Chloe McCarthy could hear footsteps behind her on Tuesday afternoon as she led the pack in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference cross country championship race.

The St. Mary’s senior standout knew that Bryn Mawr freshman Gracyn Lambert was not that far off the pace on the hilly course at the Baltimore County Agricultural Center in Cockesyville.

”I could hear her behind me,” McCarthy said. “And I could hear people cheering for her.”

Nonetheless, McCarthy, representing the IAAM B Conference, maintained the lead and edged A Conference runner Lambert for the individual title.

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McCarthy said that she started the race in 10th place until making her first move at the top of a hill about a mile into the jaunt.

Although McCarthy said that she didn’t take the lead at that point, she waited until she reached a flat portion of the course with about a mile to go.

That’s when she picked up the pace to fend off Lambert.

”I kept trying to run faster,” McCarthy added. “I didn’t know if she was going to make a move or not.”

McCarthy said that practice running hills aided her greatly to finish in 19:27.51, just over four seconds faster than the Mawrtian rookie.

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”Winning just shows how much work I put in,” McCarthy said, pointing out that her teammates’ support was also instrumental in the victory.

McDonogh (37 points) repeated in the A Conference by placing five runners in the top-15 finishers on the hilly layout that was changed from last year, edging runner-up Notre Dame Prep (56) for the team title.

Senior Sophie Bredar (2nd, 19:44.52), junior Mary Gorsky (4th, 19:56.95), sophomore Zewdi Tesfayohannes (6th, 20.19.89), sophomore Caroline Birdsall (10th, 20:36.44) and freshman Alliue Keffer (15th, 21.03.29) led the way for the Eagles.

McDonogh coach Phil Turner said that team’s leadership was a key to another successful season.

”They were motivated all season,” he said. “They are everything a coach could ask for.”

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Bredar said that the course change did not bother her one bit.

”It was different — but in a good way,” he said. “I really liked it.”

She also liked the Eagles’ exceptional attitude.

”After being the underdog last year, we had a lot of new girls this year who were young and hungry,” she said. “We ran for each other.”

As a team, the Saints (67) could not natch B Conference champ Mercy (31), which was paced by senior Courtney Dickens (3rd, 20:38.60), junior Mia Cucuzella (4th, 21:47.06), senior Eva Ally (7th, 21:56.95), senior Jenna Santoni (8th, 21:58.50), senior Kenadd Mikelskas (9th, 22:04.41), senior Katie Dodge (13th, 23.02.06) and sophomore Mackenzie Borchers (14th, 23.05.21).

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The 2021 C Conference champion Magic made the jump to the B Conference this season look easy.

That gave Catholic High an opportunity to take the C title — and the Cubs made the most of the opportunity by edging runner-up Park, 65-70.

Catholic freshman Sophia Prior (20.05.68) topped St. Timothy’s Genevieve Cowan (20.57.52) to capture the C individual title.

Fellow rookie Gabrielle Caruso (5th, 23:24.28) and junior Grace Hansen (12th, 24:44.87) were the other major contributors for the Cubs.

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