D7-AA Girls - Team & Individuals Breakdown
- Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 3
- State Qualifying Spots For Individuals: 15
- 2019 Individual Champion: Gionna Quarzo (Brownsville Area) - 18:56
- 2019 Team Champions: South Fayette - 51 points
Individuals Breakdown
Last year, Jolena Quarzo watched her older sister Gionna take home the WPIAL Class AA individual crown. Now it could be Jolena's turn, as Gionna has graduated and is off to NC State. Quarzo placed second in the district and went on to take eighth at the state meet, the highest place freshman in AA. It was a strong ninth grade season and her sophomore season could be even better. She will be the one to beat here.
Belle Vernon's Grace Henderson was seventh in the district and 35th in the state last year. She enters her senior year and should be a factor as the only other top ten returner in D7-AA after Quarzo, since South Fayette is moving to AAA this season. Also from Belle Vernon is Viva Kreis, who took 12th in the district as a freshman -- she'll be one to watch as a sophomore.
New to AA this season are the girls from North Catholic, who move over from Class A this season. NC will bring lots of talent to fold. Julie Zalenski (eighth) and Emma MacDonald (18th) are returning Class A state medalists back this season, while Alaina Hicks (second in D7-A last) is also back. NC also brings in Tara Lucot, one of Vincentian's top runners last season as a transfer. She was 35th in A at the state meet last year. Each of those girls should compete for top five finishes in the WPIAL Class AA this fall.
Greensburg Salem's Natalie DiCriscio, Quaker Valley's Anna Cohen, and Beaver Area's Ella Andrew are among the other top returners in this strong district/classification.
Team Breakdown
It was a banner 2019 season for the girls from South Fayette, which absolutely dominated the WPIAL before winning the state title in Hershey. SF goes to AAA this season, though, meaning there will be a new champ in D7-AA.
Could it be AA newcomer North Catholic steal the show this season? After taking a close second in D7-A last season, NC went on to take ninth at the state meet. Well, its full varsity squad from last year returns and it has added Lucot, who has been a perennial high finisher at the state level over the last few years. This is a deep squad and one that should be able to transfer its A success to the AA ranks.
Greensburg Salem and Knoch earned the other two state spots in D7-AA, taking second and third, respectively. GS loses three of its top four girls from last year, while Knoch loses two girls from varsity including '19 top runner Sammy Jo Barnes. Both teams will need to see some runners step up if they want return trips to Hershey.
Ringgold, Montour, New Castle, Elizabeth Forward will all look to get in the hunt in D7-AA this season, in what looks to be a fairly wide open season on the team side in the WPIAL.