Girls 400m Preview
No one's been busier than Sanaa Hebron of Neshaminy this season. The senior has raced a ton this year, and she looks to be peaking at the right time. Hebron, the top seed in the 400m by about a second and a half, clocked a best of 55.41 at the MCP Vibe Fest in Chicago this past weekend and will look to turn that into her first indoor state title on Sunday.
Hebron won the outdoor 400m state crown last spring.
We won't see PA#2 Micah Trusty, who recently blasted a flat track 56.40 a few weeks back, in the 400m. She is opting to race the 800m, which comes right after the 400m. But there's still a good group of challengers looking to upset Hebron.
Cumberland Valley's Riley Ebersole went 57.12 at Penn State last week and looks to be in a good spot to chase another PR in the event this weekend. Her teammate Mia Boardman also clocked an impressive PR at that Penn State meet a few weeks ago. She's the No. 5 seed with her 58.16. Both appear to be peaking at the right time, too.
Perhaps the most interesting entry in this field is Ava Alexander of West Chester Rustin. She is the top seed in the triple jump, but she runs a terrific quarter mile, as well. Alexander went 57.68 the only time she ran the event this winter -- at the Kevin Dare Invite at Penn State. She's the wild card in this field, but one thing's known: the junior is super talented and capable of a big race here.
Chester's Alina LaForest is running well at the right time. She ran a flat track 58.98 two weeks ago and then a banked track 58.15 this past week. The senior has some good experience and should be right in the mix in the fast heat. Perkiomen Valley's Ashley Pickles, Haverford Township's Morgan Elliott, Downingtown West's Ryleigh Hearn have all gone sub-59, too, and could challenge for a high finish out of one of the earlier heats.
Indiana Area's Abbie Huey and JP McCaskey's Kamiah Wright have flat track low-59 times this season and they, too, will be factors here.
ENTRIES:
Event 9 Girls 400 Meter Dash
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Meet Record: 53.82 2/26/2005 Nicole Leach, West Catholic
Name Year School
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1 Alexander, Ava 11 W C Rustin
2 Boardman, Mia 12 Cumberland V
3 Carrington, Lanae 10 Harry S Trum
4 Drumwright, Payton 9 Eng & Science
5 Ebersole, Riley 11 Cumberland V
6 Elliott, Morgan 11 Haverford To
7 Hearn, Ryleigh 11 Dtown West
8 Hebron, Sanaa 12 Neshaminy
9 Helderman, Marissa 10 Warwick
10 Huey, Abbie 11 Indiana Area
11 Jovanovic, Mila 11 Wissahickon
12 Kelly, Simone 11 Spside Chestnut
13 LaForest, Alina 12 Chester
14 Marquis, Amanda 12 South Fayette
15 Morrison, Soleil 11 Hershey
16 Pickles, Ashley 10 Perkiomen Valley
17 Sabatini, Gianna 12 Abington Heiight
18 Wert, Alyssa 12 Garnet Valle
19 Winward, Emma 12 Ridley
20 Wright, Kamiah 11 J.P. McCaskey