Meet 10 southern Maine cross country teams to watch in 2026
Yarmouth juniors Bowen Mitchell, left, and Jackie Chalmers run during a cross country practice at Yarmouth High School on Tuesday. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
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Girls
1. Falmouth: After finishing second in the Class A meet last fall, the Navigators are out to reclaim the crown they won in 2024 when Georgia Moon, Parker Fox and Elle Foley were sophomores and finished in the top 13. Moon will likely battle Portland sophomore Nora Schmidt, Cheverus’ Allie Schmitt and Hampden Academy’s Addison Elliott for the individual title. Fox and Foley are both top-10-caliber runners. Defending champ Portland is still a major threat, but Falmouth’s edge could be that juniors Cassidy Bishop and May Austin, and sophomore Eliza Resnick are varsity returners for co-coaches Danny Paul and Jorma Kurry.
2. Portland: The Bulldogs return the top trio from the school’s first girls cross country championship squad. Nora Schmidt, the individual Class A champion and Varsity Maine Runner of the Year as a freshman, is back along with senior Kate Morrison and sophomore Lucy Harkness. They’re joined by senior Emma Price, who was the team’s sixth runner at the state meet. Coach Frank Myatt likes that he has already seen nine runners in his top seven early in the season, so the depth is there. Freshman Eloise Roush and juniors Maren Krovel and Eleanor Kmack are challenging for top-five slots, and Mabel Peterson, Clara Brouillette and Lucy Baier are in the mix.
3. Thornton Academy: Coach Josh Wynne’s team placed fourth in Class A in 2025 and returns its closely bunched top four, with seniors Mackenzie Shields and Julia Beaudette (who were 14th and 15th at states), and juniors Londyn Hemenway (19th) and Lily Whitehurst (29th). Newcomer Anelise Feldman, a transfer from Yarmouth, will contribute, as will returners Grace Derosier and Abbie Cashin and freshman Annie Hedlund.
4. Freeport: The defending Class B champion lost front-runner Lucy Huggett to graduation, but coach Matt Greear has developed a strong program and the Falcons have the depth and quality to contend again, though reigning B North champ Mount Desert Island will be tough to beat. Seniors Ella Oshetski and Stella Kryzak will lead the charge, with Oshetski capable of top-three honors at regional and state meets. Junior Maddy York and sophomore Maddy Gilbert give Freeport a strong top four that can have a gap time well under 1 minute. Molly O’Brien, Bela Bukaty and Willa Burrill are contenders for varsity status.
5. Massabesic: The Mustangs have been the surprise of the early season, placing second behind Thornton at the SMAA Relays and winning a five-team Class A meet hosted by Kennebunk that included a solid Cheverus squad. Abigail Gilley, a junior, is Massabesic’s top runner. She was 10th in Class A last year. Talented track athletes Corinne Shank (senior) and Megan Walls (sophomore) are new to cross country and have boosted the squad. Plus, senior co-captain Miriam Vigue is back from an injury that kept her out last fall. Isabella Hicks and Savannah Thompson have also shown promise for coach TJ Hesler.
Boys
1. Yarmouth: The Clippers won last year’s Class B title by 35 points over Freeport, ending the Falcons’ four-year reign, and Varsity Maine Cross Country Coach of the Year Sarah Carrigan’s team is a strong favorite to win a second straight crown. Yarmouth returns its closely bunched top three of juniors Bowen Mitchell, Jackie Chalmers and Eli Chalmers who finished sixth, third and ninth at the state meet. Senior Jesse Canfield and junior Jasper Keller are also back. Based on their 2025 personal bests, those five can run within a 70-second gap — a significant advantage over any of the other quality Class B teams, like defending North champ Caribou (over two minutes) and Freeport (over three minutes).
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2. Gorham: The Rams finished fourth in Class A last season and return their top three and have added quality depth, giving coach Jason Tanguay’s team a slight edge over Portland and Camden Hills, who finished second and third behind Hampden Academy in 2025. Owen Cummings was Gorham’s top runner last season (13th in Class A) and its lone New England championship qualifier. Not far behind were twins Harvey and Harrison Crider (l6th and 24th). So far this season, Harrison Crider has been leading the way while his brother recovers from injury; he’s hopeful to return by the Festival of Champions on Oct. 3. Nick Sallinen was injured at the end of his junior season. He is coming off a strong outdoor track season and has 2-minute 800-meter closing speed. Luke Hahn looks to slot in at No. 5, with state meet returners Abe Palme and Evan Fletcher in the mix.
3. Portland: The Bulldogs probably have the best depth in Class A, with four returners from last year’s top seven that finished second to Hampden Academy by five points at the state meet. In 2024, Portland was second to Scarborough by a single point. So this year’s squad “should be hungry,” said coach Frank Myatt. Senior Emile Olins (18th in Class A in 2025) and junior Everett Smith (30th) will likely lead a tight group. If one or both can get closer to the leaders, that will improve Portland’s chances. Senior Ambrose Clark and junior River Louten are varsity returners. Reid Hughes (junior), Lucas Peters (freshman), Adrian Smith (freshman) and Charlie Roush (senior) have already been in the top seven this season, with Hughes running fourth for Portland and 13th overall at the approximately 1.75-mile SMAA Relays preseason tune-up at Bonny Eagle.
4. Camden Hills: Similar to Portland, Camden Hills is known for its tight pack running but doesn’t have one or two elite runners to really bring down the team score. Junior Noah Seigh, the Windjammers’ No. 2 last fall (20th at the Class A meet), could develop into being that type of difference maker. He turned in a time of 17 minutes, 22 seconds to handily win an early-season seven-team meet on his home course. Camden Hills returns four other runners from last year’s top seven. Sophomores William Parker and Avery Redfern scored at the state meet, finishing 34th and 35th. Seniors Zach Egeland and Jack Stephenson were the sixth and seventh runners. Incoming freshmen Odin Corson and Caden Smith look promising, with senior Graham Stoughton in the mix for a varsity spot.
5. Sanford: The Spartans had a quietly strong season in 2025, finishing fourth at the Class A South regional and seventh overall in Class A. Senior Isaac Pelletier (ninth in Class A in 2025) and junior Michael Mastraccio (26th) are a quality top tandem, with Pelletier looking to challenge at the front of the postseason packs. Sanford graduated only one of its top seven. Juniors Dominic Penley, Jackson Stimmell and Carter Huff have each improved for coach Nate Smith’s team. Freshmen Eamon McGuckin-Welsch and Jordyn Theroux are very much in the varsity mix. Thornton Academy and Falmouth will also be challenging for a top-three finish in A South.
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Tagged: camden hills windjammers, fall sports previews 2026, falmouth navigators, freeport falcons, gorham rams, massabesic mustangs, portland bulldogs, sanford spartans, thornton golden trojans, yarmouth clippers
Steve Craig reports primarily about Maine’s active high school sports scene and, more recently, the Portland Hearts of Pine men's professional soccer team. His first newspaper job was covering Maine. More by Steve Craig
