PIAA States Preview: Girls' Distance


AA Girls' 800m Preview

We should see a good race for the AA state title in the 800 meters!

At the WPIAL Championships, Melissa Riggins of Shady Side raced to the win, clocking a 2:15.07. Just a freshman, Riggins has quickly made a name for herself and she's an immediate contender for the state's top spot in the 800 meters. She beat out another young runner, Freeport Area's Sidney Shemanski, who ran 2:16.07 for second at WPIALs. Shemanski took fifth last year as a freshman.

But the two fastest AA times this season come from Neumann Goretti teammates Kami Joi Hickson and Dasia Wilson. Hickson, who transferred from Washington Township in New Jersey during the indoor season, has quickly acclimated to running in PA. She ran 2:13.38 to win the PCL title. Wilson ran 2:14.34 in that race. They followed that up with a 1-2 finish at D12 a few days later.

Paige Wess of Central Cambria ran a big open PR of 2:17.75 to win the District 6 title. She'll be a factor for sure at states. So will Tina Capparell of Marian Catholic. She won the 800 at District 11 after winning the 1,600. 

Lewisburg Area's Sarah Reif, Riverside's Sydney Wolf, and Everett Area's Kaitlyn Maxwell will also be in the mix near the front of the pack on Saturday in what should be a great race.

ENTRIES:

Event 208  Girls 800 Meter Run AA (25) Prelims
===============================================================================
 NFHS Record:  2:02.04  2011        Amy Weissenbach, HarvardWestlakeHS, CA     
 PIAA Record:  2:09.16  2012        Angel Piccirillo, Homer Center 6           
NFHS Hnr Rol:  2:09.50                                                         
               2:20.60  SQS
           Name                        Year School                 Seed relim Time
===============================================================================
  1        Riggins, Melissa               9 Shady Side 07       2:15.07  SQS   
  2        Shemanski, Sidney             10 Freeport Area 07    2:16.07  SQS   
  3        Wess, Paige                   11 Cntrl Cambria 06    2:17.75  SQS   
  4        Capparell, Tina               12 Marian Cath 11      2:18.11  SQS   
  5        Reif, Sarah                   12 Lewisburg 04        2:18.65  SQS   
  6        Wolf, Sydney                  12 Riverside 07        2:18.83  SQS   
  7        Maxwell, Kaitlyn              10 Everett Area 05     2:19.70  SQS   
  8        Hamilton, Haley               10 Olsh 07             2:19.82  SQS   
  9        Hickson, Kami  Joi            10 Nmnn Goretti 12     2:19.83  SQS   
 10        Coddington, Emily             10 Shade 05            2:19.98  SQS   
 11        Wallace, Lydia                 9 Jim Thorpe 11       2:20.08  SQS   
 12        Fletcher, Caroline             9 Mount Carmel 04     2:20.10  SQS   
 13        Kopchak, Rylee                12 Cardinl Wuerl 07    2:20.76        
 14        Simander, Kathleen             9 Saint Josephs 06    2:21.35        
 15        Kaschalk, Carly               12 Cntrl Cambria 06    2:21.76        
 16        James, Victoria               10 Lackawanna Tr 02    2:22.58        
 17        Nalls, Madison                12 Eastern York 03     2:22.70        
 18        Wilson, Dasia                 11 Nmnn Goretti 12     2:23.00        
 19        Sherwin, Katie                11 Fairview 10         2:24.73        
 20        Biddle, Abby                  11 Grove City 10       2:25.91        
 21        Peterson, Sherisse             9 Nmnn Goretti 12     2:26.12        
 22        Scheib, Natalie               12 Upper Dauphin 03    2:26.99        
 23        Williams, Amanda              11 Johnsonburg 09      2:27.32        
 24        Hockman, Phylicia             11 Clarion Area 09     2:27.60        
 25        Swartley, McKenzie            12 Dock Menn 01        2:27.88