AA Girls' 800m Preview
If Melissa Riggins' 1600 meter state title last year wasn't impressive enough, the then-freshman came back to run 2:16 on a hot afternoon to win the 800 meters too. The Shady Side Academy sophomore is going after the 1600-800 double again this year. Riggins ran 2:10.75 this season, the fastest AA time this season, and ran 2:11 to win at WPIALs to get the top seed for states.
Riggins will be challenged, though, in a very deep field of half milers. Neumann Goretti's Kami Joi Hickson went 2:12.38 to win the District 12 title last week, and during the indoor season went 2:08 over 800 meters. The talented junior will look to win her first individual state crown . Her NG teammate Sanaiya Watts ran 2:16.03 to take second in D12. In her first PIAA state meet, Watts will look to leave her mark.
This field is incredibly deep. A close second to Riggins last year Sidney Shemanski of Freeport Area. The junior was fourth in the WPIAL, but she'll look for another big states race like she had last year to put her in the hunt up front. Saint Basil Academy's Alina LaForest ran away with the District 1 win this past week. She has run 2:16.07 this season and the freshman will put herself in the mix up near the front.
In a quick District 6 race, Central Cambria's Paige Wess went 2:17.91 to edge out Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy's Kathleen Simander (2:18.54). Wess was fifth a year ago and the senior has the experience and talent to be a factor in this field. For Simander, her D6 time was a nice PR and expect her to make a run at a high finish.
ENTRIES:
Event 208 Girls 800 Meter Run AA Prelims
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NFHS Record: 2:02.04 2011 Amy Weissenbach, HarvardWestlakeHS, CA
PIAA Record: 2:09.16 2012 Angel Piccirillo, Homer Center 06
NFHS Hnr Rol: 2:09.60
2:20.60 SQS
Name Year School Seed relim Time
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1 458 Riggins, Melissa 10 Shady Side 07 2:11.53 SQS
2 343 Hickson, Kami Joi 11 NeumnnGoretti 12 2:12.38 SQS
3 350 Watts, Sanaiya 12 NeumnnGoretti 12 2:16.03 SQS
4 117 Wess, Paige 12 Cntrl Cambria 06 2:17.91 SQS
5 440 Simander, Kathleen 10 St Joseph's 06 2:18.54 SQS
6 427 LaForest, Alina 9 St Basil Acd 01 2:19.01 SQS
7 347 Peterson, Sherisse 10 NeumnnGoretti 12 2:19.32 SQS
8 188 Brewer, Corinn 9 Greensburg CC 07 2:19.63 SQS
9 184 Shemanski, Sidney 11 Freeport Area 07 2:19.67 SQS
10 383 Hamilton, Haley 11 Olsh 07 2:19.76 SQS
11 565 Mason, Grace 10 Wilmington 10 2:19.77 SQS
12 327 Pauling, Raya 9 Montoursville 04 2:20.70
13 229 Williams, Amanda 12 Johnsonburg 09 2:20.84
14 144 Clabaugh, Maddie 11 Delone Cath 03 2:21.83
15 332 Fletcher, Caroline 10 Mount Carmel 04 2:22.23
16 40 Urbine, Sydney 12 Beth Center 07 2:22.34
17 223 Wallace, Lydia 10 Jim Thorpe 11 2:22.43
18 119 Hockman, Phylicia 12 Clarion Area 09 2:22.76
19 403 Culver, Isabella 12 Penns Valley 06 2:23.24
20 133 Smrcka, Hannah 10 Corry Area 10 2:23.40
21 159 Maxwell, Kaitlyn 11 Everett Area 05 2:23.87
22 63 Fertich, Christi 11 Boiling Spr 03 2:24.55
23 212 Capaci, Anna 10 Holy Redeemer 02 2:24.60
24 213 Dewees, Madison 10 Holy Redeemer 02 2:26.90