Girls Preview - PIAA Foundation Invitational
Individuals
The girls race is stacked with talent and very much looks to be the best field we will see until the state meet with plenty of top level girls looking for quick times at Hershey.
At the top is PA#1 Mia Cochran of Moon Area. The junior is the defending AAA XC state champion. She opened up her season with a 5K PR of 17:39 to win at the Red, White & Blue Classic. Cochran showed she's arguably in better form than she was last season, and Saturday could be another big day for her. The Foundation race last year -- which she won against a talented field -- proved to be a major catalyst in her state championship season.
The best bet to challenge Cochran for the top spot is Olivia Haas (PA#4) of Blue Mountain. The last time Haas raced at Hershey was a big one for her that saw her take fourth in the state against a loaded Class AA field last fall. Haas went sub-18 in a dual meet last week and looks to be in a good spot entering her first invite of her junior season.
There's plenty of good talent after those top two, though. Northeastern's Margaret Carroll, Sharon's Gianna Labbiento, North Allegheny's Keeley Misutka, and Wilson's Caryn Rippey are among the other top threats to keep an eye on. Labbiento was second in the AA race at Red, White & Blue last week and Misutka was fourth in the AAA race at RWB, but it will be the invitational opener for Carroll and Rippey, who have looked strong in early season dual meets. State College's Marlee Kwasnica and Pottsgrove's Naomi Hillen are among the other top 25 ranked girls in the state that will look to make a statement this weekend.
Among the other girls worth keeping an eye on throughout the day at Hershey will be Mechanicsburg's Hope McKenney, Perkiomen Valley's Summer Watts, State College's Jordan Reed, Oakland Catholic's Tesslyn Helms, Belle Vernon's Grace Henderson, Wilmington's Grace Mason, Pine-Richland's Meredith Price, and Seneca Valley's Gabrielle Kutchma, among many others in this very deep overall field.
Teams
The team battle will feature four of the state's top five ranked squads and six of the top ten from the PennTrackXC Preseason Rankings. It should be an interesting matchup in every way.
North Allegheny comes in as the two-time defending state champions in Class AAA, but it was Seneca Valley that won handily in the AAA race at the Red, White & Blue Classic last week. The Raiders from SV very well may be the team to beat here after putting up just a 57 second 1-5 gap at White Oak Park for RWB over the weekend. NA, though, also has some good depth and can't be counted out.
Of course, some central PA squads will surely mix it up for the team win. State College Area is back to Foundation this season. The Little Lions were second at the state meet last year, and can't be counted out this season. They'll be a top threat on Saturday. Hershey was third at the state meet last year, and returns a good contingent that could look to replicate that hometown magic from a year ago. Mechanicsburg Area broke through at states last year, too, placing fifth and should also be right up there.
Pine-Richland was third at Red, White & Blue, not too far off NA for second, so they will look to get in the mix for a big finish this weekend. Upper Saint Clair -- fourth at states last season -- will be strong as well, looking to use its thin 1-5 gap to its advantage in a small field.
Perkiomen Valley has some good potential this season, and will be the top District 1 squad in this field. Northeastern, Wilson, Oakland Catholic, and Northern are squads that should make a run at high finishes in the AAA team standings by the end of the day on Saturday.
North Catholic, fresh off a win in the AA race at Red, White & Blue, is the top AA team in the field. Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy flexed its muscle at Red, White & Blue last week, running away with the Class A team win. SJCA is a strong squad and should be the top Class A team to watch out for, but Wilmington will look to give the Wolves a good challenge.