GIRLS CLASS AA
Season Best Projection: Wayzata (62 points), Edina (81), Saint Michael-Albertville (95), Willmar (123)
Season Average Projection: Wayzata (50 points), Edina (62), Saint Michael-Albertville (113), Willmar (139)
Top Individuals: Anna Fenske (Farmington, 17:24), Emily Covert (Mpls Washburn, 17:32), Sophie Whicher (Minnetonka, 17:39), Emily Kompelien (Edina, 18:07) Emma Atkinson (Wayzata, 18:08), Lauren Peterson (Farmington, 18:10), Maggie Blanding (White Bear Lake, 18:12), Caroline Sassan (18:14), Avery Braunshausen (Stillwater, 18:15), Grace Dickel (Mpls Washburn, 18:20), Heidi Schmitz (Willmar, 18:23), Brianne Brewster (Lakeville South, 18:27), Aly Welch (Rochester Century, 18:32)
The Skinny: The Edina girls go into this race as the two time defending State Champions, but they will have their hands full trying to win their 3rd straight, to say the least. The Wayzata girls are the top ranked team going into this race, coming off an impressive performance at the Section 6AA meet where they had 41 points, handily beating Edina's 60 points. Wayzata will be hard to beat on Saturday, especially with their dynamic duo up front of sophomores Emma Atkinson and Caroline Sassan. Saint Michael-Albertville is likely the favorite to round out the podium, as they have made some noise this season due to the emergence of 8th grader Ali Weimer. In the virtual meet, STMA is just 14 points behind Edina, which is within striking distance.
On the individual side, we may see a much closer battle. The two favorites are likely Farmington's Anna Fenske, and Minneapolis Washburn's Emily Covert. Fenske destroyed the field last year from start to finish, but this year it will almost certainly be much closer. Covert won the Roy Griak Invitational, beating Fenske, but that is the only time they have ran against each other this season. Covert also has won all six races that she has ran this season. At this point, it's fair to say it's a 50/50 shot on who will win between these two talented individuals. But it's worth noting that they may not be the only ones up at the front. Sophie Whicher is the only other runner besides Covert and Fenske who has broken 18 this season. Even though she had trouble keeping pace with Covert in her last race, she will still be a runner to watch out for. Also, keep a close eye out for Fenske's teammate, Lauren Peterson, is coming off a State Title in the 3200m during track season, and she also took 2nd last season. However, she has only the 8th-fastest 5k PR going into this meet. Other runners who will be near the front of the pack durin the race undoubtedly include Edina's Emily Kompelien, Washburn's Grace Dickel, Willmar's Heidi Schmitz, and STMA's Weimer and Annalise Davis. Now, if you're looking for two runners who could really surprise people on Saturday, look for White Bear Lake's Maggie Blanding, and Stillwater's Avery Braunshausen, an 8th grader and 7th grader respectively who ran 18:12 and 18:15 at the Section 4AA Championships last week. Both of these runners dropped over a minute off their previous PR during that race, so there's no telling if they might drop even more against the best the state has to offer.