The girls 3000 meter run will feature some of the best distance runners from the indoor season at the distance, and plenty of them come from PA!
Leading the charge will be former US#1 and indoor state silver medalist Mady Clahane of Cumberland Valley. Clahane has broken 10 minutes for 3000 meters indoors, and she is entering the competition on a hot streak. She was victorious over the weekend in both the 1600 (5:00.30) and 800 meter runs (2:18.06) at Shippensburg, so her confidence should be high.
Hannah Molloy of Pennsbury is also part of the group of PA 3000 meter runners who broke 10 minutes this winter, achieving the feat in a 3rd place finish at the indoor state meet with a US#11 time. Her breakthrough season will continue with a big performance Thursday evening. Olivia Young of Unionville has been a top runner for the past two years and will look forward to the opportunity to run a fast 3000 meter race after just missing the sub 10 minute mark at states in March by 5 seconds. Brooke Hutton of Coatesville has had a sensational 9th grade season, earning a top ten finish in cross country and medaling 6th in the 3000 indoors in 10:06. She will look forward to the chance to prove she belongs among the best in the area.
The mile run will have Marissa Sheva of Pennridge and Olivia Sargent of Pennsbury enter the race as favorites to win the whole thing. Both Sheva and Sargent have run in the low 4:50s during the winter season, and both athletes will look to break the 4:50 mark for the first time in their careers. Sheva finished 5th in this race a year ago and 6th the year before. They have split their last two meetings, with Sheva winning the gold medal at states on March 1.
Aislinn Devlin of Downingtown West and Karli Visconto of Nazareth Academy will be the other PA representatives in the mile. Devlin neared the 5 minute mark while competing unattached at several indoor meets in Massachusetts, while outdoor 800 meter bronze medalist Visconto has run her lifetime best for indoor and outdoor track this season to earn this opportunity.
The distance medley relay will have two PA teams in the field. Indoor All Americans Friends Central will compete and they will be led by 9th grade sensation Gabby Wilkinson, who will run the lead off 1200 meter leg. Wilkinson has come close to the 3:30 mark indoors, so a big personal best under that mark will set a great tone for her team. Emily Burd will run the anchor leg and she has broken 5:10 in both the relay and in open mile appearances.
Cardinal O'Hara will be the other PA representative with their young team of very talented distance runners who finished in the top 3 for the 2nd straight year at indoor states. Grace Mancini, Liz Mancini and Olivia Arizin could be selected to make a mark for their team in this race. They have run 12:11 this season.
The 4x800 Meter Relay has been a very successful event for PA teams in the past few years and this year the PA teams will hope to continue the trend.
Out of the large schools races, Pennsbury had the 2nd best time in the event indoors from their 9:18.88 performance from the Armory Track Invitational way back in January. They have run 9:25.99 in a 2nd place finish at Central Bucks West on Saturday. Central Bucks West spent one week as the PA#1 team this spring with their 9:26.88 performance on April 10 at the Cheltenham Panther Invite. They were surpassed by North Penn over the weekend with their 9:19.70 performance on Saturday at the Central Bucks West invite, which throws them in the mix for an appearance in Friday's final. Wilson (3) is in the state top five this spring with a 9:34.01 from the Lady Skins Invite.
From the small schools, indoor state champions Great Valley will be back with their full team that broke 9 minutes at the end of the 2014 season. Their experience will be key this season, and they will have the most out of the PA teams on any big meet stage. They have a season best of 9:22 from their indoor state title win.
Germantown Friends will be led by the nation's top 800 meter runner, Sarah Walker. Running a 2:07.56 in the open 800 last Friday night at Henderson, a huge split could be on tap for the junior superstar. Unionville ran 9:27 in the 4x8 way back in December in a solo effort. They have added a 2:14 leg in Anna Juul and Kacie Breeding has run 2:19 so far this year. Harriton had the best time in the state indoors and will have Maura Henderson leading the way. She has the state number 1 outdoor full mile time this season. Upper Dublin finished 2nd to CB West at Cheltenham with a 9:34 performance.
The 4x100 meter relay has been spiced up thanks to the warm weather from this past weekend. The top seven times in the state all came from this past weekend. Cheltenham had the best time in the state after Friday's action with their time of 47.69 at Abington. Not even 24 hours later, Susquehanna Township were victorious at Shippensburg with a state leading time of 47.27. Pennsbury won a three team dual against North Penn and Pennridge at the Central Bucks West Relays, with all three teams running between 48.07 and 48.57. Neumann Goretti ran 48.84 down in Delaware at the Art Madric Invite. This group, along with Penncrest, could have the best chance to make some of the big races on Friday and Saturday.
In the 4x400
meter relay, Springside still has the fastest time in the calendar year
with a time of 3:50 from the Armory Track Invite back in January. But the
fastest time in the spring belongs to North Penn, who broke through with a
3:52.69 at the Central Bucks West Relays. Harrisburg have been pushed to PA#2
thanks to Ty'Asia Dansbury and her huge sprint performances. Norristown have
the 3rd fastest time in the state so far this season with Jayana
Webb leading the charge. Susquehanna Township bring a lot of depth to the event
having two teams worth of runners who can step in, while Neumann Goretti have
the fastest small school time this spring and freshman Sydni Townsend ready to
make a big push on the high school stage.
Cheltenham have run 3:52 during the winter, and have had two different girls hold the top spot in the open 400 in each of the past two weekends in Nicole Burke and current state leader Alexis Crosby. Central Bucks West have run the fastest 4x400 meter relay time in each of the past two seasons and with 800 meter state champion Maddie Villalba on the squad, they will look to keep that trend going.