Virtual Meet Results: West Central Area School (63), Saint James High School (151), Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd (165), Nova Classical Academy (166), Mankato Loyola/Cleveland (221), Wadena-Deer Creek High School (247), Minnehaha Academy (271)
Top Individuals: Jacob Bright (West Central, 15:27.5), Harris Anderson (Math & Science, 16:03.7), Mitch Johnstone (Mankato Loyola/Cleveland, 16:07), Jack Van Kempen (West Central, 16:08.4), Henry Snider (Mounds Park Academy, 16:15.8), Grant Strukel (Blue Earth Area, 16:18.1), Noah Stewart (MACA, 16:25.7)
The Skinny: The projections for D4 boys swing on if West Central's top three can produce a race that reflects their best results of this season. The ability to have three runners go under 17 minutes is something no other team currently has at this point in the season, yet WCA produced those type of numbers on a fast track at Moorhead and for the most part their results have been 45 seconds outside of those numbers. However, even with less than their best numbers WCA should have one of the best top three groups in the race, making them a strong favorite. St James Area, Lac Qui Parle Valley and Nova Classical are all in a toss up scenario for second through fourth with endless possibilities and factors affecting the final team standings.
WCA senior Jacob Bright was second to Emmet Anderson and his WCA team defeated Staples-Motley on Monday so it should be exciting to see he and his talented teammates battle it out with a group of 28 athletes who have broken 17 minutes in their careers. If the conditions are good, expect a very long list of runners trying to challenge Bright, including defending champion Harris Anderson of Math & Science Academy. Nine of last year's top ten will return from last year's race where seven went under 17 minutes including Anderson's winning time of 16:15.5.
D4 Girls Virtual Meet
Virtual Meet Results: West Central Area (214.5), Providence Academy (261), Eden Valley-Watkins/Kimball (261), Hawley (304.5), Canby (319.5), Mesabi East (347), Minnehaha Academy (347)
Top Individuals: Ava Hill (Mesabi East, 18:24), Grace Drietz (Canby, 18:30), Kira Sweeney (Wadena-Deer Creek, 19:01), Madeline Kelly (Providence Academy, 19:08), Keegan Mcauliffe (Marshall School, 19:14), Paola Acevedo (Saint James, 19:19), Grace Feder (Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop, 19:21), Lexi Bright (West Central, 19:29), Greta Hansen (Math and Science Academy, 19:29), Natalie Fultz (Eveleth-Gilbert, 19:34)
The Skinny: Individually, three of the top seven ranked Class A girls will be going head to head on Saturday. Ava Hill of Mesabi East, the three-time defending 800m State Champion, has the fastest personal best in the field, after she ran 18:24 at State last fall. She's also the top returner after last year's winner Tierney Wolfgram transferred to Woodbury. Grace Drietz, ranked sixth, ran 18:30 last season and has been very consistent up to this point, finishing second to Morgan Gehl in each of her last three contests. Maddie Kelly of Providence, ranked seventh, has two race wins under her belt so far this season, and several All-State honors from seasons past. While those three have the deepest resumes, others could also make a splash. Among them include Kira Sweeney, who has already run 19:01 this season and has two previous All-State honors under her belt, and a slew of other runners have broken 19:30, so it's anybody's guess on the order of the second pack.
Teamwise, the only ranked squad attending this race will be the ninth-ranked Providence Academy girls, led by individual frontrunner Maddie Kelly. In their most recent race at the Mora Invite, Providence Academy took down last year's State runner up squad Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted by nine points. However, it's actually West Central that is favored in the virtual meet. That being said, their races so far this season have not yet shown them to be in the type of shape yet that they ended last season, though that could start happening any time. Eden Valley-Watkins are benefitted by a 1-5 split of just 58.5 seconds, a major advantage in such a large field. They will hope to find a low stick to counter the other two projected top teams, since both West Central and Providence are projected to have a finisher in the top eight. Either way, it will be a very close team battle.