Sometimes during a grueling season, athletes wish the races were shorter than 5000 meters long and that all courses were flat and as fast as a track surface.
Well, MileSplit played the hypothetical game of 1600 meter girls cross country. MileSplit wanted to figure out how teams would rank if teams were judged strictly on 1600 meter times?
PA only had one representative on the preseason top 50 of this list, and that team was Pennsbury. The reigning AAA champions were ranked 3rd in the country based on the team's 1600 meter personal bests! Only California schools Great Oak and Saugus placed higher.
Pennsbury boast three sub five minute 1600 meters runners. Olivia Sargent leads this list with a 4:54.15 time, followed by breakout runner Mary Webb's 4:59.29 and consistent Hannah Molloy's 4:59.31. Maddie Sauer and Lizzy Kirk round out the top five for Pennsbury with sub 5:10 marks.
Pennsbury also were one of three teams to have five sub 5:10 milers, and only Great Oak had more sub 5 minute runners than Pennsbury (4).
So if the race is close and Pennsbury have ground to make up late in a race, this 1600 meter list suggests that they will be favored to make up any gap and come out victorious!
To see the full top 50 list, click HERE!