DIVISION III
If you're interested in close team races, then make sure not to miss the Division III championship. There are at least three teams that could make an attempt for the team title, depending on how particular individuals perform. The two favorites, on paper, are Parkview Baptist and Episcopal. A dark horse in this equation lies in St. Michael and possibly University Lab if the stars align.
University Lab has had a rough season, facing consistency with some of its runners. This team could either perform poorly or very well, it all depends on the will of these individual athletes. The team is held together by three individuals with the potential to crack into the top ten. Among these are Blayton Bernard, John Hall Hays, and Ian Fellows. The goal of these three is to create enough wiggle room for the team's remaining two of the top five. To maximize this team's possibilities, those two remaining runners will have to break into the top 40, at least.
William Nizzo (left) and Cooper Bankston (right) at the Catholic High Invitational
- - -
St. Michael also enters the fold with three strong front runners presented the chance to make All-State. The likes of William Nizzo, Cooper Bankston, and freshman Cooper Hunt have all run incredibly consistently this season, providing security for this team. The remaining two of the top five will more than likely finish in front of University Lab's fourth and fifth, giving an edge to this team over their opponents.
Parkview Baptist has the potential to nab the team title, but that is dependent on how this team performs as a whole. We've seen some inconsistencies between some of this team's runners, but perhaps this team will tie it all together when it matters the most. There's a chance that Parkview will be able to land three runners within the top ten, and if not that, there is an even greater chance to place four or five within the top 20. This is great odds for the team, but that is solely dependent on if we see performances as we saw from them earlier in the season. If not, then this team could even potentially slide down to third in a worst-case scenario.
Sacha Dernoncourt taking 3rd at the EBR Metro Championships
- - -
Episcopal has felt the hurt of breaking its historic championship streak from last year, but this year, the team has an opportunity to bounce back and nab the team title once again. It helps that the Knights have the opportunity to place two of its runners in the top ten. This includes Alex Hollier and Sacha Dernoncourt, who is the overwhelming favorite for the individual title. Outside of them, Episcopal might be able to pull off the feat of placing the remainder of its top five in the top 20. To win this state title, it essentially boils down to the battle within the top 20 for both Episcopal and Parkview Baptist.
Some individuals to look out for are Owen Tauzin of E.D. White and Franklin Roemer of Loyola College Prep. Tauzin has demonstrated the ability to be a top-ten finisher regardless of division but recently had a hiccup at the regional qualifier. If he has pieced himself back together and believes that he can be a contender for the individual title there is no question that he will finish on the podium. Roemer has shown reliability in his times and ability, so it's hard to picture him outside of the top ten.