NE Girls Individuals
New Jersey is dominant like never before, and we've been treated to some great races already. Unfortunately, we won't get the full contingent here, but Blair Bartlett and Paige Sheppard are still the class of the field, ranked NJ-1 and NJ-3. Bartlett won the Bowdoin Classic with ease earlier in the Season, and has only been getting better. She's etched her name into the Course history books in Jersey, and enters as the favorite. Sheppard is no slouch, opting to do a little more traveling abroad to prepare for big races. She's one week removed from a Meet of Champions battle for the ages, and may have some more race sharpness heading into the race. Her team being top-seeded may convince her to play it safe for team points, but the competitor in her may not.
There is a very dense pack behind the top two. The PA State Champ, NJ State Champ and the MA State Champ have opted elsewhere, so the New England Champ has preference here next. Madeleine Lane took that race in a lean, and will need a bigger gap in this field. MA runner-up Greta Hammer had some big races in-season, and could pop a big performance. Stuck in the private school limbo in PA, Mackenzie Skelly has done the best in out-of-state meets, finishing 3rd at the VA Showcase, and 9th at Great American. It's a big field, and anyone can pop a big performance.
Other returning 2024 qualifiers: Julia Kelly of Downingtown made the big show last year, and is back again.