By Dan Beck, PennTrackXC
Girls' 3,000 Meter Preview
Marlee Starliper of Northern will chase a pair of wins at Sunday's indoor state meet. After the mile, which figures to be very close, she's go after the 3,000 meters. She's the top seed by over ten seconds and has shown she has no problem pulling off a double; at the PTFCA Carnival, Starliper won the 3K in a PA#1 time of 9:52.26 less than a half hour after running the 800 meters. She has the strength and it will be very difficult to stop the pre-race favorite here.
However, there are seven other girls in this field with seed times separated by less than ten seconds, who will be gunning for the upset. Oakland Catholic's Hannah Schupansky comes in ranked PA#2 after a 10:05 at a TSTCA meet a few weeks back. She's a talented junior who won the WPIAL XC title this past fall. Upper Saint Clair's Savannah Shaw will be doubling back from the mile, but she did run 10:08 just this past week after running the mile, so she's shown that she can pull off the double.
Abington Heights' Katie Dammer is coming off a strong XC season and will look to be in the mix near the front. She ran 10:10 at Susquehanna this winter. Gionna Quarzo of Brownsville Area put down a huge PR of 10:49 for 3,200 meters at SPIRE. The sophomore could figure into the race up front as well. North Penn's Ariana Gardizy dedicated her efforts to relays in the past, but she's going all in for the 3K this year and it could pay off on Sunday. Gianna Labbiento of Sharon has been busy all indoor season, usually doubling back from the mile, but she'll be fresh and it could make her a contender for a very high finish.
AAA XC state champ Elizabeth Mancini of Cardinal O'Hara is entered and should be a threat with some clutch running. Clara Savchik of North Allegheny was second last season, battling for the win. Don't count out Savchik, who knows how to step up on the big stage. Cocalico's Jamie Zamrin, State College's Kileigh Kane, Penn Charter's Emma Zwall are the other entries in a race that will be very competitive for those coveted medals.
Entries:
Event 15 Girls 3000 Meter Run (12)
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Meet Record: 9:36.45 3/1/2014 Tessa Barrett, Abington Heights
Name Year School
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1 Dammer, Katie 12 Abing Heights
2 Gardizy, Ariana 12 North Penn
3 Kane, Kileigh 11 State College
4 Labbiento, Gianna 9 Sharon
5 Mancini, Elizabeth 12 Card O'Hara
6 Quarzo, Gionna 10 Brownsville
7 Savchik, Clara 12 North Allegh
8 Schupansky, Hannah 11 Oakland Cath
9 Shaw, Savannah 12 Upper St Clair
10 Starliper, Marlee 10 Northern
11 Zamrin, Jamie 12 Cocalico
12 Zwall, Emma 9 Penn Charter