D2-AA Girls - Team & Individuals Breakdown
- Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 2
- State Qualifying Spots For Non-Team Individuals: 10
- 2018 Individual Champion: Molly DeMarzo (Crestwood) - 20:08
- 2018 Team Champion: Valley View - 57 points
Individuals Preview
Crestwood freshman Molly DeMarzo emerged onto the XC scene in a big way last fall. The ninth grader had a big season, winning the District 2 Class AA crown and then taking 19th at the state meet. She won the D2-AA title by taking down the defending champ in Mia Bellucci, a senior. Now a sophomore, DeMarzo likely has even bigger goals for the 2019 season.
A number of girls will look to give DeMarzo a good run this season. Lake Lehman's Abby Paczewski was fifth in the district and 43rd at states. She went 5:12 for 1,600 meters this past spring and earned a state medal in Class AA. Expect her to be a factor again this fall.
Valley View's Brianna Zipay was another impact frosh alongside DeMarzo last year. Zipay was third in the district and 53rd at states. She went 5:14 for 1,600 this spring, and will look to challenge the defending champ.
The Honesdale duo of Dana Pratt (fourth in the district) and Tedra Harrison (seventh) are both back this season, and will be worth keeping an eye on. Dallas' Kaitlyn Hodakowski, Valley View's Kaitlyn Newberry, and Madison Brdaric are among the other girls back from the top ten last year at the district meet.
Megan Borton of Dallas was third in the Wyoming Valley Conference last season and should be one to watch as she enters her senior year.
Team Preview
After taking the district title last season and placing seventh at the state meet in 2018, Valley View is once again the team to beat in District 2 Class AA. Six varsity girls are back this year from a team that had four freshman make an impact last fall. Zipay is a solid No. 1, while Newberry and Taylor Seprosky are a strong 2-3 combo.
Valley View comes in at No. 5 in preseason Class AA rankings, and it should be a very strong season for this up-and-coming squad.
But they should get some competition within their own district. Honesdale, which was second to Valley View in the district last season and 12th at states, should give them a run for the district crown. Six varsity girls -- all rising seniors -- are back this season, led by Pratt and Harrison. 16 points separated these two teams last season and we can expect a close race again this fall.
Plenty of teams will be looking to break up those two squads up front and take one of the two state qualifying spots allotted to D2-AA. Holy Redeemer, which was third last season, brings its full varsity squad back this season. With some improvements, HR could certainly get in the mix for the top two.
Teams like Scranton Preparatory, Western Wayne, Dallas, and Lake Lehman have a strong core of returners, too, and should make it interesting in D2-AA with spots to Hershey on the line.