2008 NYS Girls XC Preview

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2007 NYS Class AA Champs, 2007 NYS Federation Champs, 2006 & 2007 Nike Team National Champs

2008 RETURNERS
Meaghan Anklin, Kathryn Buchan, Kristen Buchan, Mackenzie Carter, Alexandra Chapman, Courtney Chapman, Hannah Luber, Molly Malone

2008 OUTLOOK
FM returns 6 of their top 7 from the but actually bring back the top 6 girls from the NTN race. Courtney Chapman and Hannah Luber placed 7th and 8th at NTN last year and McKenzie Carter is also capable or being with them. Carter ran 4:34 in the 1500m this spring while Molly Malone ran 4:36. Malone was their 4th girls at Feds and NTN last year, so if you're 4th girl coming back runs 4:36, you're in pretty good shape.

Throw in Kristen and Kathyrn Buchan and the depth is really rediculous as Krisen was their 3rd girl at Sectionals last year and Kathryn ran under 19:00 at the NYSPHSAA meet and was 5th at NTN's in 2006. You know that coach Bill Aris's team could be better than last year, especially when there is talk of some youngsters who could make an impact as well.

PICTURE: Team picture after the NTN Regional meet at Bowdoin Park, where FM won over BHBL. (photo by Tim Fulton)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2007 NYS Class A Champs, 2007 NTN Regional 2nd place, 2007 Nike Team Nationals 5th place

2008 RETURNERS
Rachel Cyrus, Meaghan Gregory, Molly Pezzulo, Sam Roecker, Alyssa Drapeau, Riley Wilk

2008 OUTLOOK
Burnt Hills was fantastic last year, but due to some injuries, they weren't as good as they could have been. With a healthy Megan Gregory and Molly Pezzulo this year, this team is very capable of beating FM and being the top team in the country. Sam Roecker is very good. She lost to Emily Lipari by 3 seconds at the NYSPHSAA Champs, won the NTN Regional race, and was 3rd at NTN's, 12 seconds off the winner. She had another fantastic outdoor track season and there is no reason to think she won't continue her success in XC.

Gregory ran 4:38 1500, 6:57 2K steeple, and a 10:03 3K. Pezzulo ran 4:39 and 10:06. Even Cyrus ran 4:51 and 10:09. BHBL were the NIke Outdoor and NSIC 4xMile Champs as well. If all goes well, it is possible that they have the best top three in the country and it could be a great battle with FM. Note that last year BHBL skipped the Fed meet, and since they are Class A and FM Class AA, the two will not face off at championship meets until NTN Regionals, though they are expected to race at McQuaid and Manhattan this year like they did last year.

PICTURE: Team picture after the NTN Regional meet at Bowdoin Park, where Burnt Hills was 2nd to FM. (photo by Tim Fulton)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
NYS Class AA 2nd, NYS Federation 2nd, Nike Team Nationals 3rd place 2007 - 2nd place 2005 - 1st place 2004

2008 RETURNERS
Brianne Bellon, Megan Conway, Cassie Goutos, Sydney King, Amanda Borroughs, Alison Treichel

2008 OUTLOOK
NY State is tough. Saratoga was a great team again last year but they didn't win anything. After being left out of NTN in 2006 they were back in in 2007. So far they have won NTN (2004), been 2nd (2005), and 3rd (2007). There is no reason to think that they won't be back their again this year.

The loss of Hannah Davidson is going to be tough to overcome but if anyone can do it, it's Saratoga. Goutos is a better XC runner than track runner and Bellon and Riley were unbelievable in the 800m this spring, both running in the 2:10 range. Riley was not on the XC team last year but if she runs, that's a huge boost for Saratoga.

Sydney King ran 10:09 for 3K. Their top three are very good and their depth will be fine as they even had a girl named Erica Howes run 7:18 for the 2K steeple and she's not on the returners list.

Coaches Art and Linda Kranick have a young team with a lot of experience already and they should be ready to challenge FM and BHBL.

PICTURE: Cassie Goutos finishing at NTN NY Regionals in 2007. (photo by Tim Fulton)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Section 2 Class A 2nd place

2008 RETURNERS
Catherine Winslow, Danielle Winslow, Carly Wynn, Katie Messina, Morgan Mueller, Christian Brambley, Kirsten Lajoie, Katie Mannix

2008 OUTLOOK
Looks like Queensbury shut down the Winslow's after states last year a week after they lost to Burnt Hills by a mere 3 points (33-36) at the Section 2 Class A Sectionals. They might have had a chance to beat them at states if NY allowed more than one team per section to compete. They are yet another young team with a chance to be on the line in Oregon for NXN.

Catherine Winslow ran 6:56 for the 2K steeple so she's a legit front runner while her younger sister Danielle ran 10:02 for 3K. Danielle was 4th at states last fall while her twin sister Brittany was 7th, just two seconds back. That's right - three Winslow sisters. Combine them with Carly Wynn who was 4th at States last year and you have a great 1-4. Mix in Morgan Mueller who was 11th at states and 29th at Feds and you have a very good team. Staying healthy will be key for this group, but watch out if they do.

PICTURE: Carly Wynn placed 73rd at the NYS Federation Champs last year. (photo by Tim Fulton)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Section 1 Class AA Champs, 5th NYSPHSAA Class AA, 7th at NTN NY REgional, 5th at NY Federation

2008 RETURNERS
Chelsea Hanson, Gabby Gjonaj, Carolyn Nasr, Allison Ryley, Brianna Service, Hayley MacMahon, Mallory Mecca

2008 OUTLOOK
Arlington brings back 5 or 6 from their varsity team, depending on what meet you look at. Hayley McMahon, who was their 4th girl at NTN NY last fall but only at 21:1, ran 4:49 this spring for 1500m. Arlington had a great JV team last year with plenty of girls who can step up into the varsity. Last year at Feds, one of their best races, they ran split 19:29 to 20:39. If they can move that pack up 20-30 seconds each, they could make that jump to a tier one team. Otherwise, they'll be racing for that 5th-7th sport again at Feds and NTN NY.

PICTURE: Brianna Service placed 45th at Feds last year in 19:40. (photo by Tim Fulton)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Section 5 Class A Champs, 2nd at NYSPHSAA Class A, 9th at NY Feds

2008 RETURNERS
Morgan Atkins, Allison Hallock, Katherine Hawes,Shaylyn Tuite, Krista Roncone, Rachel Cackett

2008 OUTLOOK
How about bringing back your top six AND your top 5 are still all sophomores or younger? Sounds pretty good to me. Another year of experience might do these girls some good. They have the up front strength in Tuite, who was 6th at NYSPHSAA last year. They have some nice depth. A 5th girl at 20:29 at states is nice, but to get to that next level, they'll need to pack up with their 2nd girl in the 19:30 range. Hallock's 10:28 3K was nice this spring. Now the others need to latch on to her. If they do, they'll be right in it for that 4th-6th spot at Feds and NXN NY.

PICTURE: Shaylyn Tuite, placed 25th at Feds last year in 19:16 as a freshman. (photo by Tim Fulton)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Section 6 Class B Champs, NYS Class B Champs, 3rd at NYS Federations, 5th at NTN NY Regional

2008 RETURNERS
Megan Hulton, Erin Crawford, Catherine Phillips, Kirsten Weberg

2008 OUTLOOK
East Aurora was a great team last year. They ran their best race at NTN NY Regionals where they placed 5th, missing Warwick Valley and a ticket to Portland, Ore. by 1 point. That feeling doesn't go away easily.

They lose their up front strength this year as their top two runners graduate. What dos that mean? Weberg ran 7:15 for the 2K steeple and she only ran 20:26 at NTN NY last year. Megan Hulton did some nice running this spring as well. On paper they have some question marks but they are a proven team over the last few years and you have to think they'll step up a little. Right now they appear to be 2nd tier for sure, but you never know.

PICTURE: Catherine Phillips placed 52nd at Feds last year in 19:45 as a sophomore. (photo by Tim Fulton)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Section 11 Class AA runners-up, 8th at NYS Federations

2008 RETURNERS
Kelly Abbate, Camille D'Amato, Samantha D'Amato, Lianne Farber, Elizabeth Fierro, Elizabeth Jerome

2008 OUTLOOK
Northport is bringing back their entire top 5 from Feds. They had a nice pack last year only spreading 42 seconds. The only thing that worries me about Northport was their drop off after the 5th girls was over a minute at Feds, though it wasn't as much the rest of the season.

Farber ran 7:10 for the steeple this spring which should mean they have solid up front strength. Samantha D'Amato ran 10:30 for the 3K while her sister ran 10:46, both solid times. They apear to be a second tier team, but if any of the top 4 teams have major injuries or poor races, Northport has the numbers and experience to step up.

PICTURE: Lianne Farber and Kelly Abate finished 64th and 66th at NY Feds last fall, both running 19:57. (photo by Tim Fulton)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
6th at NYS Federations, 2nd at Section 2 AA Champs, 5th at Manhattan's Eastern States

2008 RETURNER
Cara Janeczko, Elizabeth Predmore, Jordan Westcott, Claire Walling, Nicole Irving

2008 OUTLOOK
Bringing back 5 of your top 7 is pretty good but they did lose their 3 and 4 from Feds. Janeczko had a fine spring where she ran 4:41 while Predmore's 4:37 was also very good. Shen is always tough and one reason they are is because new kids step up each season. Irving, who was their 7th girl at Feds last year, ran a fine 4:53 1500m this spring while Westcott turned in a 4:54 of her own.

Shen had 5 more girls run between 4:57 and 5:05 so their is a ton of potential there. They also had some great 800m depth that could move up in distance as well. Bottom line - Shen is always dangerous. They'll have a girl at or near 19:00 and they'll have depth. If a few girls make a jump up, the team could also.

They were 5th last year at Eastern States, 1 point out of 4th. If they can race like that at the end of the year, look for big things.

PICTURE: Cara Janeczko finished 16th at NY Feds last fall in 19:05. (photo by Tim Fulton)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Section 11 AA Champs, 3rd at NYSPHSAA Class AA, 4th at NYS Federations

2008 RETURNERS
Caroline O'Hea, MaryKate Anselmini, Wendy Zhang, Amy Weiskel
2008 OUTLOOK
They lose 1, 5, and 6 including Suejin Ahn, a fantastic front of the packer. O'Hea is one tough runner though and should be ready to step up after running 10:14 this spring. Anselmini had a great spring, running a 4:48 1500m and 7:11 2K steeple. Coach Youngs always finds new runners and you can bet he will again. They'll have the good, low scorer in O'Hea but will have to move the pack up to content with the rest of "Tier Two"

PICTURE: Caroline O'Hea ran a fine 10:14 3K this spring and looks to lead Ward Mellville this fall. (photo by Tim Fulton)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Section 9 Class AA Champs, 3rd place NYSPHSAA Class AA, 4th place NTN NY Regional, 11th place NTN Nationals

2008 RETURNERS
Lillian Greibesland, Kim Naples, Kayla Leahey, Megan Mydosh, Victoria Dearing

2008 OUTLOOK
What a year for Warwick! After earning their ticket to Portland last year by one point over East Aurora, Warwcik capped the year with a DMR National Record at NON. Now they look to have some new girls step up and take a shot at going back tom Portland. I'd say they have a shot.

Griebesland is one of the best runners around. She needs to get to that next level in XC, but she has shown to be near unbeatable on the track, so why not in XC? The rest of the returners are strong but not amazing, but watch out for another sophomore by the name of Jaqueiline Kasal, who ran 4:48 for 1500m this spring. Naples has shown the abilty to run fast as her 19:24 at States last year proves. They should have a very good front three and I would guess that they'll pull up their 4th and 5th to be at least competitive with the rest of "Tier Two". Will they get to "Tier One"? That's why they run the races.

PICTURE: Lillian Greibesland anchored her DMR to a National Record on the track. Can she lead them back to Portland in XC? (photo by Tim Fulton)

Suffern (1-AA)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2nd at Section 1 Class AA, 14th NYS Federations, 20th at Manhattan

2008 RETURNERS
Christy Goldman, Shelby Greany, Ursula Svoboda, Tara Nuccitelli, Carol Dugandzic, Nicole Tassello, Sami Randazzo, Allie Liso, Alliya Mejias, Olivia Meunz

2008 OUTLOOK
The Mounties bring back their entire team from last year where the team ran well at Sectionals at Bowdoin Park but not so well at Federations. They're track season was another good one as Shelby Greany was the NON 2k Steeple Champion after making her 3rd trip to Footlocker Finals in the fall. Greany is back to lead the team so they're up front strength is unmatched.

On the track, Suffern ran 11:59 DMR and 9:08 4x8, the latter to get 2nd at States. Goldman and Duganzic both ran under 4:57 for the 1500m with Greaney at 6:42 for the steeple. Goldman and Randazzo ran 7:13 and 7:14 respectively. Suffern's depth is impressive as Jana Soares ran 10:34 in the 3K and she's not even one of the 10 girls returners listed.

I like Suffern to move up significantly from their 14th spot at Feds I guess just how far is the question. One note - Shelby Greany has made three straight Footlocker Nationals. Very few girls have made four straight. IF NTN NY Regionals and FLNE Regionals are the same day, I would think that Suffern would have to be a heavy favorite to make it for her to run there over FLNE. Unless Shelby's known asthma has her thinking that the individual title at NXN is more appealing.

PICTURE: Christy Goldman ran 7:13 for the steeple this spring and will be a key team member of Suffern's push for a Section 1 AA title this fall. (photo by Tim Fulton)

Greenwich (2-D)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Section 2 Class A Champs, NYSPHSAA Class C Champs, 6th place NTN NY Regionals,

2008 RETURNERS
Brittany Lane, Cady Kuzmich, Roxanne Henningson, Betsy Eddinger

2008 OUTLOOK
Greenwich's 4th girl coming back is at 20:19 on the state meet course that was slightly fast so they have to be in the conversation. They are another proven team that just didn't quite get it done at NTN NY's last year. The loss of Caitlin Lane is huge but Henningson has run some good races and looks poised to take over the lead position. She ran 4:46 for the 1500m and 10:12 for the 3K early in the spring before most of the Greenwich team fell off the radar.

The fact the Greenwich sort of disappeared in the spring has them a question mark for the fall, but who knows, maybe they were shutting down early to get ready for a XC push? Either way, they are a team you have to keep an eye on.

PICTURE: Cady Kuzmich was 22nd at NTN NY Regionals last fall. (photo by Tim Fulton)