AAA Girls
Defending 200 champ Krista Simkins of Wissahickon is out of the 200 after scratching from the final at the District 1 meet. She is in the 100, but will face defending champ Jannea Bridgeford of Upper Darby, who has been having an incredible season, along with Great Valley junior Janessa Murphy. Bridgeford should be the favorite in the 200 as well. In the hurdles, Sha-Tira Snell of Penn Hills is among the contenders at both distances. In the 100, Kate Noonan-Sessa of Owen J. Roberts will give her a run, and in the 3/4-lap version, it will two juniors, Chanel Williams of Plymouth-Whitemarsh, and Cumberland Valley\'s Kristen Jones. The 400 should be incredible entertaining, as two seniors, Ashley Hodge, Carlisle, and Erica Moody, Oakland Catholic, try to hold off a very strong and competitive challenger, Katie Orchowski of Upper Saint Clair. Caitlin Klaas of Hatboro was beaten at District by sophomore Serita Lachesis of Wissahickon. If either of those two falter, watch of Quakertown\'s Megan Hutchinson and Henderson\'s Melissa Ferry. (Sorry, this one is District 1 this year.) The two Haverford entries, Fiana York and Adriana Boyle, are running like it\'s their last chance, and could contend. In the 1600, the fight will be for second place. Lauretta Dezubay of Freedom, a junior, won the event in 2003, and probably will in 2005. But the 4:49.85 posted by Frances Koons of Allentown Central Catholic is in another zip code. Dezubay will have her hands full in the 3200 again fellow junior Katie Thaeder of Unionville, who is having a monster season, and Hamburg\'s Adriene Beltz and Chamberburg\'s Kylee Schuler, both seniors. This one could be very fast. Upper Darby is the defending 4x100 champs, and with Bridgeford at anchor, have a good chance to return. They\'ll face stiff competition from Penn Hills, McKeesport, Lower Merion and Strath Haven. The 4x400 is open this year after the departure of Tiffany Abney. Pickem\'…everyone is in the same range. But if Simkins is even somewhat healthy, you\'d have to give it to Wissahickon. Others, should they falter, include General McLane, McDowell, Henderson, Conestoga, Strath Haven, Owen J. Roberts, and North Allegheny. Hatboro-Horsham looked like they were on cruise at the District 1 champs in the 4x800. They were just two seconds off their winning time of 2003, and should repeat. But if all four legs of Haverford run to potential, it could be a great final 200 meters. There are three girls at 5-06 in the High Jump. Nicole Smith of McDowell has a ton of other events. Soph star Rachel Gehret will also be competing in the Triple Jump. Only Kristin Johnson, a Somerset junior, will be totally fresh for the High Jump. The 5-06 was a 4\" PR in two jumps over ten minutes at the District 6 AAA meet last week. A Regan will win the Pole Vault. Courtney, the Princeton-bound senior, is back over 12\', and in that vicinity, anything can happen. Younger sister Lindsay, the Penn Relays champ, cleared 13\' for the second time this spring at her District meet. She\'s gunning for the US sophomore class record of 13-4. She already owns the frosh class record of 12-03.25. Her 13-2 earlier in the month is her PR. One of the other events that Nicole Smith will be competing in is the Long Jump, where she is the favorite with a seed of 18-10.75. Meredith Ryan of Strath Haven could challenge. Bradford sophomore Erin Hannon is the Triple Jump favorite. She has gone an inch more than her seed of 37-09.50. Brianna Flagg of Harrisburg is out there in the Shot Put, having hoisted the ball 44\' this season. Coatesville junior Tayvon Gray should take the Discus. And defending Javelin champ Ruby Radocaj, a Williamsport senior, threw 154-03 to win at the Penn Relays. Ringgold\'s Bev Rogers hopes to challenge.