Girls Preview
The race for the girls has the potential to be one of the closest races in recent history. Ten ladies come in with a time under 19:00 and have all shown the capability to having a great race. I see three that have a really good chance at winning this race. It does not appear that any of the girls this year have what it takes to bring down Michaela Reinhart's meet record set in 2017 at 17:05, but that does not mean we won't have an excellent race! So, let's break down the top three contenders.
Ciara O'Shea - Madison Central
The Madison Central 8th grader was the class AAA state champion and has been relatively quiet this indoor season with only one meet. However, she showed us in cross country season that she has the capability of throwing down a huge time. Her state winning time of 18:41 was bested three weeks later at Foot Locker South Regional by almost 20 seconds and a lifetime best of 18:22. She looks to improve upon her 2018 outdoor state meet finish of 5th in the 3200m. This young lady is ready to go and has the potential to be the story of female distance running in the state of Kentucky for the foreseeable future (she graduates in 2023.....2023!!)
Maggie Aydt - McCracken County
Maggie Aydt came into the cross country season as a top 10 finisher in 2017 and delivered with a 3rd place finish in 2018. Her 2018 outdoor season did not include a state meet race, but she has stepped her game up this indoor season. With a 3rd place finish in the Wildcat Classic 2 mile (behind Karlee Hoffman and Ashlyn Liddle), she is a force to be considered this outdoor season. A lifetime PR of 18:31 run at her regional meet in 2018 bodes well for a breakout track season. If cross country season is any indication, she is ready to drop some serious track time.
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Ashlyn Liddle - Parlor Grove Christian Academy Home School
The dark horse in the race will be the top home school athlete in the state, Ashlyn Liddle. As the legislature and KHSAA loosened the restrictions on home school athletes competing with sanctioned schools, an emergence of athletes have joined the ranks. Ashlyn Liddle leads that pack for the girls. She placed second at the 2019 Wildcat Classic in the 2 mile behind one of the top runners in the state (Karlee Hoffman). This was after a 3rd place finish in the Junior/Senior race at Foot Locker South in cross country season. Keep your eye on Ashlyn in this race as she will go to the front and hang with Aydt as she did in at the Wildcat Classic a couple months ago.