Standings Set To Be Squared Away At Chenango - Pre-State Preview Blowout

This individual race will have a few heads turned.  Claire Walters (Fayetteville-Manlius) is the only New Yorker to have beaten Jessica Lawson straight up since McQuaid of last year, and she'll be racing directly after her.  Time comparisons are sure to come, and she'll have competition in her own race to worry about.  Amanda Vestri (Webster Thomas) is very capable of cresting the 130 speed rating barrier, making her the second fastest athlete of the season in the race.  She coming off an Top 5 All-Time mark for her dual meet course, and is ready to roll.  Also included would be her teammate Natalie Neamtu, who is making her way to competitive racing after improvement on the track.

Two from Section 1 will be in the mix as well, with Grace Bugara (Lakeland-Panas) and Katelyn Huggard (Pawling) both moving past 120.  Not to mention, who knows what Manlius can produce with their 2-7 from Chittenango, as any could make a jump here too.

While the individual race should produce some fireworks, the same can't be said about the team competition.  00 is the clear favorites as returning Nike Cross Nationals champions, but will be racing to produce strong points in the merge.

Outside of Manlius, it will be interesting to see how many Webster Thomas can put into the Top 10.  They look strong through 3, and could produce some big marks here.  Also interesting will be to see how Maple Grove's three new 8th Graders respond to the elevated competition here, and what effect that will have on the Class D rankings.