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RECAP - AAA Girls Championship
The difference a year can make. Last year, Natalie McLean (Pine Richland) struggled on the Hershey course. She finished 84th at the state meet, running 20:40. This Saturday, she won her first state championship.
A remarkable transformation? Maybe. McLean has thrived on the track but on the cross course, it hasn't always clicked. At least not until this season.
In her senior campaign, McLean has been a fixture at the front of races and is undefeated on the Parkview course in 2022. In September, she won the PIAA Foundation race, and now in November, she won the state championship.
Natalie McLean details her first individual Championship
The pack chased Jenna Lang (Bethel Park) through the first mile, but McLean expertly positioned herself at the head of the chase pack. By the 2500-meter mark, the crowd reconvened, and it seemed like anyone's race.
Some of the best names of the year sat at the front, with 15 runners within three seconds. McLean remained patient, waiting for her moment. At the two-mile mark, Caroline Adams (Mount Lebanon) and Wren Kucler (North Allegheny) led. McLean sat on their shoulders along with Ellie Keefer (West Chester Rustin), Kailey Granger (Dallastown), and Camryn Kiser (Chambersburg). Still, the lead pack was made up of 15 runners.
Over the next half mile, McLean, Kiser, and Kucler created some separation but remained in lockstep. Then McLean made her move. She powered up the last hill, grabbed the lead, and never looked back. It was an expert move and looked similar to the one she put on St. John Kletter at Foundation in September. McLean finished in a strategic 18:46. Perfect repetition makes perfect, and she mastered the Parkview course in her final season.
Kiser speaks about her runner-up finish
Kiser outran Kucler for second, finishing in 18:52. For third, Kucler, Keefer, and Granger battled to the line. Kucler narrowly held them off as the three crossed the line together, and Kucler out leaned them.
Mount Lebanon junior Caroline Adams was the third WPIAL athlete to cross the line, just a second behind the few in front of her.
Claire Paci (Greencastle Antrim), Carolyn Tarpley (Downingtown West), Eva Kynaston (North Allegheny), and Logan St. John Kletter (Mount Lebanon) rounded out the top 10. The star-studded field was as exciting as ever. The parity was impressive and provided a treat on the Hershey hills.
Wire-to-wire North Allegheny maintained control of the race and marched to a historic fifth team title in a row. With the Championship, North Allegheny became the first team in Pennsylvania History to win five in a row.
The North Allegheny girls discuss the team's fifth straight title.
They dictated the race with Kucler and Kynaston at the front. They both finished in the Top-10. But the story behind them didn't look much different, as Erin McGoey and Grace Rowly joined them in the top 25, and Robin Kucler landed in 29th.
It was an all-around team effort for The Tigers, who scored 58 points less than runner-up State College Area. NA earned a 1:16 split and a 19:36 average.
For State College Area, it was another excellent run. In 2021 they finished in third, but this year they took another step in the right direction, inching towards North Allegheny.
This year, they did it without a true front-runner and excelled with a 55-second compression. Their top-runner, Amy Devan, finished in a respectable 25th, only thirteen point paying positions ahead of Marlee Kwasnica, who was the team's fifth runner on the day. Kwasnica, the District 6 Champ, didn't have her best day, but it didn't matter. Her team found a way to get the job done.
Phoenixville continued its firm conclusion to the season. They outpaced Dallastown with a similar spread to that of State College. The exciting squad is made up of five juniors. They'll be back for more next year.
Dallastown and Owen J. Roberts rounded out the Top-5.