Above: JoJo Quarzo ran well to win the RWB Classic last year.
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Previews by Oliver Hinson
2A Girls Preview
The heavy hitters of yesterday - think Jolena Quarzo (Brownsville Area) and Hope Trimmer (Uniontown Area) - are gone, and with only four of the top ten from last year's race returning, it's up to the young guns to bring some intrigue to this event. Saturday's lead pack will likely be made up of a group of talented juniors, including Kevyn Fish (Hampton), Cecilia Montagnese (Quaker Valley), Morgan Brandis (Central Cambria), and Rylie Teapole (Beaver Area).
They will be joined, however, by a contender who was not in last year's race - Montour's Lakyn Schaltenbrand. Schaltenbrand is the favorite at large in the WPIAL this year, and she took 5th at the stacked Mingo Scrimmage last week. She leads a group of seniors trying to pave their way to the front - others include Allison Tate (Beaver Area), Tessa Rodriguez (Belle Vernon), and Grace Lazzara (North Catholic).
The team race will be a tight one between Beaver Area and Central Cambria, just as it was last year. The former narrowly beat out the latter, 65 to 67, and they should be on top again this year. They won't have their top runner from last year, Bella Andrew, but they return the other four of their top five. Central Cambria lost both of their top two, but Brandis and fellow junior Abigail Sheehan were right behind them last year, and they should be ready to pick up the slack.
Correction: There is a strong chance that North Catholic could run away with the title. They performed very well at the Marty Uher Vulcans Invitational, winning the Fire Race. They have two freshmen in their Top 7, including Gracie Plastino and Alyssa Urling who have made an immediate impact for the program.
2A Boys Preview
There's not much of a need for an individual preview in this race. Just look for the Ringgold singlet way out in front of the pack - that's Ryan Pajak, the No. 22 ranked runner in the country. Pajak set a course record in 15:13 last year, and we've already seen some sparks from him in the 2023, with a blazing 15:00 performance at the Mingo Scrimmage on Aug. 30. In good conditions, there's no reason he can't break the 15-minute barrier.
Behind him, the race for silver might be a bit more intriguing. Dale Hall (Hampton), the 2023 PIAA champion in the 1600m, might hold an edge over the rest, but Patrick Burgos (Elizabeth Forward) and Michael Braun (Freeport Area) could both be good picks. Braun has already proven himself in this young season, finishing second behind Drew Griffith at the Butler County Classic Scrimmage and picking up a strong win at the Marty Uher Invitational a week later with a time of 16:47 - impressive, given the difficulty of the Cal U course.
Above: Michael Braun rallied to win the Fire race at Marty Uher last week.
Hall and his Hampton teammates, meanwhile, come in as the team favorites - they won last year, and they return all of their top five. Quaker Valley will be their main competition - they were 3rd in 2022, and four of their top five are back, with only fifth man Luke Hotchkiss lost to graduation. Both teams had similar 1-5 spreads, around two minutes, last year, but Hampton has the edge on experience, as four of their top five are seniors this year, while Quaker Valley will have to rely on some juniors and sophomores. It'll be a tight race for sure, but Hall and the defending WPIAL champs should be in control.