Girls PIAA Class AA - 2019 Preview
Key Storylines To Follow This Season
- Starliper looks to add a third straight state title and go after more on the regional/national stage.
- Parks tries to make her fourth straight Foot Locker Nationals appearance
- Central Cambria goes for the team repeat, but Northern, South Fayette and others will be strong.
- Top 11 individuals from states are back; this classification is DEEP!
Individuals Overview
For three straight years, Northern's Marlee Starliper and Greencastle-Antrim's Taryn Parks have been the class of AA. Parks won the 2016 state title, while Starliper took second that year. Starliper has won the last two. The fellow District 3 harriers will likely battle it out for 1-2 again this season.
Starliper is the favorite and has had the XC advantage over Parks the past two seasons. Parks nipped Starliper in a pair of all-time great track races: the mile at indoor nationals and the AAA 1,600 meters at the outdoor state meet. Parks ran aggressively at XC states last season, but Starliper claimed the lead and ran to the win by almost a minute.
But both girls will have sights set on post-states races. Starliper is among the nation's top runners, and will chase a national title, possibly at NXN or Foot Locker Nationals. Parks is looking to make history and become the first girl since 2015 to make Foot Locker Nationals all four years of her high school career.
Starliper and Parks are the top two, but there is a ton of talent back in AA. In fact, the top 11 from the state meet last year are all returning this fall. Sharon's Gianna Labbiento was third at states last season, following up a fourth place finish in 2017. She was 12th at Foot Locker Northeast last year, so she'll be a solid candidate to chase a nationals spot this season.
Fairview's Maddison Hayes, a Hershey course expert was sixth and fourth the last two years at states. She'll be a strong top five bet again this season. Blue Mountain's Olivia Haas was fifth last year as a freshman. She moves into her sophomore year and should make a run at the top five, too. Brownsville's Gionna Quarzo (sixth last season) will be one to watch again, especially after setting the AA 3,200 meter state meet record this past spring.
North Schuylkill's Cori McCormick, Quaker Valley's Annie Wicker, Central Cambria's Stella Kuntz, Conneaut Area's Meaera Shannon, and Warrior Run's Lauren Trapani are all back from the top 11 this season. Surely each of these girls have their sights set on the top ten again, or possibly the top five.
For as deep as this district is, all will likely be chasing Starliper. It will be another quick year in PIAA Class AA.
Team Overview
Last year was a thrilling season in Class AA, with no shortage of strong teams that battled it out for the state crown. Now a good number of those teams have plenty of returners that will likely make 2019 even more exciting.
Central Cambria figures to be strong again. The Red Devils lose three varsity performers, including its No. 2 and No. 5 runner from last year's states team. This team tends to retool well, and with Kuntz up front competing for a top five individual finish, Central Cambria will surely make a run at its second straight AA state title.
Northern could certainly make a run at the title, and may be the favorites here in the early going. The Polar Bears had an off day at states last year and wound up sixth despite coming in ranked No. 2. With Starliper likely scoring a single point, Northern brings back five other strong varsity runners from a year ago. This team will look for redemption and go after the state title this season.
Another team that could make a run at the title is South Fayette, which took fourth last year at states and brings back its full varsity squad. Hailey Poe is a returning state medalist, and SF has some great depth after that. This team is experienced and should be even better in 2019.
Warrior Run returns its full varsity squad of all rising juniors. Trapani will pace this team that was fifth at states last season. Valley View brings back six of its seven varsity girls, and the reigning District 2 champs who were seventh last year should be a factor.
Other teams like Saint Marys Area, Lewisburg Area, Villa Maria Academy, and Fairview will all be in the conversation as well.
This has the makings of another very close year with little room for error. Central Cambria will have the target on its back, but there are four or more teams that are capable of claiming the title here.