Girls' Recap - Paul Short Run
Brown Race
Marlee Starliper changed this up this season, running at Paul Short on Saturday instead of Carlisle, where she blazed a 16:50 last season. Starliper took home the win on Saturday, coming home in 17:58, her first sub-18 of the season for the win. The course was soft because of rain the week before and Starliper dealt with some warm conditions in the late afternoon.
The Northern senior took out the pace hard from the beginning and held on for the win, her second of the season.
Isabel Sagar of Loyalsock held strong behind Starliper. With PA#1 in her sights the whole time, the senior finished not far off, taking second in 18:06. It's yet another strong performance for Sagar, who has already run 17:31 and 18:05 this fall.
Union Catholic (NJ)'s Jerika Lufrano took third in 18:17. Strath Haven's Grace Forbes edged out Penn Charter's Emma Zwall, as the pair placed fourth and fifth, respectively. Forbes went 18:28 to Zwall's 18:29.
The team race went to Virginia's Colonial Forge. Mckenzi Watkins led the way for the the winners with a 18:30. CF scored 123 points. Cardinal Gibbons (NC), minus a few top runners, placed second with 154 points and Lake Braddock (VA) was third with 181 points. The top PA team in the field was Emmaus, which ran very well to take fourth with 294 points. Keerstin Augustin led the way for Emmaus with a 32nd place finish.
White Race
The most thrilling finish of the day -- and perhaps the season -- came in the girls' White Race.
Abigail Brown of Calvary Christian Academy said she was "just trying to not get fourth" in the home stretch of the final varsity race of the day. But she found something within her in the closing meters and kicked past second place and then, at the last moment, passed Neshaminy's Kaylee McCullough to claim the win in 19:34. McCullough crossed in the same time in second.
Bel Air (MD) put its whole top five in the top 20 to claim the team title, led by Mackenzie Morrison's sixth place overall finish. Delhi (NY) was second and Neshaminy was third.