On A New Course, WPIALs Will Be Wild: District 7 Champs Preview


PIAA District 7 Championships - Girls' Preview

Class-A

  • State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 4

For the first time in four years, Marianne Abdalah won't win the WPIAL title. That's because she's graduated and off to WVU. So the door is open for a new champ and we should get a good matchup up front.

But perhaps no one in D7-1A has looked stronger this season than Alyssa Campbell of New Brighton. Look for the senior to try and close out her XC career on a high note these next few weeks. She was third in the WPIAL last year before taking third at states.

Her best challenge could come from Northgate's Megan Wisniewski, who had a huge performance at Mack Cooper a few weeks ago, where she took sixth in a PR of 19:45. Haley Hamilton of Our Lady of Sacred Heart also had a strong race at Mack Cooper, going sub-20. She'll look to mix it up near the front, too. The Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic duo of Rylee Kopchak and Katherine Fedko, along with Vincentian Academy's duo of Tara Lucot and Marissa Canzian, and Shady Side's Jeanne Lauer (second in the WPIAL last year) will be among the other individuals to watch for here.

Vincentian Academy has won the last two WPIAL Class A titles and they'll look to make that happen again on Thursday with Lucot and Canzian leading the way. They'll be heavily favored. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, which was second a year ago, should also easily grab one of the state spots.

After that, it gets murkier. Mohawk looked strong at Mack Cooper and should be in the mix. Our Lady of Sacred Heart, West Greene, Neshannock, and Shady Side are among a big group of teams that will be jockeying for one of the four spots in D7-1A.


Class-AA

  • State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 3

The Quaker Valley girls will shoot for its fourth straight WPIAL crown on Thursday. QV also expects to be a factor on the state scene, but the first test will be Cooper's Lake. It will have the frontrunners pacing the field. Annie Wicker and Lucie Kubinski have proven to be D7-AA's best individuals this season. Along with Audrey Durbin, there will won't be anyone stopping Quaker Valley from title No. 4 in a row.

Greensburg Salem could have the best shot of challenging QV. Sixth last year, GS is stronger this time around, largely because of the emergence of Emma Andrasko, who should figure into the top five discussion for Thursday. South Fayette was tenth at Mack Cooper. Led by Maria DeCello, look for SF to be strong. Brownsville ran well at Mack Cooper with Gionna Quarzo and Sara Vance in the top 20. The depth may need to come around to make states a reality.

Ambridge Area, Beaver Area, Indiana Area, Knoch, and Uniontown are among the other squads with a shot at the top three in what will be a hotly contested race.

Other individuals to watch include Knoch's Samantha Jo Barnes, Southmoreland's Kaylee Farino, and Ambridge's Leuca Hanish in this deep field.


Class-AAA

  • State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 3

It's been quite a year for the crazy-deep AAA girls of the WPIAL. And Thursday's WPIAL Championship meet will help us sort out who the best of the west are.

In the individual race, Upper Saint Clair's Savannah Shaw and North Allegheny's Clara Savchik will battle for the top spot. Shaw beat Savchik at Red, White & Blue and the PIAA Foundation Invitational in what has been a terrific senior season for the USC harrier. She may be the one to beat in the whole state in AAA. But Savchik comes in as the reigning WPIAL champ and the state runner-up from last year. She picked up a big win at Mack Cooper, and we're expecting quite a dual between these two. Get ready for it, folks.

Butler's Maggie Welty finished her season well last year and is worth watching for. She was third in the WPIAL last year and though we haven't seen much from her in 2017, she could still be a factor. Then there's the Fox Chapel squad, led by Caelan Miller. Miller ran well at Mack Cooper and along with her teammates Annika Urban and Sarena Seeger, we should see plenty of red near the front.

North Allegheny's Hannah Lindgren,  Seneca Valley's Lizzy White, and the Oakland Catholic group of Hannah Schupansky, Katelyn ElleryTeresa Davison, and Sophie Young will also be among the factors near the front.

The team race will feature the PA#2 squad from Fox Chapel Area led by the aforementioned individual factors. After a dominating performance at Mack Cooper, FCA solidified its spot as the WPIAL's best and one of the main contenders for a state title. But first, FCA must pass another test at Cooper's Lake.

The battle for the other two state spots should be close. The reigning WPIAL champs from Oakland Catholic have looked solid this season. They were fourth at Mack Cooper behind Seneca Valley, but did so without Schupansky racing. North Allegheny, with a pair of top five threats, will be a team worth watching for. Then Seneca Valley, with White near the front, will be on the hunt for the top three.

Mount Lebanon, Upper Saint Clair, and Norwin make up a big group of AAA teams that could make some noise if things fall in the right place.