The Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference cross country championships are on Friday at University of Maine at Augusta, and several teams got another look at the competition recently.

At Friday's Mt. Blue relays, the Mt. Blue boys took first place among all teams, and the Cougar girls placed fourth. Mt. Blue coach Kelley Cullenberg said the girls finish was a minor surprise since the Cougars are missing two of their top runners.

Lindsey Keenan was running fourth among Mt. Blue runners before a stress fracture slowed her up. Marjorie Hardy was running second or third but has missed time because of obligations with her family's farm.

Cullenberg said Keenan probably won't return for the KVACs, but she is hoping Hardy will be back.

Sophomores Silver Hunt and Melody Lam have been big factors for the Mt. Blue girls this season. Hunt, a transfer from Oak Hill who is in her first year running cross country, placed third overall at the Mt. Blue relays. Lam took seventh at that meet and announced her presence earlier with a ninth-place finish at the Festival of Champions.

Cullenberg thinks the Brunswick and Brewer girls, who finished a tight 1-2 at the Mt. Blue relays (less than two seconds difference over the 10.15-mile course), will battle again in the Class A division at the KVACs.

On the boys side, Cullenberg tabs Lewiston, which didn't compete at the Mt. Blue relays, as the KVAC favorite. But she also expects good things from her boys squad, and points out that those on her team who have run this race before "absolutely love the course."

"Obviously Lewiston is the favorite team," Cullenberg said. "But my guys are going to go in willing to expect a fight."

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The Maranacook girls, who compete in Class B, have a good chance to make a splash of their own at the KVACs. The Black Bears are likely the favorite, as they have defeated strong teams like Medomak Valley and Leavitt during the season.

Maranacook finished third among all girls teams at the Mt. Blue relays.

Jenny Monsulick took fifth among individual girls as six of the top seven finishers were from central Maine.

Hall-Dale's Magen Ellis was first, with Hunt third, Waterville's Hannah Bard fourth, Cony's Rachel Salois sixth and Lam seventh.

"The girls team is doing great," Maranacook coach Rosalea Kimball said. "The whole team has been sick on and off all season, and I'm hoping they'll all be healthy going into the end of the season."

Kimball said it's more of a rebuilding year for the boys, who were ninth at the Mt. Blue relays. Maranacook is missing two of its top seven boys runners, as Sam Whittemore has a pulled quad muscle and Evan Longfellow is battling patella tendinitis.

Longfellow hopes to be back for the KVACs, and Kimball admires what the sophomore has done to make that possible. Longfellow has done a lot of water running, which Kimball compares to running on a treadmill.

"Mentally, it's challenging because you're not going anywhere," Kimball said. "It takes a lot of determination."

Matt DiFilippo -- 861-9243

mdifilippo@centralmaine.com