Members of Portland High School’s cross country girls’ team run across Deering Avenue on Monday. The Bulldogs, if they can get healthy, expected to contend for the Class A title. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

Other cross country coaches hesitate to believe it but the message comes from the source: the Bonny Eagle girls, winners of five straight Class A team titles and nine of the past 11, will abdicate their throne this fall.

“This year will be a rebuilding year for the girls at Bonny Eagle, thus crowning a new state champion on the team side,” said Bonny Eagle Coach Ryan Dyer.

And, it’s not just the Class A girls’ team title that is wide open this fall.

Orono has won six straight Class C girls’ crowns (and nine of 10) but Ruth White has graduated and 2023 runner-up Waynflete is ready to ascend. In Class B, the York girls led by two-time individual champion Cary Drake, are not the favorite since Drake and strong No. 2 Molly Kenealy have graduated, opening the door for a team like Freeport.

Portland High is hoping to step into the Bonny Eagle void. The Bulldogs return their entire team after placing third a year ago. But defending Class A champion Samantha Moore (stress fracture from spring) and fellow senior and likely No. 2 runner Ava Chadbourne (foot surgery) start the year on the injured list. They both should be back in time for the South regional (Oct. 26) and state meets (Nov. 2) at Twin Brook Recreation Area in Cumberland.

“I think once we’re all healthy and back to it, I think we can race anyone in the state,” Moore said. “I think there will be competition there no matter what.”

Moore will also face a new challenge individually. Scarborough junior Laurel Driscoll, the outdoor Class A 3,200-meter champ, is running cross country for the first time. She previously played soccer.

Scarborough’s Laurel Driscoll, center, is a newcomer to cross country, but is one of the top distance track runners in the state. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Last year’s Class A girls’ runner-up Camden Hills probably would be considered the favorite but two of their top runners in 2023, sophomores Marguerite Worner and Flynn Layton, are high-level swimmers and decided to focus on that sport this fall.

“Will we be as strong? I don’t know but we usually turn up a strong team at the end of the season when it counts,” said Camden Hill Coach Helen Bonzi. “I think our (girls and boys) teams are going to be really good based on our training.”

Falmouth’s stock rises because of the early-season question marks at Portland and Camden.

“There are several good teams,” said Jorma Kurry, co-coach at Falmouth with Danny Paul. “It’s definitely different than it has been for a few years. The last decade really.

“It makes it more fun. And exciting,” Kurry continued. “There were a few years when we had a shot but we always kind of knew we wouldn’t get by Bonny Eagle. They were just so deep.”

In Class C girls, Waynflete graduated only one runner from its top seven. The top trio of Grace Alexander, Lucy Olson and Paige Alexander will again do double-duty playing soccer for the Flyers. They also benefited from running track for Cheverus. In the outdoor season, Grace Alexander was fifth in the 1,600 and Olson sixth in the 800 at the Class A championship. Paige Alexander, who was new to cross country last year, was third in the Class A indoor mile.

“Thus far, we look strong and eager to race, having prepared well over the summer months,” said Waynflete Coach Steve Withers. “We have the opportunity to repeat as regional champs and compete for a state championship.”

Marshwood’s Henri Rivard won the Beach to Beacon boys’ high school mile this summer. He is expected to be the top one of the top Class A cross country runners in the state. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

On the boys’ side, it’s the individual races in A and C that start the year without a clear favorite or two – unlike last year when Maddox Jordan of Noble and Nathan Blades of Portland were the two top runners in A and Kaleb Colson of Sumner ruled Class C.

Cheverus Coach Nick Denari runs his own website dedicated to Maine cross country. He said he ran into Marshwood’s Henri Rivard, the top returner in Class A, late in the summer.

“We were talking about how there’s probably five boys that have a shot at (winning Class A),” Denari said. “For sure last year you kind of knew it would be Maddox or Nathan winning. Usually you only have one, two, maybe three runners with a shot at an individual title.”

Said Marshwood Coach Matt Sanzone of the Class A boys, “it’s open-ended and hard to predict. Any given day a different guy would win that race.”

Even the seemingly sure thing of Lake Region senior Sam Laverdiere defending his Class B title is clouded by an injury.

Laverdiere is the only returner, regardless of class, who went sub-16 minutes at the Troy Howard course in Belfast on state championship day. But he broke his collarbone over the summer. He’s been cross training and is expected to begin running within a week.