Foot Locker Girls

Breakdown: Some new names in the Northeast look to shakeup the Regional.  Defending Foot Locker Northeast Champ Marlee Starliper finds herself as the second seed this year.  In 2017, the race was relatively light, looking to be more of a conservative effort.  Flash forward one year later, and things look very different.  You should have two distinct groups.  Four girls capable of breaking onto the All-Time list strong, and then another pack thirty seconds back, trying to sort out the last remaining slots.

Chief among that top group is Grace Connolly.  Running only in Mass meets this year,  she is the highest rated non-New Yorker in the country this year.  That alone makes her the favorite heading into this race, and she might just deserve more recognition as simply "Sleeper Pick" for the Foot Locker title.  Starliper looks to be the next best athlete as of right now, but knows the course at Van Cortlandt well.  She'll have to top her performance from a year before to not finish fourth, but it surely is within her wheelhouse.

Also with some familiarity is Abby Loveys, the Manhattan Easterns Champ.  She looks to round out what should be a stellar top 4.  Sandwiched somewhere in the middle is sophomore Sydney Masciarelli.  An athlete who has yet to show her true potential, due to limited racing opportunities in-season.  This will be her first real challenge against High Schoolers, after facing off with some Pro's earlier in the season.  All four favorites are their respective State Champs (or best runner in-state).

Behind them, things start to get wide open.  Kate Wiser has a solid lead on the field, but may find herself in no-mans' land for much of the race.  And then, five slots remain for ten potentials.  Very few athletes are double-entered with NXN, so these are your top names to know.