Class AA Girls
Teams:
This group was by far the most difficult to figure out. I could have gone a number of different directions with the final order, but alas I must make a decision. Some heart strings were pulled here with some teams showing vast improvement from last season (I am a softie for the team that we don't expect to be there). In the end, I went with some teams that have been consistently solid all season and a couple teams that have had some good racing on the state course.
The ladies from Highlands return all of their scorers from the 2016 runner up finish at the Kentucky State Cross Country Meet with a new addition in Maria Broering who comes in as their number two runner on the season. The Lady Bluebirds won their region against a tough Bourbon County and Franklin County squad by placing all 5 scorers in the top 11. What will be the difference maker for this group are the 3rd, 4th, and 5th runners connecting up with their 2nd runner. At this point there was about a 40 second difference there. What will be the strength is the tightness of the 3-4-5 runners all having season bests within a second of each other. Watch for this group to make a move through the pack of runners. If they are tight with a mile to go, the team mentality will need to take over and work as a group to take down the field.
Ashland Blazer has intrigued me this season. Last year they finished 12th at the State meet, but every time I have seen them run this season, they are taking down big names. They are led by 10th grader Rebekah Howard and junior Mary Alice Thornburg. However, the youth movement is alive with the addition of 7th grader Aubree Hay as their #3 runner. This group absolutely dominated their region field which included my pick to place 4th at State in Mason County. These ladies placed all 5 scorers in the top 7 finishers! What could be a factor for them is their 6th runner if it becomes a close race with another team. There is a decent drop off from 5 to 6, so in the event we get into one of those situations, watch for the 6th runner to be pushed by the Ashland Blazer faithful.Christian Academy of Louisville
CAL is your defending state champions, but with the loss of Clara Lynch to graduation, the Centurions had to fill some pretty big shoes. These ladies placed second to Highlands at the Lexington Catholic Invitational earlier this season, so they are primed for the challenge of the rolling hills of the Horse Park. The group is led by freshman Kaylee Wilson who was the 8th place finisher at last seasons championship and has continued her top form with the number 4 time in the state so far in Class AA. The good news for CAL is that they added 8th grader Addi Dewey to the mix this year and she has emerged as their #3 runner. I am not one to put pressure on one kid, but if Caroline Husband can have a good day, these ladies may be looking at much better than a 3rd place finish.
Mark Kachler has done it again and brought a solid group of harriers out of the northeastern part of the state to compete and challenge for a state title. The region 6 runner ups have a group with only 1:14.99 split between their top runner and their fifth runner for the season. The middle three are consistently together with Paige Decker as the frontrunner for the team. Again, I see the fifth runner making a huge difference here as Kylee Howe is about 30 seconds behind her teammate in 4th. If that gap can close, it will be a game changer for the Mason County team. Furthermore, if the group of 2-3-4 runners (Hayden Faris, Alyssa Bisotti, and Elizabeth Lavinder) can pass runners in chunks, they will watch the overall team score plummet. This team is my dark horse pick to make some noise under the conditions that they come to the course ready to race as a team and not for individual accolades.
The youth movement is alive in well in Bourbon County. With the top 7 runners consisting of two freshman, four 8th graders, and two 7th graders, this team is ready to be a force for the next couple years. Last year they only had two girls run at the state meet and now they are in conversations for a top 5 team finish. Freshman Madi Perraut leads the team with a 19:44.20 but she ran a 22:10.06 at the Horse Park earlier this season. The group does not have solid times on the state course, but have shown that they have the capability to be in the mix for a title with their region performance as runner up to Highlands. Watch Madi, Makayla Felty, Ximena Tamariz, Jocey Young, and Kylie Hernandez as the race unfolds. If they run together and work as a group, they could be in for the start of an incredible next six years as they all work through their high school careers.