D7-AA Girls - Team & Individuals Breakdown
- Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 3
- State Qualifying Spots For Individuals: 15
- 2020 Individual Champion: Jolena Quarzo (Brownsville) - 18:40
- 2020 Team Champions: North Catholic - 77 points
Individuals Breakdown
Jolena Quarzo enjoyed a big sophomore season. The Brownsville distance runner was terrific last fall, winning four races, including the WPIAL title in Class AA before placing second at the PIAA State Championships. Out of the shadows of her older sister Gionna Quarzo (now at NC State), Jojo got even better last season. In the spring, Quarzo went 10:30 for 3,200 meters on the track -- a sign that she is poised for a big junior year.
On the heels of that big spring season, we'll see if Quarzo can make a run at the AA state title, as she will go up against last year's champion, Olivia Haas. It's a matchup to keep an eye on this season.
All of the top ten girls from WPIAL-AA are back this fall, which will make it even more competitive. Quarzo is the big favorite, but there is a lot of depth. Four other girls earned state medals last season. Montour's Lakyn Schaltenbrand was second in the district and seventh at the state meet last season. It was a big freshman season for Schaltenbrand, who can build off that for next season. At states, she was followed by another WPIAL frosh, Annah Kunes of McKeesport. As a ninth grader, Kunes placd eighth at states after a fourth place district run. Those two are the No. 2 and No. 3 returning sophomores this year in AA based on state finish.
Uniontown's Hope Trimmer is also back from the top ten in the state last season. The rising junior was tenth in AA at Hershey last season as a sophomore. She was third in the district, and she too, will be a big factor again this fall after a breakthrough season last year. The other returning state medalist from WPIAL-AA is Montour's Harley Kletz, who was sixth in the district and 18th at states.
North Catholic's Grace Lazzara was 30th at states after a fifth place district run; look for her to have plenty of motivation to chase a state medal this season. Quaker Valley's Anna Cohen and Greensburg Salem's Natalie DiCriscio also qualified for states last year, which is no small feat given how few spots were allotted to each district. The Knoch duo of Elyse Chess and Emma Haugh just missed out on states last year, but both are back this season and will be ones to watch after their near misses in 2020.
Team Breakdown
It's back to three state spots for WPIAL-AA this season after a year where there was just one state qualifying spot for an otherwise very stacked district. North Catholic earned that lone state spot, edging out Montour by ten points for the district title. In 2021, those two squads will be back as a pair of the favorites.
North Catholic, which placed third at the state meet after winning WPIALs last season, loses just one girl from last year's team. Lazzara and Alaina Hicks are a strong 1-2 punch and NC could be looking at its second district title in a row (after moving up from 1A before the start of last season). Montour, though, will be a very strong team again this season, returning all seven of its varsity girls this season. Schaltenbrand and Kletz are as good of a duo as you will fight in AA, and those lowsticks will be crucial.
Ringgold was fourth last year, but brings back its full top five from last season -- a team that had the thinnest 1-5 gap of the contending teams last year. Knoch, with that strong top two, also brings back its full varsity squad from last season. They were fifth last season, but will absolutely be a top three contender this season. Beaver Area and Greensburg Salem will be right in the mix, too, with each having a good core return this fall.
It's going to be a close battle in this very deep district this year on the team side.