The PIAA Championship is set for Saturday, November 2nd and the 1A races could be some of the most competitive races of the day.
Watch Out For the Western PA Teams
Just like on the boy's side of things, Winchester Thurston will be in the mix again. The team won the PIAA Foundation Invitational earlier this year, defeating Cranberry and Our Lady of Sacred Heart.
However, the team was defeated by Our Lady of Sacred Heart (OLSH) at the District 7 Championship. Both teams had five boys in the top 20 points paying positions, but OLSH put four in the top 15. That proved the difference as OLSH prevailed by 10 points.
Carlynton was only 37 points back from those two.
Regina Luminis won the District 1 Championship by placing four girls in the top 7. Each of those four broke 21-minutes. In a team race that is wide-open, they could mix things up with the top teams.
Richland, the District 6 Championship Team, could also contend for the team win.
It is Anyones Race for the 1A Crown
Two-time 1A State Champ Virginia Kraus is now in 2A, which means the door is wide-open for someone else to score their first state championship.
Claire Dufrene (Warrior Run) is one of the favorites. She hasn't finished worse than fourth at an invitational this year. She won the NEPA Invitational and then the District 4 Invitational last week. Her 18:43 personal best is one of the fastest in the field.
Forest Hills freshman Bella Ascherl is certainly in the mix. She ran 18:38 to win the PIAA District 6 Championship by over a minute. She also won the 1A race at the Bald Eagle Invitational in early October.
Elaina Rainwater, the District 1 Champion, could turn some heads as well. She hasn't finished worse than fifth at an invitational this year. She has and additional five finishes of second or better. She was 19th at last year's PIAA State Championship.
Out of District 10, Karis McElhaney (Jamestown Area) and AnnaSophia Viccari (West Middlesex) are coming on strong. They went 1-2 at the District Championship. At last year's state meet, McElhaney finished 13th, and Viccari finished eighth.
Viccari had a slow start to the season, but she has been getting stronger as the season has progressed.
We'd be foolish not to keep an eye on Bridget McNamara (Carlynton). She won the PIAA Foundation 1A race earlier this year and she just won the District 7 Championship last week. She doesn't have the fastest personal best in the field, but she is a tough racer that shouldn't be underestimated.
Natalia Mavridis (Richland), Gianna Mosca (Our Lady of Sacred Heart), Gracelyn Laudermilch (Northeast Bradford) and Lanee Berkhimer (Martinsburg Central) will also be in contention.