Ben Franklin had a few wise words centuries ago about death
and taxes.
And in channeling the Founding Father and general jack of
all trades, any prognostication about Saturday's PIAA state meet would have put
the Villa Maria Victors right up there on the Pennsylvanian's list of life's
certainties.
Therese Brown's defending champs did not disappoint on the
3.1-mile Poop-Out Hill Course. With senior Claire Brown up front battling with
race leaders, Villa Maria's position as the state's best Class AA girls team
was never threatened as the champions had a fraction of the points of their
closest pursuers.
"We knew coming in this year, as strong as our team was last
year, we knew we had a stronger team this year," Therese Brown said. "We knew
this was going to be something special this year. And they did, and it was."
Despite losing three to graduation from the 2014
championship squad that finished 57 points ahead of the pack, Villa Maria came
back and was even better in 2015. With 2012 state medalist Bernadette Prichard
returning to the lineup after a year's absence, the Victors put just 50 points
on the board and outpaced Danville by a whopping 67.
At the first timing checkpoint, Villa Maria had its largest
point total (57) and smallest lead of the day (45). Following some on-course
team conversation after the second bridge, the Victors started to whittle away
at their point total and increase the gap over the challengers.
"I think that that's something they just do naturally," the
head coach said of the squad's race chatter. "They train together. We do
emphasize the pack if they can. Don't pull back for the pack, but pull up for
the pack, and they do a great job of that."
Claire Brown moved up two spots overall from a year ago to
lead the champs, finishing second in the team listing and fourth overall at
19:01. Two sophomores were next for Villa Maria, with Hannah Ricci and Grace
Brown claiming state medalist honors in
12th and 13th overall (8th and 9th
in the team ranks) with their 19:24 clockings.
Prichard, who finished 12th overall as a freshman
at Parkview but concentrated on tennis a year ago, was 15th in the
team scoring, while junior Carlee Constable locked up the title for the
District 10 power with her 16th place. Both were credited with 20:06
efforts.
"I thought where we live in Erie there are not a whole lot
of teams, and even in Pittsburgh there are not a whole lot of AA teams,"
Therese Brown said of a season-long strategy of racing up against AAA teams in
invitationals and dual meets. "There are some good AA teams, but it seems like
those races are more strung out. I really wanted them to get in a race where
they could be competing the whole way.
"We may not win and that's OK. I think that it prepares them
for days like today. I think running up in those meets, especially in
Pittsburgh, we are actually able to put ourselves in positions that would be
more similar to the state meet."
