Coach Kelly hit the nail on the head when he said, "People who don't run cross country, don't get it obviously, how much of a team sport it is." But calling the programs we spoke with simply teams is an understatement. They are much closer than that, they are family. And that has had a dramatic effect on everyone who is in the program, from the coaching staff to the whole team. The way the elite athletes relied on their team and how much the team relied on them as well was one of the most impressive things I saw while we were visiting with the different programs. I personally would leave each visit thinking, "Wow. I wish I would have went to school there."
As in all great organizations, it starts from the top. The strong ideals, energy, and enthusiasm the the coaches have is passed on to the team. And through sweat, blood, and tears, they become family. The coaches are all very knowledgeable at their craft and have the athletes' long-term development at the forefront of their minds. The coaches feed off of the athletes energy, desire, and goals. The athletes are sponges who absorb everything the coaches have to offer. They in turn are invigorated by their coaches insight and master plans. It is a symbiotic relationship that is functioning better than a well-oiled machine.
Throughout the interviews we heard over and over again how much the team meant to these top athletes. We could their sincerity in the voices and see it in their actions. Chris Aldrich said there are days when he doesn't feel like running, but his teammates are always pushing him out the door and keeping him going. Vince McNally said having teammates to workout with for the hard sessions makes it more bearable and strengthens the team bond. The excitement in Kara Millhouse's and Neely Spence's voice when we asked about the Cumberland Valley Athletic Club team was easily recognizable. And hearing how important winning the team state title was to Carly Seymour had me cheering for the Red Devils at Hershey. And when it was official that they had won, I was extremely happy for their program. Natalie Bower talked about her third 4th place finish and how they want to make another charge at a team state title. Jim Spisak said how thankful he was that their coach was rewarding their team for the great season they had by taking them to race at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional. Similar to Carly, Rachel Wong has had sisters on her team throughout her career, and that has meant a great deal to her and made the last four years very special.
Then when you talk with all of these athlete's teammates you hear the same thing. They don't see their teammate as different. They acknowledge they are more recognizable at meets because everyone sees pictures of their teammate constantly, but that was about it. They push their teammate on runs and workouts, they same way their teammate pushes them.
The coaches also understand the talent level of their top kids and develop their workout regimen as such. But it always is about the team. Everything comes back to that. Seeing Coach Mike Craighead orchestrate his practices, having 3 groups of kids do 3 completely different things, probably would look like a circus to a passerby. But to me, it was magical. Everyone was on a different agenda, but yet they were aware of what their teammates were doing, and would offer support when they caught their breath from the coach's grueling interval session. Coach Kevin Kelly made everything flow together so smoothly, it felt as if it could be set to music watching the team workout. By believing in each other, Coach Randy Wilson has built a juggernaut in Ebensburg that is out of this world. The coaches live and breathe the the development of the athlete as an individual and with the team.
We live in the "Me Me Me" and "Now" generations, and these athletes who could be self-centered, are completely grounded because of the fundamentals and philosophies instilled in them by their families and coaches. They have all achieved many great things throughout their high school careers and hopefully will continue to do so in college. But from their words, they would not have been able to do it with out their family's support and their running family's (teammates and coaches) constant influence and encouragement throughout the years. So yes cross country is team sport, a family sport if you will, whose bonds are forged through tough hill sessions, lung-burning intervals, long runs, all the time spent preparing not just for the next race but for life.
Showing posts with label jim spisak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jim spisak. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
States Preview
It is the first weekend in November and that can only mean one thing, all of PA is converging on Hershey for the PIAA State XC Championship. Well maybe not all of PA, because high school football is still going on as well, but I digress.
This has been an epic year for PA and it is just getting started as we enter the championship phase of the season. The depth in PA from an individual and team standpoint has been outstanding and will lead to a day of mind-boggling performances on Saturday.
Girls AA
The big show gets starts off with the girls AA race. There will be three way battle upfront for the individual title between Carly Seymour (Central Cambria), Kacey Gibson (Neshanock), and Kara Millhouse (Boiling Springs). This will be the 4th and final time the trio does battle in Hershey. Here's how the last 3 years have broken down.
2004
Gibson 3rd; Millhouse 13th; Seymour 58th
2005
Seymour 1st; Millhouse 7th; Gibson 48th
2006
Gibson 1st; Seymour 2nd; Millhouse 4th
Millhouse has had a steady ascension throughout her career and Seymour and Gibson have both won titles. It will be war and a great way to start the day. All three will be gunning for the title, as it will be another indication of their fitness level before the Foot Locker Northeast Regional. They are focused and ready to lay it on the line over hill and dale in Hershey.
Seymour has some extra motivation as her Central Cambria Red Devils are looking to make it to the podium this year. They narrowly missed it last year with their third place finish. Central Cambria has only lost once this year in PA and that was 1-point defeat to the hands of Lewisburg at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Inivitational. Lewisburg lost one of their triumvirate to a stress fracture but reloaded with two key freshmen. Central Cambria is the team to beat but will face a tough challenge from Lewisburg. I predict after all is said and done, everyone will be be asking if they are the best girls team in the state regardless of AA or AAA classification.
Girls AAA
AAA girls are next on the schedule and will feature District 3 trying to claim both the individual and team title by way of Neely Spence (Shippensburg) and the Northern York Polar Bears. Neely Spence is the defending champ. When she races you see the determination in her eyes. She is on a mission this year. All of her races have been dominating performances as she has yet to be challenged in a race all season. Her first obstacle will likely surface on November 24th at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional, but that's looking ahead. Spence will look to defend her title and as she puts it, "check in on her current racing fitness level."
The race for the team title will be great, perhaps the closest of the day. The three favorites are Emmaus, Northern York, and Latrobe. Emmaus has been ranked number 1 all season by the PennTrackXC.com Top Ten rankings. Northern York and Latrobe continue to get stronger throughout the season. Natalie Bower (Greater Latrobe) and Rachel Wong (Northern York) will battle for the runner-up spot in AAA and hope their teams pack it in tight behind them as they look to upset Emmaus. They will be joined in that chase pack by Meghan Lutz (Nazareth Academy) as she also makes a run at a top-five finish.
Boys AA
In AA boys, the individual race is wide open. Someone will make a name for themselves as they step up and take control of the race in an effort to break the rest of the field. The early favorites are Alex Zubey (Tamaqua), Joe Beveridge (Bishop McDevitt), and Jim Spisak (Bishop McCort). All three won their district meet in a convincing fashion and appear to just be hitting their stride as the season is winding down. The field behind them will not let them get away easy as this is truly anybody's race.
The race for the team title will appear to be a rematch of the District 10 Championship with North East, West Middlesex, and General McLane trading blows once again. McLane was district champ, followed closely by North East and West Middlesex, respectively. They have held the top three spots in the PenntrackXC.com Top Ten Rankings for the last 8 weeks. In 2006, West Middlesex was victorious with General McLane in third. District 10 will try to occupy the top three team spots this year. But in what order? The race will come down to the wire as these three are very closely matched. The team competition will rival AAA girls for the closest of the day.
Boys AAA
The AAA Boys race should be called, Vince McNally (Conestoga Valley) vs. Chris Aldrich (West Chester Henderson): Round 1. Their individual battle has all the makings of heavyweight prizefight. Both were neck and neck the whole race at last year's meet but Aldrich was able to secure a 4th place finish ahead of McNally in fifth, but both athletes were given the same time, 15:29. Jason Weller (Boyertown) ran 15:04 to win last year's title. I think both athletes will beat that time and it will take between 14:50-55 to win. This one is too close to call. They both have had marvelous performances this year and it will definitely be a great race to close out the day. Several athletes will give chase to these two including Mark Denin (Boyertown), but Aldrich and McNally are the class of the field.
North Penn looks to keep the team title in District 1 as they continue their phenomenal season. They have dominated all foes that have come their way. If their #2 all-time average at the Manhattan Invite is not an indication of how special this team is, I don't know what is. North Allegheny, the preseason #1 and pre-states champion, will be in a tough battle with Upper Dublin and Cumberland Valley for the second spot on the podium. Cumberland Valley suffered a big defeat at the District 3 meet but should bounce back at States.
PennTrackXC.com PIAA State Champs Preview
Also on the line is a berth to the Mid-East Regional Championship. The top seniors at the state meet will earn an opportunity to represent PA in Ohio.
But this is just a preview with a few predictions, mainly for the fans as they will be fortunate to see an incredible day of racing. For the athletes, I wish you all the best of luck . When Saturday rolls around all the previews and predictions in the world will not matter because the races will not be decided on paper, or the web for that matter, they will be decided over the 3.1 mile layout of the Hershey Parkview Golf Course. Which is why ladies and gentlemen, we run the races.
This has been an epic year for PA and it is just getting started as we enter the championship phase of the season. The depth in PA from an individual and team standpoint has been outstanding and will lead to a day of mind-boggling performances on Saturday.
Girls AA
The big show gets starts off with the girls AA race. There will be three way battle upfront for the individual title between Carly Seymour (Central Cambria), Kacey Gibson (Neshanock), and Kara Millhouse (Boiling Springs). This will be the 4th and final time the trio does battle in Hershey. Here's how the last 3 years have broken down.
2004
Gibson 3rd; Millhouse 13th; Seymour 58th
2005
Seymour 1st; Millhouse 7th; Gibson 48th
2006
Gibson 1st; Seymour 2nd; Millhouse 4th
Millhouse has had a steady ascension throughout her career and Seymour and Gibson have both won titles. It will be war and a great way to start the day. All three will be gunning for the title, as it will be another indication of their fitness level before the Foot Locker Northeast Regional. They are focused and ready to lay it on the line over hill and dale in Hershey.
Seymour has some extra motivation as her Central Cambria Red Devils are looking to make it to the podium this year. They narrowly missed it last year with their third place finish. Central Cambria has only lost once this year in PA and that was 1-point defeat to the hands of Lewisburg at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Inivitational. Lewisburg lost one of their triumvirate to a stress fracture but reloaded with two key freshmen. Central Cambria is the team to beat but will face a tough challenge from Lewisburg. I predict after all is said and done, everyone will be be asking if they are the best girls team in the state regardless of AA or AAA classification.
Girls AAA
AAA girls are next on the schedule and will feature District 3 trying to claim both the individual and team title by way of Neely Spence (Shippensburg) and the Northern York Polar Bears. Neely Spence is the defending champ. When she races you see the determination in her eyes. She is on a mission this year. All of her races have been dominating performances as she has yet to be challenged in a race all season. Her first obstacle will likely surface on November 24th at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional, but that's looking ahead. Spence will look to defend her title and as she puts it, "check in on her current racing fitness level."
The race for the team title will be great, perhaps the closest of the day. The three favorites are Emmaus, Northern York, and Latrobe. Emmaus has been ranked number 1 all season by the PennTrackXC.com Top Ten rankings. Northern York and Latrobe continue to get stronger throughout the season. Natalie Bower (Greater Latrobe) and Rachel Wong (Northern York) will battle for the runner-up spot in AAA and hope their teams pack it in tight behind them as they look to upset Emmaus. They will be joined in that chase pack by Meghan Lutz (Nazareth Academy) as she also makes a run at a top-five finish.
Boys AA
In AA boys, the individual race is wide open. Someone will make a name for themselves as they step up and take control of the race in an effort to break the rest of the field. The early favorites are Alex Zubey (Tamaqua), Joe Beveridge (Bishop McDevitt), and Jim Spisak (Bishop McCort). All three won their district meet in a convincing fashion and appear to just be hitting their stride as the season is winding down. The field behind them will not let them get away easy as this is truly anybody's race.
The race for the team title will appear to be a rematch of the District 10 Championship with North East, West Middlesex, and General McLane trading blows once again. McLane was district champ, followed closely by North East and West Middlesex, respectively. They have held the top three spots in the PenntrackXC.com Top Ten Rankings for the last 8 weeks. In 2006, West Middlesex was victorious with General McLane in third. District 10 will try to occupy the top three team spots this year. But in what order? The race will come down to the wire as these three are very closely matched. The team competition will rival AAA girls for the closest of the day.
Boys AAA
The AAA Boys race should be called, Vince McNally (Conestoga Valley) vs. Chris Aldrich (West Chester Henderson): Round 1. Their individual battle has all the makings of heavyweight prizefight. Both were neck and neck the whole race at last year's meet but Aldrich was able to secure a 4th place finish ahead of McNally in fifth, but both athletes were given the same time, 15:29. Jason Weller (Boyertown) ran 15:04 to win last year's title. I think both athletes will beat that time and it will take between 14:50-55 to win. This one is too close to call. They both have had marvelous performances this year and it will definitely be a great race to close out the day. Several athletes will give chase to these two including Mark Denin (Boyertown), but Aldrich and McNally are the class of the field.
North Penn looks to keep the team title in District 1 as they continue their phenomenal season. They have dominated all foes that have come their way. If their #2 all-time average at the Manhattan Invite is not an indication of how special this team is, I don't know what is. North Allegheny, the preseason #1 and pre-states champion, will be in a tough battle with Upper Dublin and Cumberland Valley for the second spot on the podium. Cumberland Valley suffered a big defeat at the District 3 meet but should bounce back at States.
PennTrackXC.com PIAA State Champs Preview
Also on the line is a berth to the Mid-East Regional Championship. The top seniors at the state meet will earn an opportunity to represent PA in Ohio.
But this is just a preview with a few predictions, mainly for the fans as they will be fortunate to see an incredible day of racing. For the athletes, I wish you all the best of luck . When Saturday rolls around all the previews and predictions in the world will not matter because the races will not be decided on paper, or the web for that matter, they will be decided over the 3.1 mile layout of the Hershey Parkview Golf Course. Which is why ladies and gentlemen, we run the races.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Districts Coverage
The electrifying racing weekend was an amazing preview of the upcoming state meet. All of our favorites qualified to states where they will have the opportunity to showcase their abilities.
District 7
The District 7 or the WPIAL meet was on Thursday, October 25. Kacey Gibson started the day off with a bang. Her 18:14 was 75 seconds ahead of second place in the girls AA race. And it would end up being the fastest girls time of the day. Kacey looks poised and ready to defend her state title this week. But she has some tough competition, Carly Seymour and Kara Millhouse, who are looking to dethrone her.
Natalie Bower continued her WPIAL dominance as she won her third title in the girls AAA race. Bower's victory helped to lead her team to the crown as well. Latrobe will look to return to the top of the podium at the state meet as well. I feel they are the team to beat.
David Adley continued his winning ways as held off North Allegheny's Matt Jacob to win the boys AAA race. His victory helped to secure 4th place for Baldwin and get them back to the big show. With their 2-3 placing, North Allegheny won the team title and looks to be on track regain their form of the "dyNAsty days" of the mid 1990s.
District 1
In the AAA girls race at Lehigh, Meghan Lutz was the early leader at the mile, but ended up finishing 4th. Her 18:31 clocking is just a few ticks off of her fast 5k from this year's Nike Outdoor Nationals. She will be ready to go in Hershey and prepared to make a run at the state title.
Chris Aldrich continued his preparations for the state meet and beyond, with a 15:02 victory in the AAA boys race. Aldrich broke away from the field with a 1000m to go, but Mark Denin was able to close the gap before Aldrich put in one final surge down the homestretch to seal the victory. Denin was a close second in 15:06. In Aldrich's post-race interview, he said he felt the strength and speed that wasn't there over the final 800 at Manhattan. He appears to be rounding into form at the right time. He also said all training has been geared for Foot Locker Regionals. Being the competitor that he is, I am sure it will be a great showdown with Vince McNally this weekend.
District 6
We are on-site for the District 6 meet and saw several great races throughout the day. Carly Seymour and the rest of the Red Devils from Central Cambria did not disappoint in the AA girls race. Carly looked strong and relaxed as she broke her own course record by running 17:39. The rest of team used a :38 spread from runners 2 through 5 to claim the title. Their top 5 finished within the top 9 of the race. A very impressive showing by Central Cambria. The team is focused on winning states, after just missing the podium last year with a third place.
Jim Spisak of Bishop McCort dominated the field to win the individual title of the boys AA race. His 16:24 was the fastest boys time of the day. While the AA boys race appears to be up in the air for states, Spisak just marked himself down as a potential favorite with his effort. The other athlete we mentioned, Ben Hatch from Bellwood-Antis, finished in 7th. His race was very controlled and saw him blow by 6 people on the finishing straight. Hopefully he will crank it up another notch at the state meet, and maybe district 6 can go 1-2.
District 3
The final championship of the weekend was on Sunday. District 3 postponed their Saturday meet because of weather. Even with the day wait, there were no surprises as everything pretty much went as planned. Kara Millhouse was victorious in the AA girls race. Millhouse was well in control by 2 miles into the race and maintained her lead over the last mile as she won comfortably in 20:17.
In the girls AAA race, Neely Spence and Rachel Wong went 1-2. Neely was simply Neely as she was by herself at the mile and increased her lead throughout the race as she crossed the line in 19:04. Wong ran a very smart and controlled race as she finished in second place in 19:56. Her runner-up finish lead the Northern York Polar Bears to a dominant team victory, 66-144, over Cumberland Valley. Wong will be in the hunt as individual and in the team race, making her decision of what race to choose on November 24th even more difficult.
The boys AAA race was the last of 2007's District Week. McNally repeated as champ, creating a 5-second advantage by the 2-mile marker. He will add to that lead as he crossed the line in 16:38, 19 seconds ahead of his closest competition. McNally has his eyes set on the state meet and winning the title. From the results, it looks as if the AAA race at states will be a showdown between McNally and Aldrich, a preview of the Foot Locker Northeast Regional.
Great job to all of the competitors and we look forward to seeing everyone step up their game as we move onto the PIAA State Championships.
District 7
The District 7 or the WPIAL meet was on Thursday, October 25. Kacey Gibson started the day off with a bang. Her 18:14 was 75 seconds ahead of second place in the girls AA race. And it would end up being the fastest girls time of the day. Kacey looks poised and ready to defend her state title this week. But she has some tough competition, Carly Seymour and Kara Millhouse, who are looking to dethrone her.
Natalie Bower continued her WPIAL dominance as she won her third title in the girls AAA race. Bower's victory helped to lead her team to the crown as well. Latrobe will look to return to the top of the podium at the state meet as well. I feel they are the team to beat.
David Adley continued his winning ways as held off North Allegheny's Matt Jacob to win the boys AAA race. His victory helped to secure 4th place for Baldwin and get them back to the big show. With their 2-3 placing, North Allegheny won the team title and looks to be on track regain their form of the "dyNAsty days" of the mid 1990s.
District 1
In the AAA girls race at Lehigh, Meghan Lutz was the early leader at the mile, but ended up finishing 4th. Her 18:31 clocking is just a few ticks off of her fast 5k from this year's Nike Outdoor Nationals. She will be ready to go in Hershey and prepared to make a run at the state title.
Chris Aldrich continued his preparations for the state meet and beyond, with a 15:02 victory in the AAA boys race. Aldrich broke away from the field with a 1000m to go, but Mark Denin was able to close the gap before Aldrich put in one final surge down the homestretch to seal the victory. Denin was a close second in 15:06. In Aldrich's post-race interview, he said he felt the strength and speed that wasn't there over the final 800 at Manhattan. He appears to be rounding into form at the right time. He also said all training has been geared for Foot Locker Regionals. Being the competitor that he is, I am sure it will be a great showdown with Vince McNally this weekend.
District 6
We are on-site for the District 6 meet and saw several great races throughout the day. Carly Seymour and the rest of the Red Devils from Central Cambria did not disappoint in the AA girls race. Carly looked strong and relaxed as she broke her own course record by running 17:39. The rest of team used a :38 spread from runners 2 through 5 to claim the title. Their top 5 finished within the top 9 of the race. A very impressive showing by Central Cambria. The team is focused on winning states, after just missing the podium last year with a third place.
Jim Spisak of Bishop McCort dominated the field to win the individual title of the boys AA race. His 16:24 was the fastest boys time of the day. While the AA boys race appears to be up in the air for states, Spisak just marked himself down as a potential favorite with his effort. The other athlete we mentioned, Ben Hatch from Bellwood-Antis, finished in 7th. His race was very controlled and saw him blow by 6 people on the finishing straight. Hopefully he will crank it up another notch at the state meet, and maybe district 6 can go 1-2.
District 3
The final championship of the weekend was on Sunday. District 3 postponed their Saturday meet because of weather. Even with the day wait, there were no surprises as everything pretty much went as planned. Kara Millhouse was victorious in the AA girls race. Millhouse was well in control by 2 miles into the race and maintained her lead over the last mile as she won comfortably in 20:17.
In the girls AAA race, Neely Spence and Rachel Wong went 1-2. Neely was simply Neely as she was by herself at the mile and increased her lead throughout the race as she crossed the line in 19:04. Wong ran a very smart and controlled race as she finished in second place in 19:56. Her runner-up finish lead the Northern York Polar Bears to a dominant team victory, 66-144, over Cumberland Valley. Wong will be in the hunt as individual and in the team race, making her decision of what race to choose on November 24th even more difficult.
The boys AAA race was the last of 2007's District Week. McNally repeated as champ, creating a 5-second advantage by the 2-mile marker. He will add to that lead as he crossed the line in 16:38, 19 seconds ahead of his closest competition. McNally has his eyes set on the state meet and winning the title. From the results, it looks as if the AAA race at states will be a showdown between McNally and Aldrich, a preview of the Foot Locker Northeast Regional.
Great job to all of the competitors and we look forward to seeing everyone step up their game as we move onto the PIAA State Championships.
A Preview of the District Meets
Well this is the next big weekend of racing. All of the top kids made it through Week 1 of the championship stretch, Conference Championships, with flying colors. Now we are onto the District Championships which serve as the qualifier for the state meet.
Runners to watch by district:
District 1
On the girls side, Meghan Lutz seems to be hitting her stride. She ran 18:08 to win her conference meet and serve notice that she is ready for the stretch run. On Friday she will take aim against the rest of the district in Bethlehem, PA, at the spectator-friendly course of Lehigh University. She will have stiff competition from several girls, but she looks to be ready for the task.
Chris Aldrich is the favorite for the boys. His second place finish at the New Balance Manhattan College XC Invite, was a great opener. Coach Kelley said they have been putting in a great deal of quality work, and they will use this race to test the waters a bit. Alrdich will be challenged mainly by Mark Denin of Boyertown, who is having a fine season as well.
District 3
Our largest contingent of potential Foot Locker qualifies lies in the heart of PA (District 3 and 6). In girls AAA, Neely Spence is the favorite. At Mid-Penns she said she tries to use each race as an indicator of her fitness. Look for a very controlled effort from Spence as she is supremely focused on the end of the next three meets (PIAA Championship, Foot Locker Northeast, Foot Locker Championships). Her biggest competition will come from Rachel Wong who will try to lead the Northern York Polar Bears to the district team title. Northern York is looking like they are the team to beat for the state title as well.
Kara Millhouse will look to move up one spot to the top of the podium in the girls AA race, as she finished in second place last year. Kara should be relatively unchallenged which will allow her to use this as tune-up for next weekend's big show down with Carly Seymour and Kacey Gibson.
Vince McNally will try to repeat as champion in the Boys AAA race. Vince has not been challenged all year, and that trend will continue on Saturday as he gives the onlookers a preview of what is to come the following week at states. After witnessing Vince's workout on Monday, there is no doubt in my mind that he is ready to go for the upcoming meets.
District 6
AA reigns supreme in District 6. The top teams and individuals are from the "small" schools. Carly Seymour will lead the charge for her Central Cambria team as they look to repeat as champions. Carly was also victorious last year. The team is firmly focused on Hershey and bringing the team title to Ebensburg.
In the boys AA race, a few Foot Locker dark horses emerge, Jim Spisak and Ben Hatch. Spisak has won just about every race he has run this fall and Hatch has been steadily improving throughout the season. Look for those two to do battle upfront.
District 7
In girls AAA, Natalie Bower will look to win her third crown in as many tries for the Latrobe Wildcats. There will also be a tight team battle, as she looks to get Latrobe back to the top of the podium, Mt. Lebanon dethroned them last year. North Allegheny and Mt. Lebanon (again) will be their toughest opposition.
David Adley will look to keep his winning form as he tries to win his first District XC title. With a win, he might be able to lead the Baldwin Highlanders back to the big show.
Kacey Gibson should be unchallenged in girls AA. The race should serve as tune-up for next week's state championship race, as she looks to repeat as champ. She will have a race on her hand as Kara Millhouse and Carly Seymour have their eyes on the crown as well.
Runners to watch by district:
District 1
On the girls side, Meghan Lutz seems to be hitting her stride. She ran 18:08 to win her conference meet and serve notice that she is ready for the stretch run. On Friday she will take aim against the rest of the district in Bethlehem, PA, at the spectator-friendly course of Lehigh University. She will have stiff competition from several girls, but she looks to be ready for the task.
Chris Aldrich is the favorite for the boys. His second place finish at the New Balance Manhattan College XC Invite, was a great opener. Coach Kelley said they have been putting in a great deal of quality work, and they will use this race to test the waters a bit. Alrdich will be challenged mainly by Mark Denin of Boyertown, who is having a fine season as well.
District 3
Our largest contingent of potential Foot Locker qualifies lies in the heart of PA (District 3 and 6). In girls AAA, Neely Spence is the favorite. At Mid-Penns she said she tries to use each race as an indicator of her fitness. Look for a very controlled effort from Spence as she is supremely focused on the end of the next three meets (PIAA Championship, Foot Locker Northeast, Foot Locker Championships). Her biggest competition will come from Rachel Wong who will try to lead the Northern York Polar Bears to the district team title. Northern York is looking like they are the team to beat for the state title as well.
Kara Millhouse will look to move up one spot to the top of the podium in the girls AA race, as she finished in second place last year. Kara should be relatively unchallenged which will allow her to use this as tune-up for next weekend's big show down with Carly Seymour and Kacey Gibson.
Vince McNally will try to repeat as champion in the Boys AAA race. Vince has not been challenged all year, and that trend will continue on Saturday as he gives the onlookers a preview of what is to come the following week at states. After witnessing Vince's workout on Monday, there is no doubt in my mind that he is ready to go for the upcoming meets.
District 6
AA reigns supreme in District 6. The top teams and individuals are from the "small" schools. Carly Seymour will lead the charge for her Central Cambria team as they look to repeat as champions. Carly was also victorious last year. The team is firmly focused on Hershey and bringing the team title to Ebensburg.
In the boys AA race, a few Foot Locker dark horses emerge, Jim Spisak and Ben Hatch. Spisak has won just about every race he has run this fall and Hatch has been steadily improving throughout the season. Look for those two to do battle upfront.
District 7
In girls AAA, Natalie Bower will look to win her third crown in as many tries for the Latrobe Wildcats. There will also be a tight team battle, as she looks to get Latrobe back to the top of the podium, Mt. Lebanon dethroned them last year. North Allegheny and Mt. Lebanon (again) will be their toughest opposition.
David Adley will look to keep his winning form as he tries to win his first District XC title. With a win, he might be able to lead the Baldwin Highlanders back to the big show.
Kacey Gibson should be unchallenged in girls AA. The race should serve as tune-up for next week's state championship race, as she looks to repeat as champ. She will have a race on her hand as Kara Millhouse and Carly Seymour have their eyes on the crown as well.
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