GIRLS

Grace Alexander, Waynflete junior: Alexander was runner-up at the Class C South regional meet at Twin Brook Recreation Area in Cumberland and then seventh in the state Class C meet at the Troy Howard course in Belfast. She leads a young Flyers squad that finished runner-up to Orono in the team championship and is looking to win it all this year.

Isabella Anderson, Camden Hills senior: The top runner so far this season for a team likely to develop into a state title contender. Anderson, 19th at Class A states last season, was third at an early-season meet in Bangor, cutting a minute, 45 seconds off her junior-season time on the same course.

Rowan Barry, Greely junior: Barry was the Rangers’ top runner a year ago when she finished fourth in Class B and 91st at the New England Championship.

Soren Stark-Chessa, of Maine Coast Waldorf, was third at the Class C state championship meet last fall. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Soren Stark-Chessa, Maine Coast Waldorf junior: Based on her Class C third-place state championship time and sixth-place finish at the New England Championship, Stark-Chessa trails only Class C rival and New England runner-up Teanne Ewings of Greater Houlton Christian Academy among Maine’s returning runners.

Laurel Driscoll, Scarborough junior: A newcomer to cross country, Driscoll is an elite runner who formerly played soccer in the fall. This past outdoor season she won the Class A 3,200 meters and placed third in the New England championship 1,600 meters with one of her several sub-5 minute times (4 minutes, 56.69 seconds). She won the preseason SMAA Relays race with room to spare.

Lucy Huggett, Freeport junior: As a sophomore Huggett was fifth in B South, sixth in the Class B state meet and 69th overall at the New England Championship. She leads a deep, state-title contending team and started her season well, winning the Falcons’ 4K (2.5 miles) Challenge on her home turf.

Madelyn Hutchins, York junior: Hutchins finished ninth in the Class B meet, after placing 14th in the southern regional, to help the Wildcats win a second straight team title and is the team’s top returner.

Hannah Keene, Kennbunk senior: A year ago Keene finished fourth in the Class A championship and was the ninth-fastest Maine runner at New Englands, finishing 63rd overall.

Samantha Moore, Portland senior: The defending Class A champion also won state championships in indoor (800 and mile) and outdoor track (1,600 meters). Injuries and illness have been a bugaboo for Moore who is recovering from an outdoor track injury. She hopes to be full speed by championship season.

Marina Violette, Bonny Eagle junior: The Scots’ No. 2 runner last season when Bonny Eagle won its fifth straight Class A team title. Bonny Eagle is unlikely to win another team trophy but Violette can move up from her seventh-place finish at the Class A meet.

BOYS

Liam Coull, Greely senior: Coull, who finished sixth in Class B a year ago, will combine with junior Tait Harvey (eighth at states) to form a strong top two for the Rangers.

Alex Gilbert, Freeport junior: As a sophomore Gilbert took over the lead runner role and led the Falcons to a third straight Class B team title, placing second in the B South regional and third at the state championship.

Aran Johnson, Portland senior: Johnson was Portland’s fifth runner a year ago and 25th at the state meet. The Long Island resident significantly increased his summer training and was a fast 16:27 at Kennebunk to place second behind Marshwood’s Henri Rivard.

Ethan Keller, Scarborough senior: Expected to lead a team hunting for Scarborough’s first Class A boys’ title since 2018, Keller placed sixth at both the South regional and state meet as a junior and is on the short list of top contenders to be the individual state champion.

Lake Region’s Sam Laverdiere won the Class B individual title last fall, finishing in 15:52. He is recovering from a broken collarbone, but should be one of the top runners in the state. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Sam Laverdiere, Lake Region senior: The top returning runner in the state, Laverdiere won the Class B title with a time of 15 minutes, 52 seconds (fourth fastest overall on championship day) and then placed 35th overall at the New England Championship. Currently recovering from a broken collarbone, Laverdiere is expected back soon.

Will Meyer, Camden Hills sophomore: Meyer placed 12th in Class A last year as Camden’s top finisher and combines with Walker Hedrich and Sam Tooley to form a very strong trio at the top for a team capable of winning the state championship.

Aidan Ring, York senior: After placing fifth at the Class B meet a year ago, Ring leads the Wildcats, who finished second in Class B last season. Ring looked good at an early-season 12-team Western Maine Conference meet in Wells, winning by 30 seconds.

Henri Rivard, Marshwood junior: The top returning finisher in Class A, Rivard placed fourth a year ago behind graduated standouts Maddox Jordan of Noble, Nathan Blades of Portland and Xavier Lemieux of Bonny Eagle.

Evan Small, South Portland senior: Still recovering from a stress fracture in the spring, Small is expected back for the second half of the season. Last year he improved on an 11th-place finish at the A South regional to place seventh at the state meet.

Ellis Wood, Deering junior: Expected to be at the top of the Class A charts. Last season Wood placed fifth in the Class A meet, one spot behind Rivard, and just ahead of Keller and Small. Those four runners were separated by less than nine seconds. Wood was second outdoors at 3,200 meters at the state meet.