Tasmin Fanning a senior from Western Albemarle out of Charlottesville is attempting to keep her #1 ranking in group AA as she leads the #1 ranked Lady Warriors to battle. After a dominating performance at the Jefferson District meet where they scored a perfect score of 15, the Lady Warriors showed some vulnerability as the Brentsville District Lady Tigers of Nokesville made the score closer than most had anticipated. However, each runner for Western Albemarle beat their Brentsville District counterpart, and it will take a major effort for the Lady Tigers to upset the Blue and Gold of Western Albemarle. Junior Samantha Stafford of Western Albemarle placed 2nd at the tough Region II meet and she will lead the rest of the Lady Warriors consisting of Kelsey Stafford, Rachel Hyde, Carrie Elwood, Sarah Connette, and Valerie Wilder. Some other teams to watch battle it out for a top 5 spot are Broadway, Jamestown, Blacksburg, Cave Spring, and Riverbend.
The individual battle between Tasmin Fanning and Sarah Bowman of Fauquier did not materialize as Bowman elected to skip her post season VHSL races. However, there are a group of solid runners just waiting for an opportunity if Fanning were to falter. Some of the runners who appear to have the best chance at making All-State are: Stephanie Garcia of Broad Run, Jillian Pollack of Millbrook, Becky Stewart of Brentsville District, Catherine White of Northside, Erin Bender of John Handley, Elizabeth Reeves of Broadway, Catherine McGowan of Harrisonburg, Mallory McClaine of Lafayette, Karren Terry of Smithfield, Kendall Carty of Riverbend, Laurel Sitze of Cave Spring, Marrissa Strobel of Courtland, and Missy Iffe of William Fleming. If Western Albemarle performs at a level they are capable of, they may just land 3 or more in the All-State category. However, there are always a few surprises as some runners perform better than expected and others run worse than expected. Look for a runner not mentioned and possibly unranked to crack into the top 15.
As for debates and speculations, the boy's State AA meet is the one everyone has been waiting for. All year, people have lined up on either the side of John Horst a junior from Christiansburg or Pat Eggleston a senior from Brentsville District. However, it may be more than a two man race as Nick Gelhsen of Brentsville has been close to his teammate all year and is capable of mixing it up. The somewhat unknown variable in the race is the emergence of sophomore sensation Jason Yonts of Marion. After a dominating season against unranked competition in the far southwest corner of the State, there is speculation that Yonts may be a threat for the individual title. I suppose everyone is waiting to hear my prediction of who is going to win the AA boy's race, but I really don't have a clue. I only have a guess and a hunch, but sorry no disclosures on my hunches.
The battle for the title of All-State which goes to the top 15 seems to be wide open as numerous runners have had some pretty good races this year. It will depend on which harrier runs a smart, controlled, and consistent race to determine the top 15 spots. Region II schools may place as many as 10 in the top 15, but don't be surprised if Region III or Region I get more than their fair share. Region II is still the most imposing region, but the gap may have narrowed this year.
There seems to be little speculation that the Brentsville District Tigers have the State's best AA team, as they put away the Fort Defiance Indians in impressive fashion in the Region II Meet. Brentsville District took the first 4 places at the Region II Meet, and Region II is regarded as the strongest AA region in the State. Unless Fort Defiance can pull off another surprise as they did last year in winning the State meet, look for Brentsville to easily take the title. Other Brentsville District runners are: Jacob Watts, Henry Melius, Adam Henken, Ray Delegado, and Eric Truschel. Tabb High School out of Region I may be the best unranked team at the State Meet, and I look for them to test the like of Spotswood, Christiansburg, and Potomac Falls for a top 5 place.
The debates, predictions, and speculations will finally end on Saturday as the drama will close, and we learn who the real State Champions are.