Previewing the Field: 2A Girls Cross Country

Last year, Rowland Hall rolled through the 2A girls state cross country meet like a highballing freight train. Can they do it again this year?

If you're part of a team trying to derail the Rowland Hall freight train, the bad news is that only one of the 2-4-8-9-11 scoring five from last year's state meet graduated. The good news is that the times are not that impossibly out of reach.

San Juan, Enterprise, and North Summit also posted double-digit scores at last year's state meet. Of those, North Summit took the biggest individual hit by way of graduation. State champion Erica Birk will be sorely missed, by any reckoning. San Juan graduated at least three, maybe four, of their scoring five and may be in somewhat of a rebuilding mode this fall. Enterprise returns their top four and looks to be in the best position to challenge of any of last year's top four. The Wolves look pretty strong through three but will need to improve at four and five to make a serious run at Rowland Hall.

Here is a quick look at the returners from the top 50 finishers of last year's 2A girls state meet (a question mark indicates an athlete of uncertain year of graduation):

 

 

  2 Emily Sundquist              Rowland Hall               19:42.30     2
  3 Grace Schults                South Summit HS            19:47.90    --
  4 Olivia Moyle                 Enterprise HS              19:57.70     3
? 7 Loryn Anderson               South Summit HS            20:55.20    --
  9 Mercedes James               Grand County HS            21:32.90    --
 10 Sydney Maves                 Rowland Hall               21:33.30     4
 12 Mariah Clayson               Kanab HS                   21:41.70    --
 13 Mckenzy Huntsman             Enterprise HS              21:42.70     6
?14 Makenzie Ward                San Juan HS                21:43.80     7
 15 Lauren Rasich                Rowland Hall               21:47.00     8
 17 Briaunna Witt                North Summit HS            21:56.00    10
 18 Sophie Turok                 Rowland Hall               22:00.00    11
 20 Hope Reitz                   Richfield HS               22:15.90    13
 21 Natasha Moore                Beaver HS                  22:27.10    --
 22 Katie Judd                   North Summit HS            22:30.20    14
?23 Alissa Randall               Enterprise HS              22:32.00    15
 26 Courtney Garcia              Merit Academy              22:43.40    --
 27 Rachel Nielson               Manti HS                   22:45.20    18
?28 Emilie Bradley               Manti HS                   23:02.30    19
?29 Shelby Staples               North Summit HS            23:03.40    20
 30 Haley Mineer                 Parowan HS                 23:03.70    21
 35 Kadi Samake                  Wasatch Academy            23:32.50    --
 36 Charity Holding              Millard HS                 23:37.10    --
 37 Katrisa Ward                 San Juan HS                23:40.30    24
 38 Talisha Hinck                Richfield HS               23:51.20    25
 39 Lauren Benjamin              Richfield HS               23:58.70    26
 40 Kassidee Oakeson             Emery HS                   23:59.30    27
 41 Kaytlin Carter               Enterprise HS              24:01.10    28
?42 Amy Calton                   North Sevier HS            24:06.60    --
?43 Kaytlynn Hermansen           Manti HS                   24:12.10    29
 44 Jamie Gilbert                Emery HS                   24:13.50    30
 45 Brittany Bleak               San Juan HS                24:15.00    31
 46 Kira Simpson                 San Juan HS                24:21.70    32
?47 Whitney Calton               North Sevier HS            24:33.40    --
 48 Jocelyn Gale                 Parowan HS                 24:35.40    33
 49 Jessica Stucki               Grand County HS            24:48.60    --
 50 Emily Nicoloff               Rowland Hall               25:07.10    34
 
 
But, there is a lot of time between last year's state meet and this year's. It helps to get some insight into what's taken place in the interim. The best available look is the 2A girls 3200 rankings from this spring's track and field season. The returning runners from this spring's result from 2A look like this:
 
 
Rank Time Athlete Name Team C/O Date Meet
1. 11:54.42 Emily Sundquist UT Rowland Hall-St. Marks 2014 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
2. 11:57.54 Olivia Moyle UT Enterprise 2014 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
3. 12:31.51 Grace Shultz UT South Summit 2014 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
4. 12:46.14 Marissa Smith UT Beaver 2013 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
5. 12:57.09 Katie Judd UT North Summit 2015 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
6. 12:58.97 Natasha Moore UT Beaver 2013 05/08/2012 Utah Region XIII Championships
7. 13:20.17 Hope Reitz UT Richfield 2013 05/02/2012 BYU High School Invitational
8. 13:20.64 Mercedes James UT Grand County 2014 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
9. 13:49.52 Mckinleigh Barney UT Grand County 2015 03/24/2012 Matt Burr Invitational
10. 13:51.30 Lauren Benjamin UT Richfield 2013 03/24/2012 Matt Burr Invitational
11. 13:56.03 Charity Holding UT Millard 2015 05/08/2012 Utah Region XIII Championships
12. 14:05.50 Lexi Russell UT Manti 2014 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
13. 14:19.87 Whitney Jacobsen UT San Juan 2015 04/04/2012 San Juan District Meet
14. 14:24.07 Kassidee Oakenson UT Emery 2014 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
15. 14:32.69 Kirtlyn Hunt UT Parowan 2015 04/20/2012 Dixie Fly High Invitational
16. 14:35.22 Isabella Koyle UT North Summit 2015 04/21/2012 Morgan Pocket Change Invitational
17. 14:40.84 Ariel Fitch UT North Summit 2014 04/14/2012 Old Capitol Invitational
18. 14:50.21 Lynalla Benn UT San Juan 2015 04/28/2012 Nyle Norris Invitational
19. 14:53.34 Karlie Monsen UT Richfield 2013 03/24/2012 Matt Burr Invitational
20. 15:05.12 Kira Simpson UT San Juan 2014 03/10/2012 Red Rocks Invitational
21. 15:07.25 Jessica Stucki UT Grand County 2014 03/10/2012 Red Rocks Invitational
22. 15:13.40 Sara Ipson UT Parowan 2013 03/31/2012 Delta Invitational
23. 15:16.80 Emily Ware UT South Sevier 2014 04/21/2012 Milford Invitational
24. 15:22.36 Kaylee Castro UT Parowan 2014 05/08/2012 Utah Region XIII Championships
25. 15:33.37 Brittany Bleak UT San Juan 2013 04/04/2012 San Juan District Meet
26. 15:50.04 Shaeli Black UT San Juan 2013 03/10/2012 Red Rocks Invitational
27. 15:59.56 Carey Stash UT San Juan 2015 04/04/2012 San Juan District Meet
28. 16:21.95 Rhiannon Cluff UT Parowan 2014 05/08/2012 Utah Region XIII Championships
29. 16:38.55 Sommer Hutchinson UT Grand County 2015 04/21/2012 Blue Mountain Invitational
30. 17:07.25 Sofia Mira UT North Summit 2013 04/14/2012 Old Capitol Invitational

 

And that, folks, is a story worth reading. Clearly, Emily Sundquist of Rowland Hall had a solid track season. She definitely validated her standing as the top returning runner from cross country season. But, Rowland Hall didn't have a lot of additional development in the distance department (3200 or otherwise) in this spring's track and field season. 

Enterprise's Olivia Moyle has probably moved up to the #2 slot in 2A and will be crucial to any title aspirations the Wolves are harboring these days.

If other teams were looking to make up ground on Rowland Hall, the near-total absence of the cross country teaam from the distance roster in track and field was a gilt-edged opportunity. Clearly, San Juan threw the most bodies at the 3200, but no team out there returns more than two sub-14 3200s. Although Parowan didn't put many eggs in the 3200 basket, their 1600 times indicate they could rise to become a force in cross country this fall if those girls can make the transition to three mile courses. For those interested, here is a link to the rankings of the returning 2A 1600 meter times from this spring:

2A Girls 1600 (returners only)

All in all, 2A girls is a tough one to call at this point. If Rowland Hall's girls return to the fold and have maintained their conditioning, they come in as the favorites. But there are a few other teams here who could be dreaming some legitimate dreams if they're getting the work done this summer.