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By GARY HAWKINS
Staff Writer 10/19/2007

Staff Writer

The Winthrop boys cross country team will get two more shots at Lisbon, beginning Saturday at the Western Maine regionals in Cumberland.

Fifty percent of boys and girls teams in each class qualify for next Saturday's state meet at Leavitt High School in Turner. In addition, the top 20 individual finishers in Class A and B and the top 30 in Class C qualify for the state meet.

Both Winthrop and Lisbon expect to qualify easily and should be the top two contenders at next week's Class C state meet.

"It's important to have a good race," Winthrop coach Jay Lindsey said. "These boys have still yet to show what they can do."

Lindsey's Ramblers lost by four points to Lisbon at last week's Mountain Valley Conference meet, but should fare better with an expanded field since they have two top runners in Danny Soltan and Tor O'Brien. Winthrop finished sixth at the Festival of Champions in Belfast earlier this year while Lisbon placed 11th.

"It does spread the places out a little more," Lindsey said. "They certainly ran a great race at Belfast."

The course at Twin Brooks in Cumberland consists of rolling hills and finishes with an quarter-mile uphill and quarter-mile downhill.

"It's tough to get a rhythm on that course," Monmouth coach Rick Amero said. "Most of it is in the woods."

The Monmouth girls won their sixth straight MVC title last week and should qualify for the states while the boys placed third and are on the cusp.

"They have a shot at qualifying," Amero said. "That's definitely their goal."

The Hall-Dale boys and girls are also in the mix and have a pair of top runners in Wade Davis and Magen Ellis, winners at last week's MVC meet.

The Maranacook boys and girls will face some of the stronger teams in the state at Class B West meet. Last week, the Black Bear girls won the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B meet while the boys took third. In Cape Elizabeth and Falmouth, the girls will compete against the top two teams in the state in any class.

"We're definitely hoping for a top five," Maranacook coach Roselea Kimball said of the girls. "I think fourth or even third is possible. Our goal for the boys is just for them to make the states."

Cony will run in the Class A meet at Troy Middle School in Belfast on one of the fastest courses in the state. The Rams will compete against the same field they did last week at the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference meet when the girls finished fifth and the boys sixth.

"We've got to go down there and have our best race of the year," Cony coach Shawn Totman said. "The boys are going to be in a real battle to get to the state championship meet."

Gary Hawkins -- 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com

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