DigitalSports Boys
Cross Country
Coach of the Year
Earl Lauer, River Hill


After finishing as runners-up to Wilde Lake High in the Howard County meet, Lauer's Hawks rebounded to defeat county rival Mount Hebron for the Class 2A South Region title, and to dethrone Francis Scott Key of Carroll County as the Class 2A state champions at Hereford High.

At states, Lauer relied on team depth, overall, and the wills of juniors Craig Morgan and Sean Kirby, in particular. Morgan and Kirby were second, and, sixth, respectively, at the state meet, keying the Hawks' effort.

Lauer's boys earned their coach's fourth state title at River Hill, adding it to the boys' state title-winners Lauer led in 1998, '99 and 2004 at River Hill.

Lauer, 59, also coached a boys' state cross country champion at Atholton in '89, as well as girls' state champs at Atholton in '87, '88 and '89.

In addition, Lauer's River Hill girls rebounded from a runner-up finish in Howard County to capture the coach's first Class 2A state title for that program at the school after three straight runner-up finishes.

In 37 coaching seasons, Lauer's combined nine cross country state championships are the most by any active coach. And Lauer has coached a combined 26 Howard County boys and girls cross country title winners at Atholton and River Hill.

Click here for an interview by Running Maryland's Brad Jaeger with Earl Lauer


DigitalSports Girls
Cross Country
Coach of the Year
Matt Stump, Howard

When Stump took over the Lions' girls' program three years ago, it was struggling.

"I seem to remember that they had seven or eight girls his first year, and then, they had 20,"  said long time River Hill coach Earl Lauer. "Then the next thing you know, they're winning. He's done a heckuva job."

The coach has swiftly built Howard's program to the point where it has ascended to the title of two-time defending Howard County, Class 3A East Region and Class 3A overall state champion.

The Lions defeated Class 2A state champion River Hill in the county meet, and went on to overcome powerful programs such as Hereford of Baltimore County on the Bulls' home course for the Class 3A state crown.

Among the brightest spots for the Lions was junior Elyse Borisko, who finished as runner-up to DigitalSports' Female Runner of The Year, Katie Harman, of River Hill at the Howard County Invitational.

Not only did Borisko come within a hair of defeating Harman in the county title race, but she improved her time over their first meeting by nearly a minute.

Borisko won the region title, and was runner-up at states to Hereford's Kristen Malloy, finishing in a personal-best time of 19:40 at the course.

A young team, the Lions' Nos. 2, and No. 3 runners were sophomores in Caitlyn Fuller and Meredith Mill.



Running Maryland's Brad Jaeger and DigitalSports' Lem Satterfield selected The Howard County girls cross country team.