Arndt, Jake Beaumier, Woodrow Kashima, Dan Saxon, Shawn Putnam, Darren Rodoff
Outlook: The Lions lost Times first team all-countians Chaney, Lemaster, and Stump to graduation but return Saxon from last year’s first team. Saxon won the 3,200 at the county meet and took third at the 2A state meet. “We hope to maintain our second-place finish in the county again this year,” Milewski said via email. “Although we lost a number of state championship-level athletes, we have a very strong group of returning athletes.”
Manchester Valley
Coach: Jim MacDonald, 3rd year
Next meet: Dec. 14 at CCBC-Essex
2018 county meet finish: Fifth
Key losses: Adam Melville, Kacy Montgomery, Grant Scibek, John Stout
Key returners: Evan Bare, Jacob Foreman, Nick Jones
Outlook: Bare, last season’s county and 3A West shot put champion, is back to help level out the Mavericks in the field events. A solid group of freshman should make some noise for the team this season as well. “We have a nice group of 36 including 20 freshmen,” MacDonald said via email. “We hope to do well in field and relay events.”
South Carroll
Coach: Kevin Selby, 2nd year
Next meet: Dec. 15 at HoCo Festival (PG Sportsplex)
2018 county meet finish: Fourth
Key losses: James Dytrt, Knoll Hunt
Key returners: Dom Caparotti, Jason Cave, John Kettula, Patrick Tunkel
Outlook: The Cavaliers are young, but they return solid athletes in a variety of positions. Tunkel, last season’s pole vault county champ and a first-team all-countian, is one of those athletes slated to make a strong showing in the field once more. “We hope that this year we will be able to push to win a lot of events come championship season,” Selby said via email. “We have a lot of talent spread throughout the team in all different areas, from sprints to distance to field.”
Westminster
Coach: Desmond Wars, 3rd year
Next meet: Dec. 15 at HoCo Festival (PG Sportsplex)
2018 county meet finish: Third
Key losses: Brandon Arbaugh, Kyle Cotoia, Steven Griffin, Troy Johnson, Zane Lewis, Alex Zarta
Key returners: Jay Boggs, Charlie Ferguson, Wilson Funk, Danny Gillcrist, Davindra Lewis, JP Neubert
Outlook: The Owls lost two of their top sprinters in Johnson and Lewis to graduation, as well as distance runner Arbaugh. Ferguson had a positive showing during the cross country season and should have similar success on the track this year. “The boys team lost a strong group to graduation but are looking to fill those voids with a hard-working team,” assistant coach Ryan DuLaney said via email.
Winters Mill
Coach: Dan Replogle, 3rd year
Next meet: Dec. 21 at Hagerstown CC
2018 county meet finish: Sixth
Key losses: Will Cory, Matt Davis, Sean Gore, Pieter Heyn, Kyle Warfield, Tommy Waters, Matt Weller
Key returners: Tad DiDio, Andrew Fan, Jack Frantz, Tyson Holmes, Seth Meyers, Vance Paylor, Jacob Peters, Dylan Steinwedel
Outlook: The Falcons lost a variety of their relay runners to graduation, but return a large number of underclassmen this season. Frantz should lead the Falcons in distance after capping off a successful cross country season with top five finishes in the county, region and state meets. “We have many new freshmen who we believe who will develop over time and contribute in the future,” Replogle said via email. “We will rely on newcomers to fill many of the events for our team.”