Last fall Maria Chopas saved her best for last. After a slower start to the season, she excelled in November, en route to a 12th place finish at the Meet of Champions, and helped her team finish third at the Division 1B Championships. After a strong outdoor season as well, Chopas will no longer be under the radar as she looks to lead #11 Concord-Carlisle.
Heading into the November last year, she had run 19:31 at the Bob Glennon Twilight Meet, although her best performance may have been her sixth-place finish at the Amherst Invitational in September. The first two months proved to be a warmup for her, as she took seventh place at the Division 1B Championships in 20:12. The following week would be even better as she claimed her place among the Bay State’s best, running a PR of 19:08 at Fort Devens to finish 12th overall. That time places her eighth overall for returning runners from the Meet of Champions.
In the spring she continued to assert herself, running the ninth fastest Two Mile in the state with a 10:53. That is the seventh fastest time amongst returning runners. She proved her range running 5:04 for the Mile and 2:21 for 800m.
This fall, Chopas will look to lead the Patriots back to the Meet of Champions. After her success last season, a top five finish as an individual should be in the cards. Based off last year, and all the returning runners, that may require running in the mid to high 18 minute range. With her combination of strength and speed, Chopas is capable of that. Keep an eye for Concord-Carlisle to make their season debut soon.
