Bel Air Cross Country Competes in States

Aidan Lake, Sports Editor

On Saturday, Nov. 12, the Bel Air Cross Country Team competed in its final race of the season, at Hereford High School for the MPSSAA 4A State Championship.

The boys’ team placed 14th out of a total 24 schools, with a total score of 360. They were led by the star junior Kieran McDermott, who finished in 4th place, with a time of 16:22. McDermott’s time was just 18 seconds shy of 1st place.

The girls’ team placed 17th out of 22 total schools, with a final score of 434. Once again, the girls were led by freshman Rebekah Cross, who finished a competitive 28th. Cross had an impressive time of 20:49.

Kieran McDermott, a team captain as a junior, was proud of his team’s success at the State Championship, saying, “Overall, I think the meet went really well for everyone. We had the mental fortitude to not let the course get to us and everyone stepped up to the challenge when they needed to most and ran their hearts out.”

Bel Air had a great run this season, and they are ready to improve and take the next step next fall. They are confident in their team’s ability to continue their dominance.

“I’m proud of how our team has done this year,” McDermott adds, “we have had many injuries and setbacks, but we never let it get to us. With six of our top seven runners coming back next year, I can’t wait to see the things we are going to do.”  

The team has much to look forward to next season, as many of the top runners are returning, such as McDermott himself, juniors Ethan Gray and Nick Hammond, and freshman Rebekah Cross. The Bobcats now have their work cut out for them and now know what they need to do in order to accomplish their goals next fall. Go Bobcats!