Maryland High Schools State Championships – Fall 2013
Boonsboro junior Meggan Grams – 2A state champion – photo by author
All the fall sports in Maryland Public Schools have completed their state championships apart from football, and Severna Park would seem to be the biggest winner with state titles in boys cross country, boys soccer, field hockey, and a second place in volleyball.
Here is a listing of results thus far. The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) awards the two teams that finish first and second with the terms “champion” and “finalist” respectively. Even in a sport like cross country or track, where there may be 30 teams in competition, the second-place team is called the “finalist.”
Boys Cross Country
This year the state championships had to be moved from their traditional annual location at Hereford High School due to construction. That course is famous all over the USA (actually, infamous would be a better term) for its extreme difficulty due to the extraordinarily hilly terrain. This year the races were run at McDaniel College in Westminster – not Herford-like, but still far from a flat race. Here are the winners, both teams and individuals – remember, low score wins, and the time is for running five kilometers (3.1 miles).
4A – Severna Park 38; Dulaney 114; Ryan Forsyth – Severna Park 15:41
3A – Thomas Johnson 86; Mt. Hebron 100; Ben Freed – Thomas Johnson 16:06
2A – Catoctin 61; Poolesville 111; Chase Weaverling – Poolesville 15:42
1A – Perryville 55; Southern Garrett 67; Ty Franks – Bohemia Manor 16:20
Girls Cross Country
Until this past season, I coached cross country in Maryland for 13 years and had three girls state championship teams, and two others that finished second. The champion girl in 2A – junior Meggan Grams of Boonsboro (pictured at the top) – was one of my all-time favorite kids that I coached. She’s a total sweetheart, but tough as nails and could mop up the floor with any boy who messed with her!
4A – Walter Johnson 60; Bethesda Chevy Chase 64; Isabel Griffith – Dulaney 18:26
3A – Centennial 56; River Hill 67; Shreya Nalubola – Centennial 18:14
2A – Hereford 73; Poolesville 102; Meggan Grams – Boonsboro 18:54
1A – Cambridge / South Dorchester 80; Smithsburg 82; Katie Leisher – Manchester Valley 19:31
Field Hockey
The finals were held at Washington College.
4A – Severna Park 4, Wooton 1
3A – C.M. Wright 3, Mt. Hebron 2
2A – Century 2, Hereford 0
1A – North Carroll 3, Patterson Mill 2
Golf
4A-3A – Wootton 633; Churchill 638
2A-1A – Marriotts Ridge 614; Poolesville 685
Boys Soccer
Soccer is absolutely huge in the state of Maryland, and there is no such thing as a cheap state championship. Games were very close to the very end on both the boys and girls sides.
4A – Severna Park 1; Blake 0
3A – Urbana 4; Northern of Calvert 1
2A – Hereford 1; Fallston 0
1A – North Carroll 1, Pikesville 0
Girls Soccer
The championship for River Hill is the ninth in school history for girls soccer.
4A – Whitman 2; Catonsville 0
3A – River Hill 1; Huntingtown 0
2A – Century 3; Loch Raven 0
1A – Sparrows Point 2; Smithsburg 1
Volleyball
Girls volleyball is also a huge sport in Maryland with many perennial powerhouse schools, where the finals are contested at the University of Maryland, College Park.
4A – Dulaney 3; Severna Park 0
3A – Damascus 3; La Plata 0
2A – Patuxent 3; Poolesville 2
1A – Fort Hill 3; Carver A&T 0