High school cross country returns to its normal fall season this month after a year’s absence. The repercussions of the lost 2020 season are apparent: teams are smaller and lack the usual depth of experience. Sophomores in the previous full season, 2019, are now seniors. There are several new faces among the coaches, and fewer long bus rides are on the schedule. Here is how Harford’s 11 high school teams look as the season begins.
ABERDEEN
Coaches: Josh Rupert and Charles Powell II
Leading boys: Daniel Wilson (Jr.), Donovan Peyton (Sr.), Holden Cross (Jr.) and Kalel Duncan (Sr.)
Top newcomers: Ethan Ryan (Fr.) and Roman Jasso (Fr.)
Leading girls: Isabella Miller (Sr.)
Top newcomers: Charlotte Perera (Fr.), Laila Shakoor (Jr.), Emily Webber (So.)
Outlook: Wilson, an All-County half-miler, leads the boys team. “The boys will try to build on some of their recent successes to take the team to the next level. The girls’ team will try to begin a tradition of consistency moving forward,” said Rupert.
BEL AIR
Coaches: Andi Gwin, Sharon Pickett and Kelly Blackburn
Leading boys: Shane Ivy (Sr.), Bryce Knoll (Jr.), Jaden Parrish (Jr.), Garrett Saboy (Jr.), Connor Mace (Sr.), James Woodford (Sr.) and Cannon Mace (Jr.)
Leading girls: Elizabeth Pickett (Sr.), Morgan Loewe (Sr.), Emmie Hancock (Sr.), Natalie Kaminsky (Sr.), Meghan Davis (So.), Anna Thompson (Fr.) and Maddie Hauff (Jr.)
Outlook: The team is much smaller following the canceled season last fall, but the quality remains high with 3,200-meter state champion Elizabeth Pickett and All-County 1,600-meter runner Morgan Loewe leading the girls. Shane Ivy and Bryce Knoll set the pace for the boys. “Both teams are focused on training properly, improving their personal bests,” said Gwin.
C. MILTON WRIGHT
Coaches: Donnie Mickey and Michael Capozzoli
Leading boys: Ashton Tolson (Jr.), Ethan Fox (Jr.), Andrew Tenaglia (Sr.), Tyler McDaniels (Sr.), Luke Puhulla (Fr.), Bryce Lorence (Jr.), Hudson Welsh (Jr.) and Tristan Smith (So.)
Leading girls: Sophia Skinner (Sr.), Ella Swayne (Jr.), Lauren Tooman (Jr.), Ellie Bassham (So.), Morgan Perry (So.), Ashley Heinbaugh (Fr.), Johanna Tenaglia (So.), MacKenzie Sigler (Jr.) and Samantha Burns (Jr.)
Outlook: Mickey has a rebuilding task like none he has faced before, but he has the largest team in the county, 48 strong. “We have a very inexperienced group this year. Our goal will be to come along slowly so that we are fully prepared for the championship meets,” he said.
EDGEWOOD
Coaches: Jerry Henderson and Dan Gorski
Leading boys: Aman Tripathy (Sr.) and Ryan Buddenbohn (Sr.)
Leading girls: Delaney Saulsbury (Sr.), Kellie Simon (Sr.), Phoebe Calero (Sr.), Abby Bond (Jr.), Imaya Edmunds (Jr.), Faith Smeltzer (Jr.), Ashley Woods (Jr.), Lin Dillon (So.) and Sanaa Faine (So.)
Outlook: “Our numbers are way down with the boys, but Ryan Buddenbohn and Aman Tripathi should contend for All-County honors. Our girls are led by Delaney Saulsbury (All-County in the 3,200), who along with several returnees should be at the front pack by post season. We are young and inexperienced, but happy to be back at it.”
FALLSTON
Coaches: Karin Walker (Head coach), Mike Walker (asst.)
Leading boys: Alex Xavier (Sr.), Quinn Daly (Sr.), Bryce Kahler (Sr.) and Antonio Hernandez (Jr.)
Leading girls: Emily Atha (Jr.), Ava Brown (Sr.) and Brenna Barrett (Sr.)
Top newcomers: Claire Dunn (Fr.) and Anita Garcia (Fr.)
Outlook: Returning boys include three proven veterans — Xavier, Daly, and Kahler. Atha, a sectional champion in the 3,200 as a freshman, leads the girls team. “Both teams are young and inexperienced with great potential to improve throughout the season,” said Walker. “The kids are super excited about being out there.”
HARFORD TECH
Coaches: Jeff Matteson and Craig Hetrick
Leading boys: Tyler Marrow (Sr.), John Saltysiak (Jr.), Zane Rommelman (Jr.), Derek Rudd (Jr.), Quentin Santiago (Sr.), Nathan Deveno (Sr.) and Alan Tyo (Jr.)
Leading girls: Annika DeVoss (Fr.), Gabriel Donlick (Sr.), Isabella Donlick (So.), Amber Barton (Sr.), Mikayla McJilton (Fr.), Ashley Johnson (So.) and Katelyn Schramm (Fr.)
Outlook: “The boys team looks to have another great season with the possibility of returning to the state meet this November. With a mix of veteran seniors and new freshmen and sophomores, the girls team also looks to have a good season ahead of them.” said Matteson.
HAVRE DE GRACE
Coaches: Ryan Bayne, Michelle Rathfon, Megan Heller
Leading boys: Kent Bromley (Jr.), Tyler Vandarwarka (So.), Jacob Fruchey (So.), Andrew Higgins (So.), Eric Cumbie (Fr.) and Jayden Alli (Fr.)
Leading girls: Adeline Murray (Jr.), Mackenna Senko (So.), Lillian Alexander (So.), Alexandria Mack (Fr.), Chloe Eisner (Fr.) and Natalie Burton (Fr.)
Outlook: Bayne, who formerly coached at North Harford, has injected new life into the cross-country program. “I think it will be a solid team,” he said. “Both teams are growing and developing, despite having no season last year.”
JOPPATOWNE
Coaches. Cheryl Oricchio and Eve Bour
No response was received from Joppatowne.
JOHN CARROLL
Coaches: Rob Torres (girls); Mike Monaghan (boys)
Leading boys: Andrew Brown (Jr.), Jackson Holschuh (Sr,), Ryan Frampton (Jr.) and Banks Clark (Jr.)
Leading girls: Victoria Novak (Jr.), Maddie Phillips (Sr.), Ava Moore (So.) and Hailey Sowinski (So.)
Outlook: “We have a pretty good top four, but we have a lot of new girls vying for the top seven. We should be competitive in the IAAM A Conference but will need several of the other girls to gain racing experience and get stronger,” said Torres. As for the boys: “this will be a challenging year for us in the MIAA B Conference. Our top four are beginning to gel, and we have a nice group of new freshmen, but we are in need of a solid fifth runner,” said Coach Monaghan.
NORTH HARFORD
Coaches: Laura O’Leary and Jimmy Cachola
Leading boys: James Ort (So.), Kyle Hoy (Jr.), Ben Iampieri (Jr.) and Colin Smith (Sr.)
Leading girls: Finley Lavin (Jr.), Maddie Kingsley (Jr.), Jodi Cadden (Jr.), and Val Angulo (So.)
Outlook: “The boys team has many new runners with tons of potential individually and they are working well as a team,” said O’Leary. “The girls’ outlook is similar with many new runners with lots of potential. They are making steady progress.”
PATTERSON MILL
Coaches: Al Dethlefsen and Brian King
Leading boys: Berkeley Tisch (So.), Nathan Hillhouse (Jr.), Diego Gonzales (Sr.) and Andrew Gneo (Sr.)
Leading girls: Lauren Lenhoff (Jr.), Maie Ikemoto (Jr.) and Payton Dunne (Fr.)
Outlook: “This is our smallest girls’ team since our first season in 2007. Lots of new faces on the boys’ team. We are excited just to have a fall season and are looking forward to see how the team develops,” said Dethlefsen.