Class B's Top Runners
Again, with last year's action being greatly curtailed and split across both fall and spring for different sections, a clear picture for the upcoming XC season is hard to assemble. We'll just offer up a listing of some top runners who merit special watching.
Elizabeth Lucason (Camden). Lucason leads off not only because she is one of the top rated runners returning this fall but also because she is the only state champion from 2019 who will be in action this year. She won the Class C title on the ice at Plattsburgh, and the last time States was held at Chenango Valley in 2016, Lucason was 4th in the Class B race with a nifty 132 speed rating. Her 3rd place at the AAU Indoor Nationals in mid March in a 3000m race won by Brooke Rauber shows that Lucason could be set for a big senior year. And as noted earlier, the Liz Lucason States Trivia Challenge page includes some special aspects to her bid for further glory at States this year.
McKinley Fielding (Carthage). Recuperating from hip surgery that occurred last March, Fielding will be the favorite for the B title if she can return to last fall's form during this year's senior season. Two 8th place finishes at the elite Northeast XC and East Coast championships at the end of last fall place her among the top runners in the state.
Ana Markovina (Jericho). The Jayhawk senior dominated the Nassau County Section 8 action this spring in both XC and track. After a year trekking around the very flat course at Eisenhower Park for the April 2021 meets, Markovina will finally get a chance to return to some of the hillier venues in the NYC area this year.
Una Boylan (Pearl River). The Pirate senior leads a team that might well have been the favorite for the States title last year. Boylan had a steady rise at the series of Milton Sportsdome races, and she will be leading a strong young pack of Pirates in the team's bid for its first States title in 22 years.
Emilia O'Leary and Megan McLaughlin (East Aurora). The rising freshman and veteran senior Blue Devils will be leading East Aurora's bid for a repeat States title and 10th overall. McLaughlin was 4th as a sophomore and O'Leary 33rd as a 7th grader at 2019 States.
Trinity Wells (Newark). The Reds senior led the way in Section 5's Class B action last year and then had a very strong track season.
Kayla Schramm (Goshen). The Gladiator senior has led Section 9 Class B for most of her years since 8th grade with the exception of one intrusion by Karrie Baloga, and after a strong track season she looks set to go. Schramm was 9th at 2019 States.
Mallory Grubb (Amherst). The Tiger senior was 5th at 2019 States and following an abridged XC season in 2020, Grubb placed 7th at Nationals in the 2K steeplechase.
Rachel Miller (Mohonasen). Miller's results as an 8th grader weren't that plentiful, but she had the third fastest time in the 3000m for this year's crew of rising freshman and will be one to watch.