D1-AA Girls - Team & Individuals Breakdown
- Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 1
- State Qualifying Spots For Non-Team Individuals: 5
- 2018 Individual Champion: Sarah Raubenheimer (Villa Maria) - 19:04
- 2018 Team Champion: Pope John Paul II
Individuals Preview
Expect a good race up front for the win in District 1 Class AA girls this season. Saint Basil Academy's Alina LaForest and Gwynedd Mercy Academy's Kelly Murray should battle it out for the win here.
LaForest was second at districts last season as a freshman. She proved to be a strong middle distance runner on the track this spring and should be in line for another big XC season. She was 65th at states and should be able to improve upon that.
Murray was the 2017 district champ. Last year, she was fifth at districts, but then took 13th at states, following up a 12th place finish from the year before. She'll be shooting for yet another medal-winning performance at the state meet this season.
Pope John Paul's Kayla Croiger was strong last season as a freshman. She took fourth at districts, running 20:04, and should be one to watch again this season.
Among the other top returners in the district are Nazareth Academy's Lianna Rieser, PJP's Gianna Cagliola, and Nazareth's Danielle Juliano. It should be another good year for individuals in D1-AA.
Team Preview
Last fall, Pope John Paul II edged out Villa Joseph Marie for the district title with a young team led by three freshmen. Now PJP is likely the team to beat again this season, but it will be close in 2019. PJP returns six of its seven varsity girls from last year's team, which took 14th at states. Croiger, Cagliola and Kathryn Todd enter their sophomore seasons as a really strong trio.
Nazareth Academy was third in the district last season, 12 points off PJP. Nazareth's top five is back this season with Rieser, Juliano, and Ella Verello making a comparable top three to PJP. They have the talent to keep it close for the district title this season. What it will ultimately come down to this season is depth. Which team can have some girls step up to put them over the top?
Gwynedd Mercy Academy should be a factor, too. After a fifth place finish in the district last year, GMA will look to bridge the gap to its top girl, Murray, and make a run at a high finish. Squads like Villa Joseph Marie (second last year) and Villa Maria Academy (fourth last year) lose some talented seniors from last year, but could put together the pieces to get in the mix here, as well.