D3-AAA Girls - Team & Individuals Breakdown
- Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 5
- State Qualifying Spots For Individuals: 25
- 2020 Individual Champion: Margaret Carroll (Northeastern) - 17:58
- 2020 Team Champions: Northeastern - 63 points
Individuals Breakdown
Despite the graduation of last year's District 3 Class AAA champion Margaret Carroll, there is a ton of talent back this fall in D3-AAA. Last year's district and state runner-up Caryn Rippey has her sights set on a big senior season. She was second to Carroll at districts and then placed second to two-time state champion Mia Cochran at Hershey at the state meet. She added a 5K PR of 17:36 to cap off her XC season last season and looks to be in a good spot entering her final high school year.
She will face some good competition within her own district. Greencastle-Antrim's Claire Paci had a terrific freshman season, placing third in the district and then fourth at the state meet. Paci kept it rolling on the track with a good spring and should give Rippey a good run for the district title this season.
Another contender will be Vanessa Alder. The junior transferred to Carlisle for this season after competing for Pinecrest in North Carolina. She was a state runner-up in NC's largest classification, 4A, behind her sister Carmen, a BYU recruit. She went 4:57 for 1,600m on the track and should be a factor for the district crown. These three girls -- Rippey, Paci, and Alder -- each have some great potential for this season and it'll make D3-AAA a district worth keeping an eye on as per usual.
There are plenty of talented girls here after the top three. Governor Mifflin's Kaitlyn Highduch had a big freshman season. After placing eighth in the district, the ninth grader went on to take 16th at the state meet. Her strong finish to last fall could mean she's got a big sophomore season in store. Dallastown's Lydia Tolerico (tenth in the district) also had a good finish to her season, taking 22nd in the state for a second straight season. Now a senior, she will be on the hunt for a third straight state medal. Chambersburg's Camryn Kiser was sixth in the district and 29th at the state meet, just six seconds off the top 25. She was 14th in the state in 2019 and is a good bet to return to the state podium this season.
Two additional ninth graders last year -- Ella Hartel of Warwick and Winter Oaster of Gettysburg Area -- had strong seasons in 2020. Hartel was 13th in the district and 33rd at states, while Oaster was 12th at districts and 41st at states. Northeastern's Bella Treglia and Marissa Pritchett both finished inside the top 50 at the state meet last year and should be in line for big seasons as the new No. 1 and 2 runners for NE.
Among the girls that just missed state qualification last year, but should be major factors this year are Manheim Township's Ava Shirk, Susquehannock's Nicole Dauberman, JP McCaskey's Gabbrielle Thiry, and Mechanicsburg's Hope McKenney. McKenney ran 10:52 for 3,200m on the track this past spring and could very well be a top five district contender this season.
Team Preview
2020 was a strange year to say the least. While the PIAA limited the number of state meet qualifiers, District 3 also limited the number of teams and individuals that made the D3 championship meet. Only two teams per league qualified for the district meet, which meant some talented teams were left home. This year, it'll be back to normal and D3-AAA will be sending five teams to the state meet, and there will be no shortage of hungry teams. And it looks like it could be a fairly wide open season for both the district team title and those state qualifying spots.
Mechanicsburg Area is a team to watch. They were third at the district meet last year after a second place finish at Mid-Penns. Five of the teams top seven from last year are back, led by a strong lowstick in McKenney. Dallastown brings back six of seven from last year's team that placed fourth in the district. Tolerico is a good No. 1, and D'Town's returners will look to move up in the field to make a run at the district title.
Last year's district champions from Northeastern lose last year's No. 1 runner in Carroll, but bring back five of its top seven. This team will look to solidify the back half of its top seven, but overall it has some strong returning pieces that will make them a contender after a fourth place state meet finish.
Warwick also brings five of seven girls back from last year's team, which took second in the district. Top girl Anna Martin has graduated, but Hartel seems poised to step into that leader's role after a big freshman season. The depth is there for Warwick to chase a district title after a runner-up finish in 2020. Wilson, fifth in the district last year and just two points back of Dallastown, returns its full top seven from a year ago. Rippey will score low points and if Wilson's packs can move up, this can be a very dangerous team.
One team to keep an eye on is Hershey. After taking third in the Mid-Penn and qualifying for the district meet, this team was sadly not able to compete because of COVID-19 problems within the school. All seven varsity girls from last year's team are back, and this team could be capable of quite a bit, particularly with the sting of 2020 still fresh in their minds.
Manheim Township brings six of seven girls back this year from a team that was third in the L-L League, just missing a team spot in the district meet. After Shirk, the team's No. 1 runner, MT has a fairly tight grouping and it will rely on its pack. Other teams to keep an eye on are J.P. McCaskey, Exeter Township, and Governor Mifflin in this very open field of strong teams.
The five spots are up for grabs and it will be interesting to see how the season evolves in D3-AAA. There's a good chance a state title contender or two could emerge out of this district.