Meet Preview: PIAA District 7 (WPIAL) Championships

PIAA District 7 WPIAL Championships
Phil Grove


Girls Preview - PIAA District 7 Championships

Class A

  • State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 4
Shenango junior Carmen Medvit was the only Class A runner under 20:00 last year in winning WPIALs en route to a fifth at Hershey to lead district runners.

Senior Haley Hamilton of OLSH and sophomore Corinn Brewer of Greensburg Central Catholic also are expected to be at or near the front.

No. 2 ranked 1A squad Vincentian Academy squad that was fourth at PIAAs last season, took the win at TSTCAs and enter Thursday as the team favorites. North Catholic, Our Lady of Sacred Heart, and Shenango will also be in the mix for state meet bids.



Class AA

  • State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 3

Gionna Quarzo will be in pursuit of her first WPIAL XC title. The Brownsville Area senior has been one of the top performers statewide this season but has finished second in each of the past two years to Quaker Valley's Annie Wicker. The next seven runners a year ago also did not graduate and should contribute to a senior-laden medal ceremony at Cal U.

Freshman Jolena Quarzo also should be in the running for top medals during the next two weeks. The Brownsville Area runner is ranked 25th currently in all classes and has been the second half of a number of 1-2 finishes this year with her sister.

Senior Hailey Poe led South Fayette to a WPIAL title and fourth in Hershey with medal-winning efforts in those two events. The triathlon standout is part of a talented squad that currently sits at No. 2 in the state and a favorite to win on Thursday.

Knoch, the top AA squad at TSTCAs, will be a team to watch as well. Avonworth was 11 points off Knoch in the combined TSTCA race. Both will look to snag those other two spots, while Elizabeth Forward, McKeesport, and Greensburg Salem should be in the mix for one of the three spots in Hershey.



Class AAA

  • State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 3
Emily Carter of Bethel Park took the Roadman Park course by storm last week, breaking the course record with a 17:57 and winning by 80 seconds.

Currently ranked fourth in the state, the junior has the jump on the field with the new record, but sophomore Mia Cochran of Moon Area and North Allegheny's Hannah Lindgren tested her earlier this year. Cochran is listed sixth in the all-classes rankings, while the NA senior is ninth. Grace Sisson of Fox Chapel Area also cannot be counted out after a strong TSTCA race.

The North Allegheny girls, the best team in PA and arguably the best team in the northeast region of the US, will be the big favorites for the team title. Led by Lindgren, the Tigers have plenty of depth after their frontrunner with freshman Alexa Sundgren and Keeley Misutka supplying lowstick.

Seneca Valley is a strong team that has solidified itself as the second best in D7-AAA, led by Dylan Kirchner. Upper Saint Clair, third at TSTCAs, will be in the mix for that third and final spot. Teams like Pine-Richland, Butler, Oakland Catholic, and Mount Lebanon will be hungry for it, though.