PIAA State Championships 2011

Angel Piccirillo enters her senior season as one of the top distance runners in Pennsylvania, as well as the U.S. Bursting on the scene as a sophomore - Piccirillo won her first of two indoor state mile titles, first of two outdoor 1600 meter titles and first of two Penn Relays COA titles. So far in her senior year, she has added a second state title in AA cross country, and a Northeast Region title and 2nd Foot Locker Finalist qualifier.

Drew Magaha is just figuring out this cross country thing. His first goal this year was to break 16. Did it in the first meet. One thing is for sure, when Drew puts his mind to something, he has the tools to make it happen, with both talent and a laser focus.

Photo by Vic Sailer, PhotoRun

My name is Ann Herman and I am a senior at Pennsbury High School. This cross country season has been an exhilarating whirlwind and it was an awesome way to end my high school cross country career. - Photo by Don Rich

"I would have never in a million years pictured myself at the Footlocker Cross Country Championships in San Diego California." - Meredith Speakman, Boiling Springs HS - Photo by Vic Sailer, PhotoRun.net

Out of nowhere. It's a phrase used on occasion in sports to describe an athlete who puts on a performance that virtually no one expects. And not just a good performance. An extraordinary one. (Photo by Marleen Van den Neste)

We begin our sixth year of the PennTrackXC.com Top 10 - a poll of coaches from around the state to rank the top cross country teams of the season. One is reserved for the top five AA/Small schools, while the Top 10 reflects all PA schools, whether AA, AAA, public or private.

The Pennsbury girls cross country team won the 2010 PIAA Class AAA championship, but started the 2011 season on Sept. 10 with a second-place finish behind West Chester Henderson at the Penn Track XC Invitational. (via phillyBurbs.com)

Predicting how runners from around the state will do at Saturday’s PIAA Championships isn’t easy. (via phillyBurbs.com)

2011 could be shaping up to see a rematch of the 2010 championship between the top two teams. Last season, North Allegheny overcame many years of close calls and bad breaks, along with injuries to their captain and state champion Ryan Gil to finally bring home the team championship.

Controversy surrounded the end of the 2010 AA season, as Northeast Bradford were set to become the champions, only to be denied by a disqualification and demoted to 8th place.

Pennsbury ran a very tough invitational schedule, running in every big meet they could find. In every invitational last season they finished either first or 2nd, with Tatnall (DE) being the only team to defeat them at any of those meets.

2011 has a lot of potential to mirror the way the 2010 season ended. The AA division has sixteen returning state medalists, including the top four and seven of the top ten.