2016 NY Girls XC Preview: Class B

Class B was again the wild capricious thing of NY XC last year as it crowned its fifth different state champion in the five-year period following the reversion to the 4-class system in 2011. The winners during that period have included North Shore, Holy Names, Queensbury, Burnt Hills, and John Jay-Cross River, and the individual champs have included the storied group of Samantha Nadel of North Shore, Megan Young of Nanuet, Jessica Lawson of Corning, Katherine Lee of Shoreham-Wading River, and Diana Vizza of North Shore. Because North Shore's repeat States title in 2011 was a follow-up to a title in Class A in 2010, the last team to win back-to-back States B titles was East Aurora with its 6th consecutive crown in 2010. And yes, there is a story for this year that includes East Aurora.

For the first time in three years, the States B winner did not come from Section 2, but instead after a mad battle at Monroe-Woodbury ended with first-time States team John Jay-Cross River taking a 55-74-88 decision over Shoreham-Wading River and Burnt Hills. All three teams will be among the favorites for the title this year. North Shore placed 4th in the States B race with Vizza taking 1st in a gigantic way (29.4 seconds), but in the first time in recent memory the Vikings will not be rated among the top 20 teams in their class on September 1. That could all change by mid September, however, because Class B is just always ready for a change, such as in 2012 when it gave the States crown to Holy Names in November and then the national small school title to East Aurora in December. And yes, the EA Blue Devils are back up among their old chums in Class B after a two-year stint in Class C that earned them two more state titles.

So after some graduation losses for last year's top three teams that most prominently included JJ-CR frontrunner Gemma Nutall and Burnt Hills' Emily Digman, the NY-B teams are getting ready to set up the pins again for another rocking and rolling season. The top trio all look reasonably solid with each having a frontrunner who finished in the top 10 at States in 2015, Eva Scott for Burnt Hills, Katherline Lee for Shoreham-Wading River, and Pippa Nutall for John Jay. East Aurora is looking to make a quick entrance among the top group, but with the graduation of the States 1-2 Class C runners Sophia Tasselmyer and Fiona Danieu, some development work is needed. Except for Mary Borkoski and Erin Clinton, Pearl River stayed at home during States for only the second time in 36 years, and with an intact squad back for 2016, the Pirates are dreaming about capturing a 9th States crown.

The top 20 sorting order for the NY-B teams is fuzzier than usual because of some question marks about a number of teams. Perhaps the team most in a state of flux from last year is the top rated team, Burnt Hills, which could have been rated anywhere from 1st to 5th. We'll put them at the top to begin with, but many events up through the Chenango Valley Pre-States could mix things around before the first state rankings are put out later in September.

Many of the sections should see some wild action on the way to the state qualifiers, but perhaps the most frenzied action will occur out in Section 5, where Pittsford Sutherland, Canandaigua, Pittsford Mendon and Honeoye Falls-Lima are all rated virtually the same in preseason. The best battle of top teams will come in section 1 as Pearl River and John Jay-Cross River square off once more. Sections 3 and 8 also feature contests between one or more teams rated nearly the same in preseason, and even perennial champ Cornwall out in Section 9 needs to keep an eye on the emerging Goshen team.

The contest to see who breaks the tape in the 2016 States B race could also be a wild one, though 2014 champ Katherine Lee sits at the top of the list of candidates. But rated right on her heels are two seniors, Burnt Hills' Eva Scott and Sweet Home's Sam Peterman, and behind them are a pack of sophomores who might be ready for a big leap up this year if the NY-B wild thing has her way again.