Carlisle Invitational (Carlisle, PA)
- VIRTUAL MEET
- 2016 Meet Page
- 2015 Results
- 2015 Girls' Individual Champions: Challenge Race - Aislinn Devlin (Downingtown West); Champions - Victoria Caroli (Cornwall)
- 2015 Girls' Team Champions: Challenge Race - Cumberland Valley; Champions - Cornwall
- 2015 Boys' Individual Champions: Challenge Race - Jaxson Hoey (Downingtown West); Champions - Sam Signor (East Pennsboro)
GIRLS PUMA CHALLENGE PREVIEW
Photo by Geoff Heath
Defending champion Aislinn Devlin of Downingtown West is ready for her first big 5K invite of the season. After running well at the Oakbourne Relays to open up her season and then at the Cherokee Challenge in New Jersey, Devlin looks ready for a big race on Saturday. The PA#1 ran 18:04 here last year, but surely sub-18 is on her mind for her first 5K of the season.
Her biggest compeititon is likely going to come from Delaware with Padua Academy's Lydia Olivere. She's the DE state champ is the only other one in the field besides Devlin with a sub-18 on her resume.
District 3 will bring Wilson's Alison Willingmyre and Chamerbersburg's Abby Yourkavitch to the start line. Yourkavitch is fresh off a season opening W at the Big Spring last weekend and seems fit and ready to go. Willingmyre was second to University High (WV)'s Tashala Turner at Penn State two weeks ago and the two will see each other once again on the line in Carlisle. This should be the first of a few showdowns between Willingmyre and Yourkavitch this XC season.
Hoping to crash that Willingmyre-Yourkavitch D3 party is Greencastle Antrim freshman Taryn Parks. Parks has torn up the course to open up her high school career and after racing in the small schools' race at Big Spring, this will be a great opportunity for her against some of the state's best.
Downingtown West's Emma Planck, Lansdale Catholic's Kayla Connelly, Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy's Sera Mazza, Eastern York's Maddie McLain and Chambersburg's Kaylee Mowery are some other faces to look for in this loaded race.
After a big win to open up last weekend at Big Spring, Manheim Township and its PA#6 squad will be the team favorites. They have a tightly packed top five led by Leah Sassaman, who really stepped up last weekend, and Kira Jenkins
Looking to challenge Manheim Township will be some out-of-state teams, Padua (DE) and University (WV). Downingtown West and East, Chambersburg, Saint Joseph's Catholic, Cumberland Valley, and Hershey should also be factors in the team race.
GIRLS CHAMPIONS PREVIEW
Photo by Patty Morgan
Central Cambria will look to dominate the champions race at Carlisle.
Led by Paige and Emma Wess and Sidney Gilkey, the PA#2 Red Devils have collected wins at Lock Haven and Forest Hills to open up its 2016 XC season. Its best compeititon will probably come from Cornwall, down from New York. They are the returning champions, and they they lost some talent from last year's squad, they are a perennial power up north. Hannah Mellino is the top girl from Cornwall.
Northern is another team to watch with Marlee Starliper as its top girl. Lower Dauphin has a strong squad as well, led by Grace Gilbert. Lower Moreland's Kerry Kovacs will try and challenge up front, as well.
BOYS PUMA CHALLENGE PREVIEW
Photo by Don Rich
OK, this is a big one.
We know about the PA powers Noah Affolder, Josh Hoey, Nathan Henderson, and Sam Affolder, but this race also features David Rosas from Don Bosco in New Jersey, Alec Shrenk from Millbrook in Virginia, and Dalton Hengst from McDonough in Maryland. In a word, this field is loaded.
We should see a great battle between these guys on the fields of Carlisle. Noah Affolder won his first 5K in a Carlisle uniform at PTXC 8 and he'll look to keep it rolling this week. He'll meet Josh Hoey of Bishop Shanahan, who is the top returner from PA states last year. Hoey will also toe the line with his former team Downingtown West, the defending AAA PA state champs. Henderson is coming off a big win and a great time at Big Spring last week and he's excited to mix it up with the state's best. In a sense, this is a sneak peek of November's AAA state meet for the guys up front, with some out-of-staters tossed in for fun.
It doesn't stop there when it comes to PA talent, though. West Chester Henderson's Spencer Smucker is expected to make his 5K season debut this weekend. Lower Dauphin's Kyler Shea and his deep team will look to make a big statement to the rest of the state. Mechanicsburg's strong duo of Morgan Cupp and Alex Tomasko will also be ones to watch. We should also see the season debut of Eric Kennedy of Kiski Area.
Photo by Howard Anderson
All totaled up, I count seven boys from the Saucony Flo50 Top 25 individuals rankings in this race, including four of the top five! There are three of the state's top 10 teams here as well, including PA#1s Carlisle.
Now, let's try and sort through the team battle. Don Bosco Prep (NJ) and Severna Park (MD) are the two likely favorites, travelling from outside of PA to come to Carlisle on Saturday. Don Bosco has the frontrunner in Rosas and then a crazy pack of four not too far behind. Over at NJ MileSplit, they are ranked third in their state behind Indian Hills (who we saw at Briarwood) and CBA.
As far as PA is concerned, Carlisle will look to build off its runner-up finish at PTXC 8 (to Virginia's Loudoun Valley). They have a strong 1-2 punch and a solid #3, but they'll look to grow at the four and five spots and Saturday will be a big test. Downingtown West are the defending state champs, but they lost their strong top three from last year (including Josh Hoey). Still, they have a solid group and one capable of continuing to make noise. Saturday is their 5K opener. PA#9 Lower Dauphin, Cumberland Valley, and Hempfield are other strong teams with the ability to post a great team race. Hershey, Cedar Crest, Mechanicsburg, and JP McCaskey are four more District 3 powers that will look to solidify themselves at Carlisle (it's a wickedly deep year for teams in District 3). Then we have Bishop Shanahan, who have added Josh Hoey and will look to turn itself into a District 1 power.
This will be a fantastic race on Saturday and one that will answer a lot of questions for us as to who the top teams and individuals are in the state of Pennsylvania and beyond.
BOYS CHAMPIONS PREVIEW
Photo by Don Rich
The Champions Race should be a good one as well, a testament to the sheer depth of this meet. The favorite is last year's runner-up Austin Maxwell of Kennett. Maxwell hasn't run an invite yet this season, so he'll hope to be ready to go go Saturday.
Sophomore Evan Doorenkamp was a surprise at the Ben Bloser Bulldog Invitational last weekend. The Manheim Township runner is in his first XC season, and he took eighth against the loaded field that was at Big Spring this week. He'll switch to frontrunning mode at Carlisle and look for the upset over Maxwell. Downingtown East's Dylan McEvoy will be another one to watch in this field.
In the team race, Central Cambria, led by Mike Walwro will aim for the W, but Palmyra and Downingtown East should be strong teams in the mix for the title.