Girls Preview - PIAA District 1 Championships
Class A
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 1
Abigail Brown of Calvary Christian Academy is once again the one to beat in D1-A. Brown is having a great senior season that has included wins in the White Race at Paul Short and her second straight BAL title. She's running really well at the right time and that should translate into another win Friday.
Calvary's Raegan Dubeck, Jenkintown's Caroline Arena, and Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr's Kayleigh Doyle will also be in the hunt for high finishes.
In the team race, Brown's Calvary Christian Academy squad will be the team to beat. After a second place finish at Foundation against some of the top 1A teams in the state, Calvary is built to compete at a high level well into the postseason. Jenkintown and Dock Mennonite will look to challenge Calvary at Lehigh.
Class AA
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 1
2018 has been a big season for Villa Maria's Sarah Raubenheimer. The senior didn't break 20 minutes last season, but she has been under 20 in each of her three 5Ks this season. Last week, she ran to the AACA title. She's the one to beat on Friday at Lehigh.
Her best competition will come from Kelly Murray of Gwynedd-Mercy, the reigning D1-AA individual champion. Murray was fifth at AACA, and will look to make districts her best race of the season. Other contenders include Saint Basil Academy freshman Alina LaForest, Nazareth Academy's Ella Verello, Villa Maria's Hope Brown, and Villa Joseph Marie's Brianna Kling.
The team race figures to be very close. Villa Joseph Marie has won three straight District 1 team titles. Last year, VJM edged out Villa Maria Academy by a single point for the win. It could be just as close this season. Villa Maria claimed the AACA title by seven points over VJM. Then Nazareth Academy was just three points off VJM at AACAs. Pope John Paul II is another strong team that can't be counted out.
Ultimately, this is a wide open four-team race and every place will matter in the homestretch of Lehigh.
Class AAA
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 6
Jenna Mulhern may only be a freshman, but on Friday, she'll look to become the first ninth grader since 2009 to win a D1-AAA individual title (Sara Sargent went 17:39 for the win that day). Mulhern, a West Chester Henderson frosh, won at her home invite, took second at Carlisle to Taryn Parks, and ran away with the Ches-Mont title. The newcomer will be tested, though.
Another newcomer, Strath Haven senior Grace Forbes will be going for the win too. After a strong few years on the track, Forbes chose XC over track this season. She proven to be a poised racer (she won at Foundation) and could certainly make a run for the victory. Allyson Clarke of West Chester East will be tough, too. Clarke won at Briarwood and took second to Mulhern at Ches-Monts. The junior will look to have a big race to win the day.
Of course, there's a wealth of individual talent in District 1. Central Bucks West is a solid team with solid team leaders in Julia Flood and Piper Wilson, who were fourth and sixth, respectively, last season. Downingtown West's Aliza Thir, Neshaminy's Kaylee McCullough and Jordan O'Neill, the Henderson duo of Courtney Alexander and Courtney Kitchen, Mount Saint Joseph's Megan Ciasullo, Cheltenham's Janelle Williams, Pottsgrove's Naomi Hillen, and Central Bucks East's Mckenna Brophy are among the other individuals that could make some serious noise in this deep field.
The battle for the top team spot will come down to Central Bucks West and West Chester Henderson. CB West was brilliant last year at districts, scoring just 60 points in the 53 team field to win by 142. West returns six from that team, which really came alive at Lehigh last year. Flood and Wilson will lead the way. Henderson squeaked into states last year, but has been very strong this season, particularly with the addition of Mulhern, a potential one-stick up front. These squads haven't met this season, so Friday will be one of the most intriguing team matchups of the week.
District 1 Class AAA get six state spots this season, one more than a year ago. Strath Haven and Unionville are among the good bets for two of the other spots. Haven, with Forbes as a lowstick, rolled to DELCO and Central League wins. Unionville peaked perfectly last season, and after a strong Ches-Mont showing, seems to be on the right track again this year.
The race for those last spots will be close. West Chester East has also looked strong this year, running well at Briarwood, Carlisle, and Ches-Monts. Other contenders include Central Bucks East, PAC champs Owen J. Roberts, SOL National champs Council Rock North, Downingtown West, SOL American champs Upper Dublin, and Council Rock South. It should get really close for that coveted sixth spot.