PIAA Champs Race Preview: Class AAA Girls


Class AAA Girls Individual Preview - PIAA State Championships

Jenna Mulhern wasted little time making a name for herself. As a ninth grader last fall, the West Chester Henderson rising star rolled to wins and eventually a state title at Hershey.

Over the last mile last year, Mulhern methodically dropped the AAA field and pulled away for a fairly convincing victory to become the first freshman since 2009 to win the AAA individual state crown. Her path to a repeat and second straight state title will be more difficult this year, though, with the emergence of some western and central PA talent that has been impressing this season.

Moon Area's Mia Cochran and Bethel Park's Emily Carter have both saw big improvements this season that make them legitimate threats to the top spot in AAA. North Allgeheny's Hannah Lindgren, who was fourth at states last year on op form once again, as well. Cochran was seventh at states last year as a freshman, while Carter took 11th. But it's clear that both are better this fall and ready for a showdown at Hershey.

Mulhern, however, looks to be even stronger than her freshman season. She ran a 5K PR of 17:33 to take second to Marlee Starliper at Carlisle and easily captured wins at Ches-Monts and District 1.

Carter's rise started on the track last year. At outdoor nationals, she ran 16:32 for fourth. This fall, she won at Marty Uher, Red, White & Blue, Mingo (in a PR of 17:19), and TSTCAs. Cochran started her season off with a big sub-18 effort at Red, White & Blue with a 17:54 and defeated Carter in the pair's two most recent meetings at the PIAA Foundation Invitational on the Hershey course and last week's WPIAL Championships. Lindgren has been as consistent as they come this season, taking second at Foundation, TSTCAs and WPIALs. She's done a fantastic job leading the PA No. 1 NA girls this fall.


Other strong runners from the WPIAL include Fox Chapel's Grace Sisson, Oakland Catholic's Tesslyn Helms, and NA's strong pack of Keeley Misutka, Caroline Daggett and Alexa Sundgren. Sisson was ninth with one shoe at states last year and should be a factor again. Misutka was 12th at states last season and will look to work with Daggett and Sundgren to get as many as four Tigers on the medal stand. Helms, fourth at WPIALs, has posted a pair of big performances leading up to Saturday's race.

A few District 3 girls could also get in on the conversation up front, as well. Carlisle's Sophia Toti ran a perfect race on Saturday at Big Spring to capture the district title in 18:00. She was 14th last year, but is looking stronger this season and should be in the mix up front. The same goes for Cedar Crest's Gwyneth Young. She ran a PR of 17:54 in the super fast Paul Short Run. The LL League champ took second at D3 to Toti. She unleashed a terrific race at states last year to take sixth and will be a contender once again.

West Chester East's Allyson Clarke is the No. 2 returner from last year's state meet. She's caught fire recent;y taking second to Mulhern at both Ches-Monts and District 1. She's clicking at the right time and should be a factor once again. Emily Schuler of Dallastown is another top ten state meet returner. She was tenth last year and will have the chance to pull off the rare accomplishment of earning a state medal all four years of her career.

It's going to be quite the battle for state title in the final girls race of the day on Saturday. It's a tremendously deep field up front and should take a quick time to claim the title.


There are plenty of other girls that will have a good shot at the top ten and even the top five with a good day on the course. Northeastern's Margaret Carroll was third in District 3. She's enjoying a big fall that has included an 18:06 PR. Wilson's Caryn Rippey, Mechanicsburg's Hope McKenney, and Dover's Summer Hogan are among the other D3 girls that have been some of the season's top emerging talents.

Neshaminy's Kaylee McCullough went sub-18 this year with a 17:58 at Paul Short. She was eighth in District 1 and will likely mix it up with the front pack on Saturday. Owen J. Roberts' Claire Zubey (third), West Chester East's Michaela Schiele (fourth), Oxford's Taj Lanier (fifth), Council Rock South's Marisa Kilgarriff (sixth), and Cheltenham's Janelle Williams (seventh) also ran very well at the District 1 Championships and should be in top 15 contention at the state meet. Central Bucks West's Julia Flood (13th in D1) was 15th at states last year and should have a good shot at the podium again this weekend.

State College should have a number of girls in medal contention. Marlee Kwasnica won the District 6 title last week, and the freshman will certainly be one to watch on Saturday, along with her teammates Jordan Reed and Lizzie Gilpatrick. Mifflin County's Kylee Cubbison was second to Kwasnica in D6 and will be a medal factor, as well. District 11 champion Emily Jobes of Liberty will be a top contender, too. She dropped an 18:17 at Paul Short and has enjoyed a big season up to this point.