Current Features

 

2001 PA Cross Country Season Preview

PIAA AAA & PCL Girls Individual Outlook
 

Julia Pudlin, Baldwin School (left), shares a post-race stage with fellow Pennsylvanians Angie Saterstad, Hershey (2nd from left), as Parkland's Paula Giguere (far right) takes in her first Footlocker Northeast Regional success in November, 2000. 

Before getting to the PIAA talent, the obvious top returning XC athlete is Julia Pudlin, now a senior at the Baldwin School. Pudlin had an incredible three seasons. In XC, she added to her course records, which now number 15. She landed 3rd at Northeast Regionals, and then 8th at the Footlocker National Championships in her first time there. Indoors, she took 5th at the prestigious Millrose Games mile, set an all-time DVGTCA record in the 3000 in a meet at Lehigh (9:57.6), and took first in the mile at Princeton. Then outdoors, she took 2nd (running somewhat ill) in the Penn Relays 3000, broke the record of Penncrest grad and Olympian Kate Fonshell at the PA Track Classic in the 3200, and also logged the fastest 1600 (4:56.94) and 3200 (10:27.51) in PA. Sorry for dwelling here, but she also recorded the fastest 5K in the country last year for an underclassmen, a stunning 17:14 at a dual meet.
 

But Julia was injured in a hectic finish at Millrose. It dogged her through mid-May, when during the Loucks Games, she almost had to stop because of increasing pain. Favoring the Millrose injury, her May injury turned out to be a stress fracture in her left heel. The cast was removed on August 9th. She switched to swimming for aerobic conditioning, and has worked out aerobically every day since May 11. She has also added some weight training to her regimen. Julia is anxiously awaiting clearance to return to  training. But this is her senior year, and the race that counts is the Northeast Regionals, 12 weeks away. So she has some time. She will not be ready for the early season tests; a major disappointment; but expect to see her return to nationals. Well, enough about Julia.
 

Stephanie Madia, North Allegheny, racing in 2000 against another top returner from western PA, Hempfield's Lauren Bricker. 

There is an incredible amount of returning talent in AAA girls. But the two early favorites for PA state champ have to be Stephanie Madia, North Allegheny, and Angela Saterstad, newly transferred to District 3's Hershey HS. All Madia did her junior year was get second in XC to Paige Miller, and then win her first state championship and break five in the 1600 with a 4:58.08 at states. And she's been getting better every year since bursting on the scene as a freshman when she took 12th at Penn State in 19:00.08. She was 3rd as a sophomore in 18:28.50 at Lehigh, and then 2nd in 2000 with a 19:07.00 at Bucknell. This year's District 3 course may favor the hill-tested western PA athletes.

All Saterstad did was travel to New York City's Van Cortlandt Park as a talented sophomore, and almost qualify for Footlocker Nationals with a 10th place finish. She was 3rd at PA States less than three seconds behind Madia. As a freshman, Saterstad also medalled at States, finishing 6th in XC 11 seconds behind Madia. She certainly wants to reverse the order of their finish this year.
 

District One Champ Katie Ewart, Upper Dublin, winning her district race in 2000. 

Not to be lost in the mix is Upper Dublin's Katie Ewart, who can be credited with awakening eventual PA XC state champ, Penn Relays champ, and state 3200 champ Paige Miller, by beating her for the District One XC title in 2000. Ewart is a tough competitor, who is also entering her final season. Ewart beat Saterstad in the state 3200, getting 2nd in 10:48.96, to Saterstat's 5th place 10:57.04.

After these three, there are eleven more returning medallists, any of whom could hit their stride and elevate themselves to an elite level. Plus, there are the incoming freshmen, who like the four from 2000 who medalled, are just waiting (and training) to be discovered. A wild card in this is Haverford's talented Fiona York, who as a 9th grader, led her twin, plus another freshman and a sophomore to 2nd place in the PIAA 4x800 (9:19.19). More on them as a team in the Team Preview, but York is worth mentioning here, because she is a competitor the likes of a Julia Pudlin or Saterstad. Relentless.

Returning medallists include Theresa Badolato, a Mount St. Joseph junior, who was 6th a states (17th as a freshman); sophomore Paula Giguere, Parkland, who led her team to the AAA championship in 2000 with a 7th place finish, plus a 29th in the Northeast Regionals Championship heat, followed by a great indoor and spring; senior Kelly O'Connell, who was 8th in 2000 and 7th in the spring in the 3200; senior Jessica Perry, Peters Township, who was 9th in 2000 XC; senior Kelly Richards, General McLane, who was 10th; sophomore's Kylee Shuler, Chambersburg (the District 3 champ on this year's state course), 11th in XC, and Council Rock's Jessica Cickay, 12th in XC, and 3rd in the 1600 at States in 4:58.30; Hempfield's Lauren Bricker, a junior who was 14th (and is winning a lot of WPIAL championships and may be due on the state level); senior Kim Baxter, Penncrest, who was 18th in XC (and the same place in the Junior race at Northeast Regionals); sophomore Julie Opet, Radnor, who was 20th in XC; senior Jackie Adamshick, Allentown Central Catholic, who was 16th as a sophomore, and 21st as a junior; plus junior Molly Ainsman, Allderice, who was 23rd (she was 12th as a 9th grader in XC at Lehigh.
 

Paula Giguere, Parkland, won the 2000 District 11 Championship, and was the top frosh at States. 

Others in the mix because of stellar track seasons include Downingtown junior Jessie Yester, who was 4th in the AAA 1600 with a 5:02.47; Stacey Muchel, a senior from Valley View, who was 19th in the Championship race at the Footlocker Northeast Regionals and ran a 5:08.86 1600 in the spring; plus North Allegheny's Amy Ruffolo, who as a sophomore, has a year of training and learning from team leader Madia.

In the PCL, it could again be the St. Hubert's sister act, as senior Jackie and sophomore Amy continue to dominate every league meet they enter. In the PCL champs last year, they went one-two at Belmont Plateau in 19:15 and 19:19, respectively. Then they did a repeat performance in the Spring, launching a 5:00.64 and 5:01.86 in the mile. In both XC and the spring, they were trailed by junior Danielle Schopf, Cardinal O'Hara, who was under 20 at Belmont and ran a 5:10 in the spring. In the 3200 in the spring, Amy took first in 11:19.32, Schopf was second two seconds back, and Jackie was fourth. The girl who was third is junior Nicole O'Dea, Prendie, who was 17th in XC. Soph Katie Irwin, O'Hara, had a great frosh year, getting 4th in XC and 6th in the 3200 in the spring. Others to watch include Kate Mahaffey, St. Hubert, 14th in XC, 5th in the mile; Cara Murray, St. Hubert, 5th in the 3200; senior Justine Tidmarsh, Prendie, 6th in XC; O'Hara junior Megan Hallinan, 7th in XC; Prendie junior Sheila Finnegan, 9th in XC, Carroll soph Michelle Hayes, 10th in XC; Ryan senior Marcy DeLorenzo, 11th in XC; Prendie senior Shannon Klick, 13th in XC; Archbishop Wood senior Beth bond, 15th in XC; and Kennedy Kendrick senior Alicia Hunter, 16th in XC.