Severna Park girls cross country achieved a lot of its successes in 2023 thanks to being a strong pack team. “We>Me” proudly boasted the team T-shirts and the Falcons’ performances backed up the slogan.
But within the “We” were a number of pretty talented runners who each at various points of the season took their turn leading the team.
By season’s end, freshman Josie Kamas was at the front of the pack. Kamas run 19 minutes, 0.8 seconds to place third at the Class 3A East Region championship and following by placing fourth at the state meet (19:27.6). In each case she was at the front of her team leading it to a championship.
The week after the season, she ran her best race, running 18:59.3 at the NXR Southeast Regional championships.
For her achievements, Kamas is the 2023 Capital Gazette girls cross country Runner of the Year.
“I kind of had a breakthrough race at regionals, which is where I ran my first sub-20 [minute] race,” Kamas said. “A lot of girls were telling me, ‘You can kick at the end. You really have to get out faster.’ And I was worried about getting out too fast and not having enough strength to finish the race. But I realized, I finally took a chance and I realized that I can go out fast and I can finish fast. That’s kind of how I ended up making that breakthrough.”
Joining a team with such a prolific legacy as Severna Park cross country can be a daunting task for a freshman. But the program is designed to welcome in new runners and groom them to become champions.
“We do a lot of summer training, so even before I was a freshman I got to meet the girls on the team and I got to work out,” Kamas said. “That totally prepared me to be ready to run in the fall.”
The training also helps. Severna Park puts together a training regimen that prepares its runners to be ready for any terrain, whether its flatter courses along the coast, or the hills such as the ones on the state championship course at Hereford.
“Our training incorporates everything,” she said. “You’ll have a speed workout — 400s, 800s, 1Ks — on Wednesdays and then you’re going to run hills on Saturday. We have some pretty gruesome hills, one in particular that’s just terrible, and that prepares us for Hereford. That’s one of the strengths our team has is were able to run those hills.”
Unlike a lot of top young cross country athletes, Kamas didn’t grow up a runner. Her background is in soccer and swimming. However, she found something in cross country that the other sports lacked.
“I didn’t really have a place in soccer and swimming,” she said. “I was good at them, but didn’t have a passion for them. Coming into running, it was just so crazy to finally feel so strongly about something and feel passionate about it.
“The first time I ran, I honestly remember enjoying it. I remember thinking, ‘This is something I can actually be good at and something that is fun for me.’ I wouldn’t say the passion came in immediately, but toward the end of the season, and I think that’s why my races started to get progressively better. I started to get more and more passionate about it.”
She plans on still swimming in the summer, which according to her “is not super competitive but it’s enough for cross training.” In the meantime, she plans on running track and field for Severna Park and to be back out on the cross country course next fall.
She was blunt in responding if running was going to continue to be a part of her future.
“I hope so,” she said. “I definitely think cross country is more my strong suit than track, but in both, I hope to run until I really can’t run anymore.”
Coach of the Year
Josh Alcombright, Severna Park
The Falcons continued their domination at the county, region and state levels despite graduating top runner Cameron Glebocki.
Sophomore Kathryn Murphy captured the individual crown at the Anne Arundel County Championships to lead a historic performance by Severna Park, which swept the top six places in posting a remarkable low score of eight points. Nine of the top 10 runners at the county meet represented the Falcons.
Severna Park just as easily claimed the Class 3A East Region team title even though Alcombright rested several of his best runners. Kamas led the way as the Falcons had the third through seventh finishers in totaling 12 points.
Kamas placed fourth, while Murphy and Jocelyn DiAngelo finished 14th and 15th to lead Severna Park to its second straight state title. The Falcons scored 37 points, 56 better than runner-up Howard.
Alcombright credits a rigorous summer training program for preparing the runners for success right out of the gate.
“June, July and August are when championships are won. These kids have to buy in and invest on their own time during the summer,” he said. “For a teenage kid to make that type of investment shows the discipline they have and desire to carry on the tradition of the program.”
Tremendous depth is what sets the Severna Park program apart from any other in the state at this point.
“Our sixth through 10th runners keep one through five on their toes,” said Alcombright, who has led the Severna Park girls to four straight county and region championships. “We’ve challenged the girls because we have some pretty big goals in the next few years. We now want to make a name for ourselves on the regional and national stage.”
All-County first team
Natalie Bowman, Severna Park, junior
Bowman paced fourth at the Anne Arundel County Championships with a time of 20:31:30. She finished 40th at the Class 3A state meet (21:27.69) to help the Falcons capture the team title.
Caylie Brown, South River, junior
Brown finished seventh at the county championships with a time of 20:56.9. Placed eighth at the Class 3A East Region meet in 19:44.08.
Madison Davis, Severna Park, senior
Davis placed sixth at the Class 3A East Region meet with a time of 19:36.19. Came across 27th at the state meet (20:58.64) to help the Falcons capture the Class 3A championship
Jocelyn DiAngelo, Severna Park, sophomore
She was runner-up at the Anne Arundel County Championships with a time of 20:18.60. Placed 15th at the Class 3A state meet in 19:56.90. Was third finisher for the state champion Falcons.
Kaylee Jenish, Severna Park, senior
Jenish finished fourth at the Class 3A East Region meet with a time of 19:26.49. Placed sixth at the county championships in 20:52.60 and 23rd (20:41.69) at the 3A state meet.
Sarah Kelly, Severna Park, senior
Kelly finished fifth at both Anne Arundel County Championships (20:36.60) and the Class 3A East Region meet (19:26.76). Came 48th across the line at the 3A state meet (21:40.14).
Kathryn Murphy, Severna Park, sophomore
Captured the Anne Arundel County championship with a time of 20:03.50 on a tough Annapolis High course. Placed 14th overall and second among Severna Park runners at the Class 3A state meet in 19:56.85.
Emma Patrick, Severn, sophomore
Captured the IAAM B Conference championship with a superb time of 18:14 on the Shawan Downs course. Beat the A Conference winner by 49 seconds. Placed 16th in the Championship Division at the Nike Cross Country Southeast Regional in 17:46.3.
All-County second team
Sophie Green, Freshman, South River
Ellie Ballard, Junior, Severna Park
Verity Fogarty, Junior, AACS
Brooklyn LaBrier, Sophomore, Severna Park
Isabel Meadows-Soto, Junior, Old Mill
Jillian O’Neill, Senior, Annapolis
Alexandra O’Connell, Senior, Archbishop Spalding
Alexandra Vosburg, Freshman, Chesapeake
Lila Sandel, Sophomore, Severna Park
Brooklyn Ricker, Junior, Annapolis
Rowan Palmer, Freshman, Severn
Staff writer Bill Wagner contributed to this story.