In 2022, the Owen J. Roberts girls stormed to the win, edging out Emmaus 184 to 187. They are not the same squad but have made steady progress this season. This will be the team's first 5000m Invitational, and we're excited to see where they're at physically.
Similarly, we haven't seen the PA #5 Haverford Township compete at a large invite, partially due to Tropical Storm Ophelia. With this weekend's brown race looming, we expect Olivia Cieslak and Camryn McGeehan to run as a front-pack duo. They then have a steady pack behind them that can do some damage down the stretch.
Manheim Township is coming off a strong weekend at the PIAA Foundation Invite. The team finished second, only to North Allegheny, in the 3A race, defeating numerous other ranked programs. Ava Shirk and Elena Barrall were the team's front two, but sophomore Lexie Kauffman wasn't too far behind them. If they can pack up well, they stand a great chance to usurp Haverford Township for the No. 5 rank.
Don't count out West Virginia's Morgantown. The team was most recently an honorable mention in the National Team Rankings. They might not have Irene Riggs anymore, but they're a resilient crew with plenty of experience racing in meaningful races. The team won the AJ Everhart Uniontown Invite last week, placing five runners in the top 11.
Can Cieslak hold off Kraus and Woehlcke?
Individually, look for defending Paul Short Champion Olivia Cieslak to spearhead the pack. The junior eased into this cross season but holds personal bests of 4:43 (1600m) and 2:06 (800m). She ran a methodical race last year, and we expect her to employ a similar strategy this time.
Virginia Kraus (Moravian) could spell danger for Cieslak, however. Last year, as a freshman, Kraus took the race out from the gun. She couldn't hang on and eventually settled for fourth, but the reigning 1A State Champ is back for more.
She has opened the season with three straight wins and a 17:42 effort at the Northampton Invitational. She currently has the fastest time in the state. If she runs more relaxed in the opening mile, she has a great chance to steal a victory from her competition.
Ella Woehlcke (Mount Saint Joseph) won the white race last year. She'll cherish the opportunity to run in the big race and potentially challenge the likes of Cieslak and Kraus.
Lillian DiCola (Hatboro Horsham) finished third in the Brown race last year, but her team will compete in the White Division this year. Look for her to dominate that race with impunity.
Keep an eye on Lana Hurwitz (Parkland), who broke 18 at Paul Short last year.