Girls' 3,000 Meters Preview
Even on a double, little should stop Marlee Starliper of Northern from winning the 3,000 meters and that's not a statement about the quality of the field behind her, but rather that Starliper is one of the best to ever do it in the United States at the high school level.
Starliper ran the third fastest time in US history in the 3K with a 9:07.14 at Boston University a few weeks ago. It is also a national senior class record. After skipping the state meet last year in favor of the USATF Indoor Championships where she raced pros en route to a 9:58 for a full 2 miles, she's back to try and replicate the mile/3K double she successfully completed two years ago. The mile comes first, followed by the 3K later in the day. It seems unlikely she will try and chase that 9:07 benchmark she set a few weeks back, but the senior NC State recruit will still be an overwhelming favorite in the 15-lapper.
It's a deep field after her, though, and one that should get very competitive. Friends' Central's Lydia Russell, West Chester Henderson's Jenna Mulhern and Brownsville Area's Gionna Quarzo are the others in the field with 3K conversions under 10 minutes. Russell and Mulhern raced to 10:35s at the Ocean Breeze Invite last month with Russell taking a slight win. Look for both to be positioned near the front of the chase pack. Quarzo went 10:35 for 3,200 meters at SPIRE and the multi-time outdoor state champion should be a factor as well.
Bethel Park's Emily Carter was second last season and enters Sunday as the top returner in the 3K. It was a breakthrough performance for her last year and she has been cruising ever since then. Expect her to be right up in the chase pack, competing for another high finish. Germantown Academy's Isabelle Goldstein is putting all her focus in the 3K on Sunday and that could be a move that pays off for the senior. She has a season best of 10:00 and has the talent to dip well under 10 minutes with a big race. She, too, will be right up there.
Neshaminy's Kaylee McCullough (DVGTCA MOC winner), Brownsville's Jolena Quarzo (10:53 best for 3,200m), and Cedar Crest's Gwyneth Young (PTFCA Carnival winner) are among the other talented distance runners in this field that will be in the hunt for medals.
Event 15 Girls 3000 Meter Run ============================================================ =================== Meet Record: 9:36.45 3/1/2014 Tessa Barrett, Abington Heights 10:42.83 SGQ State Guideline Name Year School ============================== ============================== =================== 1 Carter, Emily 11 Bethel Park 2 Goldstein, Isabelle 12 Germantown Acad 3 Labbiento, Gianna 11 Sharon 4 Lindgren, Hannah 12 North Allegheny 5 McCullough, Kaylee 12 Neshaminy 6 Mulhern, Jenna 10 WC Henderson 7 Quarzo, Gionna 12 Brownsville 8 Quarzo, Jolena 9 Brownsville 9 Russell, Lydia 12 Friends' Cen 10 Starliper, Marlee 12 Northern 11 Williams, Janelle 12 Cheltenham 12 Young, Gwyneth 11 Cedar Crest