2016 NY Girls XC Preview: PSAL

PSAL Preview

A year after making its first appearance in the Federation in at least a very long time, Brooklyn Tech's development plan produced a PSAL title last season in the final year for leaders Christine Chen and Tori Johnson. Now the Engineers are faced with the tough task of designing a way to stay at the top ahead of the rest of the PSAL pack, especially 2012 and 2013 champ McKee Tech. With four of last year's varsity 7 back and PSAL 4th place frontrunner Aziza Chigataeva still just a junior, BTech should still be on fairly solid ground. McKee Tech though has nearly everyone back from last year's 4th place PSAL team, and longtime frontrunner MaryKate Drennan and maybe a little more solid top 3 could make the Seagulls a slight favorite this year. Although teams like Hunter, Stuyvesant, and Benjamin Cardozo have some nice strength at the top, there are too many question marks about the rest of the lineup to raise any up to the level of the top two at this point.

Aaliyah Regg Wajid of Dewitt Clinton again led the way for the PSAL last year, but following her departure the focus will turn to the five runners who followed her in the championship at Van Cortlandt Park in 2015. Stuyvesant's Zovinar Khrimian should be at the head of the pack, but Medgar Evers' Casey George, Brookyn Tech's Aziza Chigataeva, Young Women's Leadership's Shayla Sanders, and McKee Tech's MaryKate Drennan will be up there, with maybe New Dorp's Vivien Liell entering the picture if her team can qualify for the championship.

The PSAL throngs head out at the start of the 2015 championship race with Aaliyah Regg Wajid (no. 466) of Dewitt Clinton as always in the center of things.