Girls Distance
New Zealand's Charli Miller is looking to make a splash in the USA. Photo via http://www.stpeters.school.nz
800m
You've got some real firepower here. NY, CT, and NJ Middle-Distance State Champs will all face off in a loaded final. On paper, Victoria Vanriele (Governor Livingston, NJ) is your pre-race favorite, carrying a best of 2:08 both Indoors and Out. Emily Philippides (Greenwich, CT) is next up at 2:09.82 from this Indoor Season. And then there is Lily Flynn (Ursuline, NY), who only carries an open mark of 2:10.00, but has a 1000m time that converts to the class of the field, approx. a 2:06 mark. Add in some more firepower like NY 600m Runner-Up Paris Peoples (Cardozo) and CT's Leah Sarkisian (Danbury), and you have one loaded final.
Mile
An hour after the 800m final, Lily Flynn (Ursuline) will be back on the track in the Mile. Although a Top Seed with her 4:48.26 best, she'll have plenty of company with DE's Lydia Olivere (Padua Academy). Olivere will be fresh, and carries a 4:53 open best. In the chase pack, Maggie Maier (Sacred Heart Academy), Lauryn Heskin (Marymount) and Sophia Muccini (Cardozo) should all be dancing on that 5-minute mark as well.
3000m
At this point of the season, it would be easy to think Kelsey Chmiel (Saratoga) is the easy pick for the 3000m title. She was National Runner-Up for 2-Miles Indoors, and is one of NY's fastest ever, holding class State Records in the event. However, while Chmiel holds some International Starpower after her Team USA win in XC, she'll be facing a rising talent from down under. New Zealand's National Record Holder in several events, Charli Miller, is entered in the field, and could shake things up. Miller carries a personal best of 9:32.96 from last April, which may trail Chmiel's 9:21 from last year as well. The key here may be fitness levels, as Chmiel has been battling snow for much of the month. With no one else under 10mins in the field, this could be a classic battle in the making.
2000m SC
While Charli Miller is dangerous in the 3000m, the Steeplechase is her specialty. At just 15 years old, she's the Oceania record holder in the event, with her 6:35.11 from last year. For perspective, that would be NY #4 All-Time in an event dominated by the Empire State. There are other intriguing entries here, but Miller seems to have the lead.
