Mercersburg hosts the Mid-Atlantic Prep League Cross Country Championships on campus Wednesday, October 31. The boys’ varsity race is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.; the girls’ varsity race is set for 2 p.m.; and the futures race (featuring athletes not competing in a varsity race) will be held at 2:30 p.m. An awards ceremony will follow at approximately 3:15 p.m.

The 5,000-meter course (approximately 3.1 miles) begins and ends on the practice field across Sycamore Lane from Tippetts and Fowle Halls and winds across and around campus past the Irvine Memorial Chapel, the Smoyer Tennis Center, and Regents’ Field before the finish.

Read more information about the course and race day.

Six schools (Blair Academy, The Hill School, The Hun School of Princeton, Lawrenceville School, Peddie School, and Mercersburg) comprise the MAPL membership; all will compete at the event. Mercersburg’s girls’ team and Hill’s boys’ team were the 2017 team champions; Peddie hosted the 2017 event in Hightstown, N.J.

In 2017, Mercersburg’s Sophia Divone ’19 (19:03) and Addie Geitner ’21 (19:36) swept the top two places to lead the Blue Storm girls to victory. Both Divone and Geitner return for this year’s championship, and will be challenged by a strong field that includes Hun’s Charlotte Bednar (the 2018 Mercer County [N.J.] individual girls’ cross country champion).

On the boys’ side, Akshay Mody of Peddie won the 2017 individual title in 16:08. Robert Enck of Lawrenceville was second, and is the top returning placewinner. He will compete for the individual crown along with (among others) Hun’s Martin Adams and Mercersburg’s Alex Wood ’19.

“We’re excited to host this premier event,” says Rick Hendrickson, Mercersburg’s director of athletics. “This is the first year that the MAPL has rotated the cross country championship, and teams are excited about running on our course, which also served as the home site for the PAISAA state championships for 25 years.”

Mercersburg has previously hosted MAPL championship events in basketball, squash, tennis, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field.

Live updates will be available at the conclusion of each race at twitter.com/MburgAthletics.