Team Preview
Photo by Phil Grove
Little has stood in the way of Oakland Catholic this season. They've hit a number of big invitationals and walked away as the top Pennsylvania team at every stop. They won the Foundation Invitational by 38 points and were the top PA team by 84 points to the next closest PA squad at Paul Short.
O.C. has a rare mix of a frontrunner (Lauren Finikiotis, who could place in the top five overall on Saturday), and a really tight 2-5 pack (Hannah Schupansky and Megan Nagy will have their eyes on top 25 spots). They're a deep squad and they'll be tough to beat.
But of course, it's states and it's Hershey so they old cliche of "anything can happen" certainly applies here. If a few Oakland Catholic runners have an off day, there's a definite chance for another contender to slip in and steal the title.
Photo by Howard Anderson
Perkiomen Valley will look to be that team. The second place team at Foundation has come around nicely this season. Annie Glodek, like Finikiotis, will be around the top five overall. They've tightened up their 2-5 pack and look to be in position for a good race on Saturday.
But the competition at the District 1 Championships, which Perk Valley won, was very close. Downingtown West was second to PV by just 15 points. The low sticks of Devlin and Planck will definitely help their cause. If 3-5 can step up, this can be a very dangerous team. Unionville, then, was just four points off West at districts. The 2015 runners-up have retooled nicely. They're led by Anna Juul and Madison McGovern and can definitely continue their upward swing at states.
North Penn and Strath Haven has also looked strong. North Penn has some good low sticks, while Strath Haven has depth as its strength (their fifth runner was the second best fifth runner in D1).
Photo by Dan Beck
Cardinal O'Hara will be a team to watch. They were third at Foundation without Olivia Arizin, who should be their top girl on Saturday. If the other four---Christine Mancini, Eleanor Mancini, Liz Mancini, and Sara Hayes---have strong races at states, they may be the team with the best shot of upsetting Oakland Catholic.
State College Area is a team with some great depth. The Mid-Penn and District 6 champs have looked very good this season. They were fourth at Foundation and have the pieces to run with the top squads in the state.
Manheim Township, the District 3 champs are another strong team. They have depth and a pack (just a 32 second 1-5 spread at districts). A key for them will be getting a few girls to break out and contend for the medals. Wilson and Chambersburg are two other from D3 that could make a splash on Saturday.
Fox Chapel and North Allegheny are two District 7 squads that have been somewhat under the radar this season due to Oakland's dominance. However, both teams have some potential to place high at states. From District 11, Stroudsburg looks to be a strong team with a handful of individual medal contenders.