PIAA District 11 Championships - Girls' Preview
Class-A
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 1
The battle for the individual district crown in District 11 will be hotly contested, just as it was last season. Marian Catholic's Tina Capparell, however, will be looking to complete a four-peat within D11-1A and take home her fourth district crown in as many years.
She's in the midst of her best season of her career to date, taking two wins and top fives in every race she's run (and an 18:13 PR at Paul Short). She'll receive a challenge from last year's district and state runner-up in Christina DiFalco of Pine Grove Area. She didn't race at the Schuylkill League Champs, but is expected to be back this week. This will be a race to watch!
Mahanoy Area is favored in the team race. After a second place finish in the Schuylkill League, they look best equipped to take the lone state qualifying spot, led by Madison Quick. Last year's district champs from Marian Catholic, led by Tina and Nicole Capparell, should give a good challenge. Catasauqua and Moravian Academy will look to get in the mix, too.
Class-AA
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 2
Emily Deschler is back. She proved as much, winning the EPC title against mostly AAA talent at the same course where she'll return on Wednesday. The Allentown Central Catholic senior and reigning D11-2A champion ran in just her first major race of the season last week, but she seems primed to take the title again on Wednesday.
Deschler's best challenge will come from a freshman, Cori McCormick of North Schuylkill. She placed second in 19:19 to Capparell at her league championship and it all looks to be falling into place at the right time for her. Plenty others will be looking to get in the mix, like Lauren Bunke of Bethlehem Catholic, Sophie Doman of Palisades, and Francis Kabana of Tamaqua Area
It should be close for those two state spots. Allentown Central Catholic, led by Emily and Alyssa Deschler, looked strong at EPCs placing third. The Vikings are the defending district champs. Three other teams that have looked strong this season are Tamaqua Area, Northwestern Lehigh, and Bethlehem Catholic. Tamaqua beat Becahi at Paul Short earlier this season before rolling to the Schuylkill League title. Meanwhile, NW Lehigh ran away with the Colonial League title.
Needless to say, those four teams will be fighting hard for just two state slots.
Class-AAA
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 2
Last Tuesday's EPC Championship provided a nice preview for the D11-3A battle set for the same Bethlehem Municipal course on Wednesday. At EPCs, Parkland edged out Easton Area 72-76 for the win, with Liberty taking fourth, the defending champs from Stroudsburg in fifth, and Emmaus sixth.
Of course, a lot can change in eight days, so we'll see if Parkland and Easton can separate themselves again this week and secure those two state spots. Regardless, it will be an interesting battle for the team district title.
Individually, the race for the win will be close with two-time champ Allana Powlette (Stroudsburg) now running at LaSalle University. Easton junior Lauren Maddison was second at EPCs last week and is running well at the right time. Liberty's Belle Weikert was third and Parkland's Ava Bendetti was fourth at EPCs. We also can't count out Stroudburg's Amy Conboy, who is the top returner from the district meet last year.
Emmaus's Abby Dalton, Easton's Skyler Danley, and Parkland's Madison Zaun are among the other individuals looking to get in the mix for the win on Wednesday.