MileSplit50 Girls Team Rankings Countdown

No. 14 Saratoga Springs (NY)

Analysis: The Blue Streaks lost some really important pieces in 2019: Mainly, graduate Kelsey Chmiel, who was arguably the top girls distance runner in Saratoga Springs history. Beyond that, Saratoga Springs, which won a stunning Class A Cross Country championship in New York over Fayetteville-Manlius -- scoreline: 46-47 -- won another NXR New York title and was sixth at Nike Cross Nationals, are down two more graduates: Ciara Knott and Megan Morin. But hey, don't fret! 

This is Saratoga Springs. Four of seven return, including some blossoming young talent: Sophomore Ella Kurto -- sixth at the Class A Championships -- eighth-grader Emily Bush and ninth-grader McKinley Wheeler. An offseason will bring new talent into the ranks as well. 

Based on times from 2018, Saratoga Springs will have plenty of talent and sport an average of 18:54.88 as they enter the 2019 season. In New York, once again the top players will be among the most talented: F-M, Saratoga Springs, North Rockland and Liverpool. But the Blue Streaks could once again challenge F-M for hardware in 2019. Don't sleep on this team. 

Biggest question: Will Saratoga Springs be a pack-running team in 2019?

Kurto ran a personal best of 18:01.90 at Nike Cross Nationals in 2018 and is coming into her own. Moving into the No. 1 position might be the confidence-booster she needs to make a big jump into the elite ranks. But the question beyond Kurto is where the rest of the pack fits. Will this be a pack-running team? Or will the compression branch out?