Wood County Christian sophomore Elliot Handley, who earned second team all-state honors a year ago by placing 14th in the Class A state cross country meet, is expected to challenge for a top 10 finish and a spot on the first team. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

PARKERSBURG — The Class A portion of the Mountain State cross country championships are set to get underway at 11 a.m. Saturday in Ona at Cabell Midland High School with the boys race starting 45 minutes later.

While the Charleston Catholic boys are expected to top the field in the team race and Irish senior standout Bella Boggs is favored to repeat as the individual champ en route to becoming a four-time first team all-stater, there’s plenty of talent competing from the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Of course, a new individual boys state champion will be crowned since Marshall University-bound Amos Kimble of Tyler Consolidated is now competing in double-A. A glance at the predictions from runwv.com have Wirt County senior Matthew Balis (3rd), Wood County Christian junior Koa Navarro (4th), St. Marys senior Bryce Bills (6th) and Magnolia senior Riley Dennis (10th) penciled in as potential first team all-staters.

Also expected to compete for a spot on the podiums, which gives second team honors to finishers 11th through 20th, are Blue Devil junior Parker Barnes (11th), the Ritchie County trio of Jenner Stewart (FR, 15th), Kenson Roman (SO, 17th) and Blake Seese (JR, 18th) as well as St. Marys junior Desmond Parks (19th).

Head coach Steven Nutter’s SMHS boys brought the state title back to Pleasants County last fall and return all-staters in Bills, who was third in 2024, while Barnes placed 16th.

“The boys are currently on the outside looking in and have a steep climb ahead of them if they want to return to the podium,” admitted coach Nutter. “Charleston Catholic has an unbelievable team that has been alone at the top all season while the young Trinity and Ritchie squads have continued to progress through the season.

“Blessed with some amazing top performers and our middle pack of boys have truly worked hard to put themselves in a position to challenge runners that are predicted to finish ahead of us. There is no doubt in my mind that each and every St. Marys athlete that toes the line will leave everything they have on the course and will be rewarded greatly for their efforts.”

A year after finishing as the state runner-up, the St. Marys girls are the team to beat. Junior Anna Bennett, who placed fourth last season, leads the charge and is expected to be Boggs’ biggest challenger.

“The girls have put themselves in a very nice position to have a shot at winning a state title,” added coach Nutter. “However, they will have a target on their back which means each girl will have to perform at the best of their ability for us to have a chance to be successful.

“Trinity, Charleston Catholic, Ritchie and Wirt all have the ability to put strong races together to challenge for either podium spot. The ladies drive and determination to achieve greatness as a team has been unwavering since that first week of August.”

Ritchie County senior Bentlee Williams is expected to be a factor near the top and was picked third.

The Rebel has been on the podium each of the previous three years thanks to placing 20th as a freshman, 11th as a sophomore and fourth as a junior.

The only other area girls competing on Saturday who have reached the podium before are Wood County Christian sophomore Elliot Handley (14th last year) and Blue Devil sophomore Mariah Whitlock (19th last year), who at the regional finished ahead of teammate Sidni Gerlach in the team scoring and behind Bennett, Savana Burd and Maddie Smith.

The junior Burd (5th), Handley (7th) and fellow senior Wildcat teammate Amber Perkins (9th) are predicted to have first team efforts.

Smith, also a junior, was tabbed 11th while fellow Little Kanawha Conference runners Allison Bumgarner (FR, 13th), Skylie Thompson (FR, 15th) and Kinsley Nicolais (SO, 19th) of Wirt County along with Calhoun County junior Paige Sterns (14th) are also well in the mix for podium finishes.

“We are blessed to have had the opportunity to win regional titles, and the runners are excited to showcase their hard work at the state meet on Saturday,” stressed coach Nutter.

“Both squads have worked extremely hard since day one and have continued to drive toward our one goal which was to have our best races on November 1st.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com