40th Annual Manhattan Invitational Girls Letter Race Preview
| Saturday, October 13, 2012 --- Van Cortlandt Park --- 2:58 PM to 3:58 for 6 Races |
Overview
Along with the championship Eastern States race, the Manhattan Invite will also include 6 other girls' varsity races identified with letters from A to G, and starting every 12 minutes. More than 200 teams will be running in the varsity letter races. The statistics included below are largely based on the NY teams, who generally take most of the top positions in the non-Eastern States races. Data for teams outside of NY and NJ is tougher to find but they have been included for a large amount of outstanding runners.
Although the power has been spread out fairly well among the 6 races, if you had to choose one to pick as the Tough Toenails group, it would be Race A, where Mary Cain leads the Bronxville team against some much bigger squads from Cornwall, Warwick Valley and Tappan Zee that are also very good. Race C could be the closest scrap as Pearl River tries to outrun some tough Guilderland and Cicero-North Syracuse squads, and Race F also has a lot of teams in the mix for the title. Rush-Henrietta is one of the top teams in NY, and it is expected to take the honors in the B race. All the races should be good, so get out to the finish line.
Numbers in parentheses following teams and runners are the Tully Runner speed ratings, estimated as best as able.
Race A
Time: 2:58
Teams at the Top: Bronxville (114.6), Warwick Valley (103.4), Cornwall (99.2), Tappan Zee (97.6), Rumson Fair-Haven (92)
Runners with Hops: Mary Cain – Bronxville (141), Megan Reilly – Warwick (136), Jen Flack – Thomas Edison VA (124), Erin Jaskot – Tappan Zee (119), Bea Boylan – Cornwall (116), Katie Fitzgerald – Warwick (113), Kaitlin Ryan – Bronxville (109), Aneglique Demeo – Tottenville (108), Dara Cuffe – Cornwall (108), Emilie Hoffer – Bronxville (107), Lauren Chapey – Mamaroneck (103), Claire Attea – Immaculata (102), Sarah Carter – Cohoes
Overview: Last year's Race E winner Bronxville will try to extend its string of Manhattan victories against a tough field that includes Warwick Valley as the 10th ranked team in the state plus two Class B teams ranked in the top 15 in their class, Cornwall and Tappan Zee. Invite in last year's 2011 Class F winner from NJ, Rumsford-Fair Haven, and you have a real party going on. Bronxville's Mary Cain and Warwick Valley's rising star Megan Reilly should have a spirited contest at the top.
Race B
Time: 3:10
Teams at the Top: Rush-Henrietta Sperry (110.4), Liverpool (100.4), Colonie (95.6)
Runners with Hops: Siobhan Quinn – Rush Henrietta (128), Bellamie Bower – Colonie (120), Amanda Delacruz – Port Richmond (119), Kathleen Naeher – King’s Park (116), Alex Cooper – Rush Henrietta (113), Morgan Mahoney – Liverpool (112), Alana MacDonald – Rush Henrietta (112), Jazmine Fray – Kellenberg (109), Selena Colon – Ardsley (107), Shanna Heaney – Hampton Bays (104), Andrea Cortina – Carmel (104)
Overview: Their name is is fast and the Royal Comets from Rush-Henrietta seem well set to send the Race B trophy home by express mail. But last year's Race C winner Liverpool will be trying to slow down the celebration along with a developing Colonie team. Siobhan Quinn of Rush-Henny has the lead on the champion's trophy.
Race C
Time: 3:22
Teams at the Top: Pearl River (103.2), Guilderland (102.6), Cicero-North Syracuse (101.6), Ursuline (77.4)
Runners with Hops: Kelly Hayes – Pearl River (131), Rachel Garn – Marcellus (129), Abby Gugel – Jordan Elbridge (120), Emily Burns – Guilderland (119), Jacqlynn Halstead – CNS (119), Anna Flynn – Ursuline (113), Erin Melly – Connetquot (110), Jayda Allen – Sachem East (100)
Overview: The Pirates of Pearl River sailed away with the Race D championship, and the young rebuilding team is back for more spoils. This year they are likely to get a stiff test from two bigger schools with highly ranked squads, Guilderland and Cicero-North Syracuse. The Pirate leader Kelly Hayes and Marcellus's Rachel Garn should duel it out for the top runner accolades.
Race D
Time: 3:34
Teams at the Top: Queensbury (104), Shaker (98.2), Sachem North (98.2), East-Syracuse Minoa (93), Greenwich (84.6)
Runners with Hops: Madeline Montague – Greenwich (130), Maryanna Lansing – Shaker (127), Kelly Lavan – Sachem North (116), Audrey Martino – Shaker (115), Tyra Wynn – Queensbury (115), Tori Spezio – Greenwich (113), Lauren Trumble – Ithaca (109), Alli Wood – Chelmsford (106), Elise Ramirez – Sachem North (105), Emily Lederman – Yorktown (102), Emily DeWalk – Niskayuna (100), Taylor Creagh – Pine Bush (100)
Overview: Manhattan Invite staple Queensbury is on the lead in Race D though there are a number of teams that could give it a stiff battle including Shaker and Sachem North. Class D power Greenwich is also capable of great things when the Witches have a full coven flying. Again a two way battle at the top seems to be shaping up between Ocean State meet champ Madeline Montague of Greenwich and Maryanna Lansing of Shaker.
Race E
Time: 3:46
Teams at the Top: Suffern (101.8), St. Anthony’s (101.2), Baldwinsville (98.4), James Madison VA (VA #10), Jamesville-Dewitt (87.4), Brighton (78.2)
Runners with Hops: Laura Leff – West Genesee (124), Kate Zendell – Suffern (120), Rachel Ludwikowski – Suffern (115), Delaney Worth – St. Anthony’s (113), Annie Peterson – Baldwinsville (109), Alliyah Wajid – Dewitt Clinton (109), Taryn Colon – Suffern (107), Alexandra Rodriguez – Clarke (106), Christina Selenoy – Monroe Woodbury (104), Claire Gomba – John Jay EF (103), Jessica Ball – West Islip (102)
Overview: Suffern finished 2nd to Bronxville in this race last year, and now it hopes to go to the next step against a St. Anthony's team that is a very close match for the Mounties. Baldwinsville also waits in the wings. The big story here is that West Genesee's Laura Leff comes down to continue her return back to the top after a season's debut at McQuaid. Leff will be expected to win here, but Suffern's Kate Zendall is also capable of putting up big times.
Race F
Time: 3:58
Teams at the Top: Nanuet (102.2), Syosset (102), Clarence (99.4), Garden City (96.4), North Penn PA (92)
Runners with Hops: Corinne Florie – Mahopac (134), Marissa Saenger – Clarence (131), Stephanie Gerland – Garden City (126), Megan Young – Nanuet (121), Lauren Gruber – Syosset (120), Henna Rustami – Syosset (119), Jen Gerland – garden City (118), Mary Welsh – Manhasset (116), Anne-Laure White – Brooklyn Tech (115), Katrina Patterson – Clarence (114), Brooke Madry – Nanuet (112), Vicky Martinez – Fox Lane (111), Corinne Birchard – Curtis (111), Victoria Ingram – Smithtown (111), Kaitlyn Butler – Corning (110), Courtney Williams – Ward Melville (107), Jasmin Reyes – Bay Shore (106), Taylor Williams – Bishop Gibbons (105)
Overview: This race could go to any of 5 teams, including last year's B race winner North Penn of PA. Nanuet is on the rise since the return of MaryKate O'Meara and should be the favorite here. But LI teams Syosset and Garden City and Section 6's Clarence are all in the tussle for the top. Mahopac's Corinne Florie continues to move higher up in the ratings but will be challenged by a very strong group that includes Clarence frontrunner Marissa Saenger, Stephanie and Jen Gerland of Garden City, and Megan Young of Nanuet.
