2A Girls' Individuals Preview - PIAA State Championships
Marlee Starliper transformed last season from a very good runner to one of the best Pennsylvania has ever seen. Now a junior, Starliper keeps rolling along, picking up more state titles along the way. On Saturday, the Northern harrier will search for her second straight AA girls individual state crown.
Starliper showed that she's in the best shape of her life on Saturday, cruising to a course record of 17:19 at Big Spring, despite terrible conditions, to win the District 3 title. She got a glimpse of the Hershey course when she opened up her season winning at Foundation. She also picked up wins at Paul Short and Mid-Penns leading up to districts. AA is loaded with talent up top, but Marlee will toe the line on Saturday morning as the overwhelming favorite to repeat.
Aislinn Devlin's course record of 17:44 and Tessa Barrett's overall state meet record of 17:30 are on high alert, regardless of the conditions, frankly.
A number of girls will be hoping to seize the opportunity should Starliper have an off day, or at least compete for a coveted spot in the top 5.
Taryn Parks of Greencastle-Antrim is also running the best of her career. She's been the model of consistency, running times of 18:08 (PTXC 10), 18:26 (Ben Bloser), 17:59 (Carlisle), 18:03 (Mid-Penns), and 18:02 (District 3), and winning four races this fall. She was a 2016 state champ and knows how to run Hershey which will bode well for her in a crowded chase pack.
Another big winner this fall has been Gianna Labbiento of Sharon. The sophomore, who was fourth last year, has been on a roll, winning 6 races and her only second place finish coming at Foundation to Starliper. She's even better than a year ago and will be ready to race on Saturday.
A few other fast risers have been Schuylkill League and District 11 foes, Olivia Haas of Blue Mountain and Cori McCormick of North Schuylkill. After McCormick beat out Haas for the league title, Haas picked up the win at District 11. Just a freshman, Haas has made her impact known right away and will look for a big performance in her first state meet. McCormick was 20th at states last year, but she should be in line for a big jump on Saturday.
Quaker Valley's Annie Wicker comes in as the WPIAL Class AA champ. She was eighth last season and is having another strong season that has included three wins. Brownsville Area's Gionna Quarzo was tenth a year ago. The WPIAL runner-up enters with a pair of wins and should be in the mix. Lauren Trapani of Warrior Run should expect to be in the mix among the chase pack. She was second in 1A last season as a freshman, and the sophomore should be in for a big race after running away with the District 4 crown last week.
Other contenders in this deep field include: District 6 champ Stella Kuntz (Central Cambria), District 2 champ Molly DeMarzo (Crestwood), District 9 champ Samantha Hayes (Saint Marys Area), Elaina Klinger (Danville Area), Mia Bellucci (Scranton Preparatory), Maddison Hayes (Fairview), Christina DiFalco (Pine Grove Area), and Meaera Shannon (Conneaut Area)
Placing inside the top 10 in AA girls individually will likely require a faster time than that of AAA, which would be an interesting feat for smaller schools. In sports sometimes, the competition rises up to attempt to meet the level of its top competitor. It was the case in PA track and field a few years ago with Jordan Geist and the boys' throws, and it appears to be the case here with Starliper.