Special to The Dorchester Banner/Dave Ryan North Dorchester High School cross country team girls were excited before last Wednesday’s meet in Cambridge. Girls on ND’s roster this season are Grace Brinsfield, Tonia Cephas, Lauren Covey, Destiny Davenport, Abbey DeCarlo, Atear Frock, Cristina Guerra, Diamond Jenkins, Sierrah Lanahan, Monica Loeffler, Megan Neal, Hailee Peters, Victoria Price, Hanna Smith, Mandy Smorgens, Erin Summy, Amanda Tilghman, Paige Weaver and Ariel Wright.[/caption]

SHILOH — Dorchester County has gained a reputation as a hotspot for running sports, and it doesn’t all happen in Cambridge.

North Dorchester High School’s cross country team has improved this season and is prepared for today’s Bayside Championships.

“Overall, the team has been much more competitive this year, both the boys and girls,” Head Coach Mark Lowrie said. “My girls have started to beat other teams.”

The Eagles are hitting eight to 10 personal records every meet, Coach Lowrie said.

Talented freshmen bode well for the future. Four ninth-grade boys are on varsity, and three freshmen girls are starters.

Special to The Dorchester Banner/Dave Ryan ND’s boys were all business as they gathered at the start line. The boys’ roster this season is Joseph Bates, Isaiah Brinsfield, Noe Cervantes, Paxton Citrone, Robert Connors, Davion Dockins, Jared Feldman, Anthony Harris, Tucker Hickman, Evan Jones, Austin Loeffler, Bailey Lowe, Seth Summy and Payton Thomas. The team manager is Tori Henry. Coaches are Mark Lowrie and Brian Cook.[/caption]

Junior Noe Cervantes is one of the team’s leaders. “He’s won a race, and he’s come in second and third a couple of times,” Coach Lowrie said.

Noe’s PR is 16:56, set at North Caroline’s home course at Tuckahoe State Park. Over a distance of 3.1 miles, that’s a mile pace of about five and a half minutes, a considerable accomplishment for a high school student.

Coach Lowrie is looking ahead to the 1A Regional Championships next week, where teams and individuals can qualify for the State Championships. “The boys have an outside chance,” he said.

He noted that it seems a bit ironic that their chances might be less than last year, when they did qualify, but with the addition of Perryville, Bohemia Manor and Joppatown to 1A, “The region keeps getting stronger,” he said, “and that’s a good thing.”

There will be 12 teams at Regionals, with eight of them fielding full boys’ squads of seven runners. The top four teams advance to States.

A single athlete can qualify by finishing in the top 25 percent of individual finishers. The Bayside Championships, which will include public schools in the conference regardless of size, will take place at Regional Park on Egypt Road. The entrance is opposite Maple Elementary School. The meet will begin at 3 p.m.