Central Cambria at the 2006 Manhattan Invitational
AA Girls Cross Country Team Preview
The top 5 teams from last year's championship all look to be strong returners for 2006. St. Basil returns 5 runners from last years championship team. Lancaster Mennonite's runner-up squad returns 6. They did lose #1 Lindsey Shertzer to graduation, but they still boast a strong group. Central Cambria returns 5 runners led by 2006 Footlocker Finalist and all-American Carly Seymour. They could be even stronger than they look on paper because of three incoming freshmen, two of whom contributed to a 10:06 in a middle school championship 4x800 in May. York Suburban returns 6 runners from last year's 4th place team, and Elk Lake returns all seven of their harriers.
The race for the championship looks to be a real battle, but if Central Cambria's incoming class contributes, they'll start virtually every race with just one point. St. Basil has the experience of success in winning titles, taking home the trophy in both 2004 and 2006. Lancaster Mennonite was the runner-up in the previous 2 years.
Neshannock's Kacey Gibson is the defending AA champ.
AA Girls Cross Country Individual Preview
Cross Country is a unforgiving sport, and the terrain of the course at Hershey embraces that brutality. One runner is the AA classification exemplifies how to navigate such a brutal course. Carly Seymour attacks the course with the same unforgiving attitude toward her competitors. The always gracious and humble Seymour has added a national caliber race to her level of experience, an 9th place finish at the 2006 Foot Locker Championships, and has lowered her track times to 4:58.13 and 10:38.24 for the 1600 and 3200 respectively. She will be the one to beat in the AA girls championship race, and her competitors will have to be on the top of their game to keep up. Also in the hunt will be last year's champion Kacey Gibson, from Neshannock. Kasey has a 4:59.86 and a 10:53.10 to her credit, and the experience of winning the 2006 race. Kara Millhouse has also thrown her hat in the ring, improving her 3200 meter time to a 10:35.43. Kara has national experience from outdoor track, and she also has enough speed for the finish, with a 4:58.18 1600 time.
Carly Seymour was 2nd in AA, but was all-American at Foot Lockers.
Other runners to watch: Lauren Zarger, Harbor Creek, was 3rd last year, and has run a 10:57.42 3200. Sarah Strayer, Forest Hills, was 5th last year, and has run an 11:10.15 3200. Steph Fulmer, St. Pius X, was 6th last year, and has run a 11:02.99 3200.
The Emmaus girls return their top six, (l to r back) Kelsey Coates, Lindsey Graybill, Melissa Meade (front) Amanda, Brianna and Christina Faust.
AAA Girls Cross Country Team Preview
With Radnor losing their top three athletes from last year, Emmaus looks to be the team to rise up and take top honors. Emmaus returns their top six harriers on a very strong team. Manheim and West Chester Henderson also took a hit from graduation, and will need to draw on some depth to return to the top-10 this year. Both these teams return their 1 and 3 runners from last year. A team that could make the rise to the podium is Northern York. They return 7 runners from last year, and are led by Rachel Wong, who was 10th last year. Council Rock North and Unionville also look capable of running to a podium position. Unionville looks especially dangerous because of the return to better-than-she-was-two-years-ago Christine Smith.
Other teams to watch: Young squads from Latrobe, Upper Dublin, and Chambersburg could gel this year and place in the top five.
Neely Spence is defending AAA champ,
and joined Seymour as an all-American at Foot Lockers
AAA Girls Cross Country Individual Preview
While Carly pounds her competitors into the ground, Neely Spence seems to float comfortably over the turf, albeit at a pace significantly faster than her competitors. Neely Spence won last year's race, went on to win the Foot Locker Northeast qualifier, then placed 8th at Foot Locker nationals for all-American status. She also lowered her track times this spring to 4:50.98 for 1600 and 10:16.45 for 3200. Her challenge could come from Chanelle Price, the Easton senior who boasts a 2:02.38 (3rd best prep ever) 800 time and a 4:50.65 mile time. Neely is the clear favorite on a course that favors strength over speed, and it is unlikely that she will let Chanelle stay close through the tough middle hills. But don't expect a national class athlete like Chanelle to go down without a fight.
Other runners who are in the hunt: Kate Ross, a senior from Central Bucks East, was 6th last year, and has run 10:47.74 for 3200 (plus did some cross training and competition this summer in the triathlon). Carly Hamond, a senior from West Chester Henderson, was 9th last year, and has run 10:44.76 for 3200. Natalie Bower, a junior from Latrobe, was 4th last year, and has run 11:10.00 for 3200. Sarah Simonetti, who was 26th in 2006, appears poised to make a big jump this season, cruising through three 5K road wins in mid-August over a four-day span, winning the female division in each.