Breakdown: District 3 Girls


D3-AAA Girls - Team & Individuals Breakdown

  • Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
  • State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 5
  • State Qualifying Spots For Individuals: 25
  • 2019 Individual Champion: Sophia Toti (Carlisle) - 18:00
  • 2019 Team Champions: Carlisle - 152 points

Individuals Breakdown

There is a great deal talent returning to the fold in District 3 Class AAA this season, and it should be a thrilling year for these central PA girls. While 2019 district champion Sophia Toti has graduated, seven of the top ten girls from last year are back, many of whom cashed in on state medals.

The top tier of returners consists of Cedar Crest's Gwyneth Young, Northeastern's Margaret Carroll, and Wilson's Caryn Rippey. Young has been a steady riser over her career in PA, placing second to Toti in the district and placed seventh at the state meet. Carroll has also progressively getting better over the years. She took third in the district and then took fifth at states. Rippey, who was in just her first XC season last fall, took fourth in the district and then 12th in the state.

Those three look to be the individual favorites for now, but there is no shortage of depth in D3-AAA. There are three other returning state medalists in the district. Chambersburg's Camryn Kiser was 14th at states. Warwick's Anna Martin was 16th, and Dallastown's Lydia Tolerico took 22nd. For Kiser, it was a strong first state meet for the freshman, while Martin closed out her season very well. Tolerico's 19:16 on the tough state course was nearly a PR and a huge breakthrough for her.

Mechanicsburg's Hope McKenney had a strong sophomore season last year, placing fifth at districts and then 34th at states. She'll be a major factor this season. Dover's Summer Hogan had a great freshman season last fall; she was sixth in the district and 33rd at states. J.P. McCaskey's Arielle Breuninger took 32nd at states after a 14th place district finish. All three of these girls will be serious state medal threats this season.

There are plenty of other girls that could make a splash in D3-AAA this season: Chambersburg's Maddie Kinton, Northeastern's Marissa Pritchett, Elizabethtown's Madeline Quinn, Hershey's Emma Taylor, Northeastern's Bella Treglia, Cumberland Valley's Brianna Wagner, and Mechanicsburg's Olivia Walter.


Team Preview

With the new qualifying guidelines in place for District 3 this season, it will make just getting to the district meet a challenge this season. District 3 is jam-packed with talented teams on the girls' side. Two teams make it out of each of the four conferences/leagues in D3.

The Mid-Penn Conference is probably the most loaded of the three. Three of the four state qualifying teams from last season hailed from the Mid-Penn. Mechanicsburg Area enters the season at PA No. 2 after a terrific close to its 2019 season that included a second place finish at the district meet and a fifth place finish at the state meet. Five of the team's varsity girls are back, led by a strong 1-2 punch of McKenney and Walter.

Chambersburg was the top-ranked D3 squad for much of last season, but narrowly missed out on state meet qualification. They return six girls from varsity last year, and could very well be the D3-AAA team to beat this season. Hershey was fourth in the district last year and ran incredibly at the state meet to place third. They lone of their top girls from last season, but bring back a good core of six girls (one junior and five sophomores) so it will once again be right in the mix.

The defending champs from Carlisle lose Toti and one other varsity girl from last year's team that won the district and placed ninth at states. The Herd can't be counted out and should be a big factor in the conference.

Cumberland Valley brings back its full varsity team this season, and has some good sleeper potential, particularly if it has a girl or two emerge as a lowstick. Northern moves to AAA after winning D3-AA last season and placing second in the state. While the Polar Bears lose Marlee Starliper to graduation, a solid group is back, and this team can't be counted out. Ultimately, it will be tough to parse the Mid-Penn contingent down to two.

Wilson was sixth in the district last season and looks to be the favorite out of Berks County (BCIAA). Led by Rippey, has five varsity girls -- all juniors this year -- back this fall. This team can contend with the Mid-Penn stalwarts.

The favorites in the YAIAA are the girls from Northeastern, who placed seventh in the district last season and have a really strong top three between Carroll, Treglia, and Pritchett. Dallastown was tenth in the state last season. The team loses three seniors, but has a knack for having girls step up at the right time in the season. In the LL League, Hempfield and Cedar Crest look to be the top two teams. Hempfield won the league last year, while Cedar Crest was tenth to Hempfield's 15th at the district meet. Look for both teams, with their good groups of returners, to be factors this fall.

It should be very interesting season in District 3 with a new format due to COVID-19. There's a lot of talent and limited district meet spots. Stay tuned here.