Week 6 Preview: Manhattan features PA's finest! DELCO Champs is the first major title meet!

DELCO CHAMPS!! Sponsored by the DELCO RRC---SATURDAY 10-12-2015 Rose Tree Park 41st year!!!

BOYS NOVICE 2:00 GIRLS JV 2:30 BOYS JV 3:00 GIRLS V 3:30 BOYS V 4:00

GIRLS TEAM PREVIEW

The 2015 race to be the DELCO TEAM CHAMPION will not be close. CARDINAL OHARA is by far the best team this year in Delaware County! Before last year they had not won DELCOS since 2004, but they crushed the field in 2014, scoring 29 points. Their top 5(who all return) finished 2-3-4-6-8. OHARA recently finished 2nd to only PENNSBURY at PAUL SHORT and showed last week's Carlisle race was just a hiccup! All of OHARA's 7 Varsity girls are likely to be Top 20!! They do give out a team runner-up award, and STRATH HAVEN(DELCO CHAMP 2011,2012,2013) appears to be the heavy favorite. The battle for 3rd will likely be between RADNOR, RIDLEY, and NOTRE DAME.

INDIVIDUAL PREVIEW

The TOP 7 girls are likely to make 1st team DELAWARE COUNTY DAILY TIMES ALL-DELCO. There are 10 girls fighting for those 7 spots. In alphabetical order they are--Arizin(OH)(11)(6th 2014 3rd 2013)-Cardi(SH)(11)(7th 2014 8th 2013)-Green(RID)(10)(22nd 2014)-C,Mancini(OH)(9)-L.Mancini(OH)(10)(2nd 2014)-G.Mancini(OH)(12)(3rd 2014 2nd 2013 4th 2012)-Mansaray(PW)(12)(28th 2014)-Mesyngier(SH)(12)(9th 2014 9th 2013 12th 2012)-E.Seifried(SHRT)(10)(1st 2014)-Turner(PW)(11).



As for the individual DELCO CHAMPION, last year's defending champ, Seifried(SHRT)(10) will be trying to hold off Arizin(OH)(11). So far this season, Seifried(SHRT)(10) was 2nd at BULLDOG "Small" and 2nd to Abdallah at PIAA FOUNDATION "White". Arizin(OH)(11) appears to be the favorite after her 8th place finish at PAUL SHORT in 18:19 and her victory at BRIARWOOD in the Championship race.



There are 20 plaques given out so there are 10 more spots available. Those 17 in contention are(in alphabetical order)-Barkdoll(SH(10)(15th 2014)-Cooper(RAD)(12)(46th 2014)-Dunn(PC)(12)(19th 2014 23rd 2013)-Gibbons(ACAR)(11)(35th 2014 62nd 2013)-Hellman(GARV)(11)(41st 2014)-Jorgensen(EA)(9)-Joseph(UDAR)(11)(12th 2014 12th 2013)-Lyons(OH)(11)(13th 2014 6th 2013)-Loiselle(SH)(9)-E.Mancini(OH)(10)(8th 2014)-Martin(SH)(11)(30th 2014 6th JV 2013)-Ohlsson(RID)(10)-Okami(SH)(12)(33rd 2014 4th JV 2013)-Pastore(OH)(10)(2nd JV 2014)-Rowan(SH)(31st 2014 12th JV 2012)-H.Seifried(SHRT)(10)(10th 2014)-Stribrny(ND)(11)(14th 2014).

Boys Preview

Cardinal O'Hara have dominated this meet in recent seasons, but this could be the end of their reign up top on Saturday. Ryan James and Rob Morro will do their best up front to carry the torch, but the depth will have to come through in a big way to keep the county title. They haven't been able to put it all together in one race. Perhaps Saturday could be that day.


If it isn't, Strath Haven and Haverford Township will look to take advantage of this opportunity to win the title. It can all come down to the match up front between Strath Haven's Ian Reid and Haverford Township's James Abrahams. Abrahams will be a favorite to win the gold medal as the only sub 16 minute runner in the county this season. Penncrest and Upper Darby will also contend for top five places.

Manhattan

Pennsbury girls will enter the Eastern States Championship race in hopes to keep their undefeated streak alive. Their biggest challengers will be Lasalle out of Rhode Island for the title. Olivia Sargent, Hannah Molloy, and Mary Webb will faceoff with their top three runners, which will likely decide the championship.

Vincentian Academy will also try their luck in the Eastern States race with Marianne Abdalah looking to keep her momentum going. She finished 13th on this course at the Foot Locker Northeast race last November. It was the only time in her career she didn't finish inside the top 2 in a race.


North Penn girls will compete in the A race, looking to keep their winning streak intact. They seem to win meets out of PA, winning Six Flags in NJ and Salesianum in DE in the past couple of weeks. Ariana Gardizy, Phoebe Clowser, and Olivia Dyer will lead the charge. Germantown Friends will also compete in the race, looking for their 3rd straight top five finish in 4 weeks.

Germantown Academy will face off against Conestoga in the Varsity C race. Abbe Goldstein of Germantown Academy has finished in the top five in all races this season, but has yet to win invitational gold thus far. Dominique Shultz of Conestoga will lead the way for the Central League side as they look to snag the team title.

For the boys, Downingtown West will enter the Eastern States race, with one eye on the Ches-Mont League title race slated for Columbus Day 48 hours later. This performance can do big things for their NXN National Final hopes. They have yet to taste defeat, but will have to defeat Brougton, Mount Tabor and Christian Brothers Academy from out of state to keep that streak alive.

Nick Dahl and Germantown Friends will also join the crowd in the Eastern States race along with Lasalle. Lasalle has been the best at pack running this season, but have yet to taste victory this season in an invitational. A good spread can help them place high up the standings.


PJ Murray and Conestoga will be in the Varsity A race along with Upper Dublin. Taylor Allderdice will compete in the Varsity C race.