Continuing with recapping the PTFCA State Championship meet, we are looking at two of the top finishing underclassmen. With many underclassmen ranking in the top 8 and making the state championship, it was difficult to pick out just two athletes as future stars for this week.
Each week, we will be highlighting a future star of Pennsylvania. These are athletes, typically underclassmen, who have the potential to be stars tomorrow. We will highlight a couple of athletes each week.
Episcopal Academy • Class 2027
With a strong indoor season with multiple wins in the Mile and 3000-meter and ranking eleventh in the Mile this season. She had an impressive outdoor performance last season with a fourth-place finish in the 3200 and third place in the 1600 at the PAISAA.
Entering the 3000-meter at the PTFCA Indoor State Championship, she was ranked in the top 10 and was projected to do fairly well, but she won the whole event with a biltering pace of 9:35.39, setting a new PA leading time and ranking her ninth nationally. PA being one of the strongest distance states with four athletes in the top 15 nationally it is impressive to see Williamson on top one of the best distance states.
For the rest of the indoor season, we hope to see her at the New Balance Nationals, Nike Indoor Nationals, or Adidas Indoor Nationals. She has a very bright future ahead of her, with many top-level athletes in the state to push her through state meets and other huge meets in the state. I see her this outdoor season winning the 3200-meter in PAISAA and possibly also in the 1600-meter.
Pennridge • Class of 2027
Warfel has already shown himself as a top athlete in the state and region, placing 13th last cross country season in at states and 19th at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional meet. Before, states he was looked at has a top level runner and definitely proved it at the indoor state meet.
At the PTFCA Indoor State Championship, he was able to move and earn third place in the 3000-meter with a gutsy race. He was with the chase pack with just 400 meters to go and was able to catch up to third place with a closing time of 29.9 seconds in the last 200 meters. With this smart race, he is ranked third now in the state and fourth in the nation for his grade.
As a promising athlete in PA, I expect him to have multiple state championships over the next few years. This outdoor season, his goal will be simple: to make the dance for the 3200-meter or 1600-meter and be able to show off his speed.
