The VISAA State Championship races are coming up next Thursday being held for the first time at Panorama Farm. The races are all looking to be closer than ever, and only a few of the choices we made are locks. However, here is our best guess of the team and individual state champions in each division.
VISAA boys division 1
This race is looking to be a three-way battle between last year's champions from the Potomac School, last year's runner-up St. John Paul, and St. Christophers. Potomac is led by the trifecta of Luke Carter, Noah Altschuler, and Trip Moser who are all within seconds of each other, while St. John Paul is led by super transfer Brady Brennan and a strong supporting cast. The St. Christophers squad is also in the mix with Junior Asher Green leading the way. This one will be close but we are picking the experienced St. John Paul boys to secure another State Title.
Individually it looks like a showdown between Brennan of St. John Paul and 2023 champion Quinn Eliason of St. Annes-Belfield. This one should be close but Brennan held off Eliason by 5 seconds at the showcase and we think he can hold him off one more time on Thursday.
Predicted Team Champion: St. John Paul the Great
Predicted individual: Brady Brennan, St. John Paul
VISAA girls division 1
On the girls side, it looks like the Collegiate girls will continue their dominant run as they look to win an impressive fourth straight state championship. Norfolk Academy has an outside shot, but Virginia Harris, Bridget Blaszak and the rest of Collegiate team have the experience and the fast times to earn our top pick.
Individually Catherine Messing of Bishop Ireton has won four races this season and has two sub-18 performances, so our bet is she will be able to hold off Collegiate's Virginia Harris and take the top spot.
Predicted Team Champion: Collegiate
Predicted individual: Catherine Messing, Bishop Ireton
VISAA boys division 2
It has been a breakout season from the boys of The Covenant School who have emerged as a top 20 team across the entire state. Jon Nathan Lawrence and Miles Jolin are at the top of list of stellar performances from these boys. Covenant seems like the solid bet to take the boys D2 race but perennial contender Trinity Christian and last year's champs from North Cross look like they could put up a good fight. However, with the top two seed times coming into the meet our pick is The Covenant School.
It looks like a one-two possibility for Covenant with Lawrence and Jolin in the top spots, However, Jon Nathan Lawrence should hold off his teammate to secure the win.
Predicted Team Champion: The Covenant School
Predicted individual: Jon Nathan Lawrence, The Covenant School
VISAA girls division 2
The Covenant School, Trinity Christian, and North Cross will also be at the top of the ticket on the girls side of division 2. The Trinity girls are back in division 2 after the last two years in D1 and are hungry for another state title, but it looks like Covenant has stronger depth from 1 to 5. So our pick is for Savanna Wood, Grace Calie, and the rest of the squad to earn Covenant a division 2 sweep along with their boys. The North Cross ladies though dominated their conference meet and could be the team to beat.
Individually, this is an easy pick as Kerrigan Chaney of North Cross has moved up to division 2, and she should easily continue to dominate the field as she has done in the D3 race the past two years.
Predicted Team Champion: North Cross
Predicted individual: Kerrigan Chaney, North Cross
VISAA boys division 3
This looks like a showdown between last year's champions from Tandem Friends and the consistent contenders from the Veritas School. Tandem has the fastest runner from either school while Veritas has slightly better times throughout the top 5, but we think the experience of last year's success will pay off and Tandem Friends will pull it out in a close one.
In the individual competition, it will come down to Hayes Buppert of Tandem Friends and Curtis Leachman of The Wakefield School. Buppert has had a breakout season leading the Tandem boys, but Leachman had some of the fastest times in the state in September. Leachman does not have any times posted for October, so if he is healthy he could easily take it, but our bet is going to be on Hayes Buppert with the more recent solid performances.
Predicted Team Champion: Tandem Friends School
Predicted individual: Hayes Buppert, Tandem Friends School
Visaa girls division 3
This race is shaping up to be the closest race of the day between Trinity at Meadow View and Stonebridge school. Stonebridge has a faster pair at the top in Josie Nunziata and Eve Frost, but the Trinity girls may have a deeper top 5. It is going to be close. However we believe the Trinity girls will win it with depth.
It is also a close call in the individual competition between Remington Freeman of Walsingham and Josie Nunziata of Stonebridge. Freeman was faster on the hotter afternoon course at the VA Showcase so we give the edge to Remington Freeman to take the top spot.
Predicted Team Champion: Trinity School at Meadow View
Predicted individual: Remington Freeman, Walsingham Academy