Class AA Girls Individuals Preview - PIAA State Championships
Every once in a while, the state meet gives us a great matchup between two runners who haven't raced all season to add even more suspense to an already drama-filled day. That's exactly what we'll get in the AA girls race on Saturday. Reigning AA state champion Olivia Haas of Blue Mountain will go up against Brownsville Area's Jolena Quarzo in what should be a thrilling race for the state crown.
Haas has done nothing but win in 2021 on the heels of her state title last fall. She rolled to signature wins Foundation and Paul Short, and then last week at the District 11 Championships. At Paul Short, she clocked an XC 5K PR of 17:34. She is running the best of her career, and the NC State recruit is in a great spot to chase a second straight state crown in AA.
Quarzo, meanwhile, has upped her game in a big way in 2021. After early season wins at Marty Uher and Red, White & Blue, the junior made a major statement, placing fifth against a loaded field at the Great American XC Festival in North Carolina. There, she finished a place ahead of AAA favorite Mia Cochran and ran a career-best 17:17. A WPIAL champion for a second straight year, Quarzo will look to challenge the defending state champion in Haas for the win in AA.
Last year, Quarzo and Haas competed at the state meet in separate "heats," due to coronavirus restrictions, with Haas taking the win and Quarzo placing second. This year, it will be all one race. Expect these two to be stride for stride for the early part of the race before someone looks to make a move.
Of course, they aren't the only two powerful runners in this field. AA is loaded with depth after the favorites. The WPIAL is stacked with talent, even after Quarzo. Montour's Harley Kletz raced well to take second in D7, while Uniontown's Hope Trimmer and Quaker Valley's Anna Cohen continued their strong seasons, taking third and fourth respectively in that race. Kletz's Montour teammates Alex Fleck and Lakyn Schaltenbrand were fifth and sixth in the WPIAL. Schaltenbrand was seventh at the state meet last year as a freshman and enters Saturday as the No. 4 returner from last year's state meet. Expect to see a number of those WPIAL girls racing for top ten -- and even top five -- finishes.
One of the bigger surprises of districts week was Bloomsburg's Maizy Aikey winning the District 4 title against a strong field. The soccer player hasn't run much XC in her career, but the junior proved that didn't matter much, capturing the win. She'll face a tough statewide AA field on Saturday, but clearly Aikey is talented and one worth watching for. Second in the D4 race was Selinsgrove's Shaela Kruskie. The sophomore has had a strong season, including wins at the NEPA and PHAC Invites and a second place finish to Haas at Foundation. Look for her to be near the front. Montoursville's Gabrielle Shearer, Shikellamy's Bri Hennett, and Danville's Coyla Bartholomew and Victoria Bartholomew are among the other D4 girls to watch for.
Oley Valley's Ava Lottig won the District 3 title on Saturday, holding off Bishop McDevitt's Katelyn Deitrick. The senior Lottig has had a terrific senior season and was just two spots off a medal last year at the state meet, so expect a motivated Lottig to chase a big state meet finish this time around. Deitrick, meanwhile, has had a consistent season and should be in the mix for a top ten run. Dallas freshman Madison Hedglin continued her impressive ninth grade campaign this past week, winning the District 2 crown. She'll be a factor for a high finish as well.
Sydney Bayle of General McLane came out on top at District 10 to keep her strong season going. She outlasted Villa Maria's Sarah Clark for the win there. Bayle will be one to watch in this field for sure. Clark, meanwhile, was fourth at Foundation earlier this season where her Villa teammate Hannah Palmer was third. Both Villa girls will also be worth keeping an eye on Saturday. Central Cambria's Annaliese Niebauer took the top spot in District 6, and she leads in a solid D6 contingent that includes her teammate Morgan Brandis, Westmont Hilltop's Julia Dill, and Forest Hills' Delaney Dumm. Dill was 15th at states last year while Niebauer was 16th.
Pope John Paul II's Gianna Cagliola won her second straight District 1 crown last week. She was 22nd at states last year and should be a strong contender for another good states race. Lansdale Catholic's Isabella Greco rolled to PCL and District 12 titles, and it's been another solid season for the junior. She'll aim to keep it going into Saturday. District 11 runner-up Sarah Pezzino of Pen Argyl, D11 third place finisher North Schuylkill's Ryley Schwalm, and 2020 state eighth place finisher McKeesport's Annah Kunes are among the other girls to watch for in this loaded field.