State of the Action: It will be the end of a long journey for three Class D individuals, who all started as 7th graders making the state meet in 2010. Sage Hurta (Hamilton) won the title that year, then came back as a junior to do the same last year. Hurta once again enters the race as the odds on favorite, having put in strong performances all season once again. Hope Pietrocarlo (Maple Grove) was also a 7th grader in that same race, and went on to win a State Title her sophomore year. Pietrocarlo will be pushing for team points, and every position will matter in the close race. As a sophomore, Margaret Champagne (Seton Catholic) finished second to Pietrocarlo, then took 3rd last year. The final point on the trifecta of girls who started in 7th grade is looking to grab the State Title that has eluded her so far.

And as those three are finishing their journey's, one is just beginning. Brooke Rauber (Tully) burst onto the scene at the Baldwinsville Modified race, and quickly made her way up the Varsity ranks. She put pressure on Hurta at Sectionals, and could be the next big thing.

Finally, Kaycie Saucier (Norwood-Norfolk) looks to be the biggest threat to Hurta's title ambitions. The athlete from up north has conquered muddier conditions than most in 2015, and has come out the clean winner on the other side. Her Speed Ratings suggest she will be right in the mix with Hurta as they approach the finish line.

The Top-Ranked Class D Runners Entering States
1   Sage Hurta            12   03-D    Hamilton               140
2   Kaycie Saucier        12   10-D    Norwood-Norfolk        138
3   Brooke Rauber         7    03-D    Tully                  131
4   Hope Pietrocarlo      12   06-D    Maple Grove            123
5   Margaret Champagne    12   07-D    Seton Catholic         123
6   Ashleigh Crawford     12   03-D    Tully                  117
7   Brynne Wright         8    02-D    Greenwich              117
8   Emma Cronin           8    02-D    Greenwich              115
9   Molly MacQueen        8    04-D    Trumansburg            114
10  Monica Strain         11   02-D    Maple Hill             113
11  Tori Spiezio          12   02-D    Greenwich              112
12  Grace Auer            10   06-D    Maple Grove            111
13  Taylor Edmundson      10   09-D    Webutuck               109
14  Brooke Wright         8    02-D    Greenwich              107
15  Carling Lockwood      7    06-D    Maple Grove            107
16  Emma Seiders          11   06-D    Silver Creek           106
17  Chloe Weaver          11   05-D    Red Creek              106
18  Sarah Sharpe          9    03-D    New York Mills         105
19  Abby Gostomski        8    06-D    Cattaraugus            104
20  Shayna Will           11   04-D    Seton Catholic-B       104
21  Ellen Jaworski        12   03-D    Tully                  104
22  Elaine Atanasova      9    02-D    Duanesburg             103
23  Heidi Edmonds         10   03-D    Cooperstown            102

State of the Action: It looks to be a very close competition in Class D this year. Greenwich dropping back down from Class C may prove to be the game changer, as they are currently the top rated team. Maple Grove closed the gap after a strong Sectional Performance, and reigning State Champs Tully can never be counted out with the best 1-2 punch. The Sectional merge doesn't represent how close Tully is in the projections, but it does show how this could very well come down to a 1-point meet.