Class C North Boys  (5 teams will advance)

The Favorite : #5 Orono

If the race was Orono vs. the Field, Orono would still be the favorite.  Their top four runners have fastest four PRs thus far this year.  Could they post a perfect score?  It's not impossible.

Likely to Advance: Houlton/GHCA, George Stevens/Blue Hill, Narraguagus, Sumner

Houlton and GSA hae both been ranked at different points this year and are locks to advance.  The battle between these two teams is a matter of depth vs. frontrunners.  Houlton could get 3 across the finish line before George Stevens gets one, yet the gap between fifth runners could make all the difference in this one.  The last two spots are likely to go to Narraguagus and Sumner. 

Individuals to Watch: #19 Ben Arsenault, Owen Beane, James Brady, Malachi Witmer, Lukas Pounder. Liam Waring, Andrew Barrett, Brayden Drake

Arsenault has been the most consistent runner in the group and as a result is the one with a ranking next to his name.  His teammate will try to complete the sweep behind him, but Brady, Witmer, Pounder, and Drake will be looking to break that group up.

Class C South Girls (3 teams will advance)

The Favorite: #17 Houlton/GHCA

Houlton has battled with Orono over the past few years but will likely coast to a victory due to their rivals not being able to field a team this year.  They will likely take the first 2 spots in the race and then close the door quickly on the other teams.

Likely to Advance: George Stevens, Narraguagus

The GSA team is clearly the second best of this bunch and is virtually guaranteed a qualifying spot,  with Narraguagus likely taking the bronze unless a big surprise occurs.

Individuals to Watch: #1 Teanne Ewings, #4 Natalie Johnson, #15 Clara White, #21 Maya Boyington

Ewings has been the statewide favorite all year nothing about that changes at the regional.  Her teammate Johnson will hope to follow close behind.  Orono's White and Boyington will do their best to break into those top two spots.

Class A North Boys  (6 teams will advance)

Fighting for the Win: #4 Hampden Academy, #7 Camden Hills

These two squads have battled all year and Hampden has emerged as the favorite. The Windjammers have peaked well each of the past few years, though, so don't count them out.  For Camden Hills to win, they will need their 4th and 5th runners to outperform the Broncos, because Hampden will likely be ahead through two runners.

Almost Certain to Advance: #8 Messalonskee, #9 Bangor, #10 Mt. Blue, #14 Brunswick

These teams are eons ahead of the team projected behind them, so none of them have to worry about advancement.  The battle between these teams for 3rd will get interesting, though.  Messalonskee edged out the others last weekend so they have to be the favorite to do so again.  That being said, the gap to Bangor and Mt. Blue was just 2 and 5 points respectively, so the order could very well switch up this weekend.

Individuals to Watch: #9  Enzo Giampaolo, #10 Tim Collins, #12 Asher Valentine, #14 Henri McCourt, Pierce Coughlin, Sam Cashman, Walker Hedrich, Calvin Vincent, Will Meyer, Beckett Cote, Lucas Hutchinson

I could see any of the top 3 here winning the race.  Giampaolo has probbaly been the most consistent this season, including his breakout 15:45 back in the beginning of September. However, Collins just beat him last week, and Valentine has also beat Collins multiple times this season.  After those three, McCourt is likely fourth, but following him it could be any of the unranked athletes listed above.  Don't forget that Lucas Hutchinson is the defending champion.

Class A North Girls (6 teams will advance)

Fighting for the Win: #6 Hampden Academy, #7 Camden Hills

Just like the boys, Hampden and Camden have battled throughout the year and they have not separated much.  The Broncos top two give them a slight edge here, but the Windjammers strength is their depth.  Watch for Faye Hildreth to be an X-Factor here.  She ran incredibly well at the end of last season and if she can do so again, Camden Hills could very well win the regional title. 

Likely to Advance: #20 Bangor, Mt. Blue, Brunswick, Mt Ararat

Bangor is a cut above the unranked teams and is very likely to take third.  Similarly, the Cougars, Dragons, and Eagles are projected to be in the top six by a comfortable margin.  The battle for 4th amongst those teams should be close.

Individuals to Watch: #13 Addison Elliott, #14 Gretchen Plant, Isabella Anderson, Cassie Middleton, Nora McCourt, Sofie Rueter, Allie VanRyn, Siena Scordino, Anleigh Stevens

The dynamic duo from Hampden is likely to go 1-2 in this race.  After that, Camden Hills will try to put 4 athletes in the top 10 to counterbalance the Broncos frontrunners.  Watch out for Nora McCourt, who is likely to finish in the top 5.

Class B North Boys  (7 teams will advance)

The Class of the Field: #11 Caribou, #13 John Bapst, #20 Mount Desert Island

Caribou has climbed through the rankings all season and as a result, they should be the favorite in this race. Despite this, John Bapst has a shot to win if all of the dominoes fall right for them. MDI just entered the rankings last week and are trending towards a third place finish.

Likely to Advance: Ellsworth, Nokomis, Waterville, Preque Isle

With seven advancing spots available, these are the teams most likely to continue running next week.  Ellsworth has the firepower up front as well as solid 2nd and 3rd runners.  Nokomis and Waterville have a bit more depth.

Individuals to Watch: #20 Griffin Merrill, Aedyn Hughes, Henry Milan, Tewolde Stewart, Scott Stubbs, Harrison Landes, Seth Dubay, Lucian Avila-Gatz

The top four teams also have all of the top individuals in this race.  Caribou alone has four of the seven best PRs in the field. Merrill will hope to hold them off to take the title. He has had some great races but also a couple of poor performances this year, so it's hard to say whether it will be him or another athlete that can call themself Class B North Champion.

Class B South Girls (5-6 teams will advance)

The Favorite: #1 Mt. Desert Island

MDI will win, likely with under 20 points.  Their top 5 athletes are all projected to finish in the top 6.  They could score 8 runners in this meet and probably still win.

Battling for 2nd: Old Town, Presque Isle, John Bapst, Medomak Valley

Any of these teams could take the silver.  Presque Isle looked strong a few weeks ago but since has taken a bit of a step back.  Old Town, however, is trending up as of late.   John Bapst and Medomak Valley could also be in the mix if all goes right for them.

Hoping for the Last Spot: Caribou, Ellsworth

If there is a sixth advancing spot, it will be one of these two teams that extend their season by another week. Both have a strong frontrunner followed by a pack.  On paper, Caribou's pack looks stronger, but will that be the case on Saturday?

Individuals to Watch: #6 Amelia VanDongen, Ava Collamore, Kulani Granholm, Rebecca Rand, Meri Rainford, Marlee Catanese, Aleah Rideout

This group consists of Mt. Desert Island's top five runners plus one runner from Medomak Valley and one from Presque Isle.  Collamore is the runner most likely to break up the MDI pack, but Rideout will hope to sneak into the top 5, too.  VanDongen is the favorite to win her 4th career Regional title, completing her sweep.