6A Boys
6A In an incredible race last Fall, Mill Creek captured their first ever State title out running a game and senior heavy Marietta and Norcross squads and followed that up, by an impressive performance at the GA Olympics for a sweep of the Boys XC/Track program making ol' Coach Arnold proud. They may have an easier return to the top this season as Marietta and Norcross graduated their top guys, however Harrison, Brookwood, Walton, Collins Hill and Etowah should be very tough. The next tier of competitive squads may consist of Parkview, Milton, Peachtree Ridge. One may keep an eye on Archer as they have alot of upside, with a crafty new coach (McCartney, who was an asst.at Mill Creek in 2012),
9 of the top 10 runners in the 6A State Championship graduated and have moved on to the Collegiate level. We'll all miss watching Peachtree Ridge star and 2 time Foot Locker Finalist Josh Brickell fly around the trails with the greatest of ease, along with Milton's Nathan Riech, Arman Rehmann and Nick DelGuercio of Norcross, Ben Pleak and Jake Bagwell of Marietta and Wheeler's Adel Yoonis, But a wealth of fast harriers will be back to race for that coveted 6A individual title this Fall. Kenan Farmer of Walton had a tremendous Spring Track season winning the Gold besting Brickell in 9:11 and took a Silver in the 1600m at 4:16..The man beating him in the 1600m is Tyler Woodrome at 4:15.85 and he was the Hawks top finisher at State placing 6th in 16:46 Teamate Eric Westog is experienced and capable of being in that lead pack and has a pr of 15:48 at Great American. Kevin Mills of Peachtree Ridge is also a formidable threat with a 15:48 at Foot Locker South last Fall. Ryan Peck of Wheeler is back after placing 11th at State and sports a pr of 15:57 at Boling Park. Some others to watch are Bryan Kamau of Shiloh (pr of 15:43-Asics), Drew Kelley of Roswell, Daniel Ellis of Collins Hill, Josh Ingalls of Brookwood and Alex Dunlap of Kennesaw Mountain.
Mill Creek has steadily improved under the guiding hand of Coach Andy Christie. 7th in 2010, 2nd in 2011 and finally capturing the grand prize last Fall. The defending 6A State Champions, return 5 of 7 from their State squad. Leading the group is Tyler Woodrome, 6th at State last year and the 1600 State Champ this spring. Eric Westog, 8th at State as a sophomore and 12th last year, also returns. Jonathan Westog and Sam Costa, who both broke 16:40 as freshmen last year, are back, as is Josh Arceneaux, 40th at State as the Hawks 6th man and sub 16:50 last year. The Hawks will be very deep despite having lost their #3 and 4 from state team, but return the #8-12 guys. Can't wait to see them race against other top programs like Marist, St.Pius this season.
Harrison's goal this season has to be a Podium finish after placing 13th. Coach Scott's Hoyas return what could be the deepest group that they have ever had, with a squad that returns 6 guys with PR's in the 16:00's. They lost 2 Sr's from their 2012 state squad, but return 5 that ran at Carrollton in November. Leading their pack should be rising Jr Spencer Borchelt who made the finals of the 6A 1600m last Spring. Other top returners are Adam Watt, Ben Gladstone and Ryan Brock. Harrison looks solid in Region 4, but how will they respond to the pressure of the State meet and the new gnarly Carrollton course is still to be answered. Harrison has a deep MS feeder program and it could prove interesting if a freshman boy can make an impact in 6A, though Freshman boys virtually never finish in the top 10 in the state.
Brookwood has a strong program under Coach Ben Dehnke and there's no signs that 2013 will be a down year, though a 3rd place finish at State seemed to fall short of expectations of those not in the loop. The Broncos should be an immediate contender for a return to the Podium and perhaps push Mill Creek a bit as 4 of their top 7 from State should be back including their top 3 of the top 4 harriers in Josh Ingalls, Ryan Massey and Jonathan Hanagriff. Brookwood has a huge team, like Milton and Mill Creek and their has to be some young talent fermenting within to step up come November.
Walton's had a strong program for decades, first with legendary Coach Tom Williams and recently with successful Coach Travis Gower, who comes from a strong coaching lineage. It looks favorable for Walton to make a run to the Podium this November after a 7th place finish. The Raiders will be led by 3200m Georgia Olympics Champion Kenan Farmer which should score them low points everywhere they race. Their team results will be determined by how well the pack improves over the course of the season. The Raiders bring back 5 of the 7 boys who ran at the State XC meet last fall including Daniel Yu, Connor Kilch and have a large crew of boys that have been in the program for 3 to 4 years and will have the task of carrying the team this Fall.
Collins Hill placed returns 3 of the top 5 and adds some talent from the track team in hopes of boosting their standing in the top 10. The team should be led by Sr. Daniel Ellis (4:31/9:55) who hopes to match Jon Moses' track success throughout the year. The Eagles have a strong schedule this year including trips to Virginia (Knights Crossing), Tennessee (McCallie Inv.), and South Carolina (Furman Inv.) that they hope will have them ready for the championship season in November.
Parkview its been 2010 since the Panthers have sniffed at a top finish at State (where they placed a strong 2nd to Brookwood) but this may well be the year. The Parkview boys hope to rebound after a disappointing 2012 season. They return all of their runners from the previous season and will rely on their depth to try to work their way back to a podium spot at state. The top runners include Nic Schofer, Alec Harp, Alex Sullivan, Andrew Klassen, and Will Freeman.
Peachtree Ridge's boys have a lot of questions to be answered and shoes to be filled. The Ridge graduated 3 out of their top 7, including 3 time State Champ Josh Brickell. However, senior Kevin Mills returns who may be the heir apparent and is now able to shine on his own as the leader of this young team. Others returning from last years' varsity squad include senior Evan Beck, who missed 5 months following last years' season due to an injury, and junior Isaac Penman, who seems to be making big gains as he matures. Soph Nate Reichard brings the only other state experience to the young soph class looking to fill the remaining spots. While this class is young they are not lacking in talent or depth and were one of the state's strongest freshman classes from Spring Track season. This could be a great season for the Ridge or it could be another year or two before they get back on the podium ... only time will tell.
Etowah scored very high on the composite chart and Coach Joe is sure to have his charges ready for a run this season. Etowah fields what is still a very young squad of boys, returning 6 of 7 from their state squad last year. Although they may not have a front runner, the Eagles have been known for their tight pack running throughout the season, and with 6 returning we should expect the same this year. Etowah returns 5 boys who broke 17 last year, and will look to see if their pack can move closer to the front to make some noise at the big meets. Some of the top returners are Brian Matthews, Blake Beavers, Garrett Metropol and Michael Perona. Their first test will be at NEGA crossing paths w/ Flowery Branch and North Hall.
Milton’s best finish at the state meet since 2000 was last Fall but losing of 6 of the top-8 from that squad, the Eagles will need to rely on old-fashioned team work and bulk finishes along with discovering their new front runner. Leading the Eagles will be senior co-captain Kevin McGorrey. After a very successful track season and logging in some good summer miles he is ready to lead this very youthful team. Also returning from the state squad is sophomore Clay Marshall. A long but successful Summer Triathlon season has put him in a leadership role with much more experience and the drive to make this team successful. Youth is the theme with this group as the rest of the team is made up of mostly sophomores. Jack Bluth & Matt McGorrey will be in the mix along with John Fravel and finally senior Brendan Kemple, who saw limited action on the top-7 in 2012 will also be a major contributor to the success of this young Milton squad.
A few other teams not to be overlooked are Wheeler, Archer, Dacula and Rockdale County.
6A Girls
It looks like the girls' championship is very hard to call at this point. Predictions for girls is about as easy as predicting the second coming! Injuries hit girls' teams more frequently, turning a contender into an also ran. Also, freshmen girls contribute far more frequently in girls than in boys....Any of four teams, Walton, Peachtree Ridge, Brookwood, and Harrison certainly have the talent and depth to reach the top stoop on the podium. At the moment, Brookwood may have an edge, but by the slimmest of margins over Walton. Any of the other teams, Marietta, Etowah, and Roswell, certainly could break through and make the Podium, but at the moment seem to be behind the other four. You can't count out Mill Creek, Milton, North Cobb or Woodstock. With teams from Walton, Roswell, Woodstock & Etowah, Region 5 will again leave home a possible top-10 state scoring team (in 2012 Woodstock did not qualify after being ranked 6th in the state heading into the region meet). Predicting the girls is an especially shaky business since Freshmen girls so often, come out of nowhere to have a huge impact unlike the boys.
As far a individual girls go, the graduation of the top 7 finishers from 6A including Allie Buchalski, Annie Kelley and others has opened a large door for a new group to move up and go for the title. The edge for now has to go to Avery Bussjager of Walton or teamate Katie Sanders, Savannah Carnahan of South Forsyth who won the USATF JO 2000 Meter Steeple and has the best pr of this tight bunch at 18:31, Tyra Holloway of North Cobb, with the possibility of Ashley Buda of Brookwood, or Erin Gant of Roswell breaking through. Unlike in recent history, there are no clear cut front runners for the team or individual championships.
Harrison The Lady Hoyas from Kennesaw have had a strong hold on the Region 4A title taking 5 in a row so far. They only lost leader Elyse Bray to graduation last year and their notorious depth has keep them a mainstay in Carrollton. Sr Kennedy Sorge, who made the 6A 1600m Sectional last Spring and top returner from XC Emily Duvaris will have to learn how to be leaders on the course if they wish make the podium in 2013. The Hoyas should breeze thru their Region, maybe holding back some for State.
Brookwood Though Brookwood lost their top 2 runners, the pieces are there to be in the mix in November. But, like most teams, whether or not they stay healthy, which kids "step up" into top-5 roles, and how confident they are in what we're doing will determine whether we're fighting for the top spot or just a podium spot in Carrollton. Returning from the Broncos defending state title team are junior Holly Gunder, Laurel Sumner, Ashley Buda, and Nina Thomason. Incoming Frosh Mackenzie Ellison has proven herself on the MS level, can she step in and have an impact?
Peachtree Ridge The "Ridge Chicks", (as they are known around campus) are looking very promising this year. Only graduating 2 seniors and returning 4 of their top 5 from last year gives the Lions an edge when it comes to experience. The group will be lead by five state experienced seniors including Addy Lippitt, Laurel Wilson, Caroline Williams, Hayley Spears and Isabella Hoskins. The competition is close for all the spots on this team and could be filled by any number of girls in a strong group of runners that are on the heals of the more experienced athletes. Their strength will be exactly that...their strength. They are strong in numbers, experience, talent, and on the hills. 2013 could be the year of the "Ridge Chicks".
The Walton girls team that finished 2nd last year (and won in 2010 & 2011) will have many holes to fill. Alexa Womack (Clemson), Erin Radcliffe (Georgia Tech), and Sara Hardin (focussing on soccer) are gone. The Lady Raiders do bring back junior Avery Bussjager (7th in 1600 & 3200 in Albany) as a bonified front runner, juniors Katie and Christie Sanders, and the senior leadership of Emily Bridges (ran at state the last three years), so their cupboard isn't bare. The Lady Raiders have been a deep team and will need that depth this year to challenge for another title. Region 5 again boasts strong teams and individual contenders with an always strong Walton team but Etowah looks to be the strongest along with Wheeler. Milton & Roswell look to be the teams fighting for the final state spot.
Marietta placed 15th last season, but their prospects look much better this Fall. The Devils could possibly return their entire top 7 from their State squad. And their 1-5 contains no seniors including Kayla Dawson, Rebecca Dow, Mary Jeanne Assinzo, Reagan Durham and Halle Rentz which bodes well for them. They do have the fortune of being in Region 4 and should easily Q for State behind speedy Harrison.
Roswell placed 10th last season and could move up a few spots. They should have 4 of their top 5 back including frontrunner senior Erin Gant (19:05 pr), Sunshine Flamer, Erin Simons and Ellen LaHatte. Their biggest roadblock will be getting out of Region 5 which includes Walton, Milton, Etowah and Woodstock
Mill Creek Girls had their best season in school history in 2012, placing 5th and falling one position shy of a Cup. Coach Brand is returning his top five scorers from last years state race. Leading the way will be Lauren Hovis and Hannah Lopez. Other strong core runners will be Lexi Froh, Jessica Fanczi and Meghan Smith. The team is working toward a top 4 finish in 6A for 2013.
Etowah girls return all 7 of their state runners from last year. Like the boys the Lady Eagles live and died by the pack running mentality, as no girl has established themselves as a front runner. Track went well for the girls as Kingsley Green finished 5th in the 3200 in region 5. Kingsley will be with other key contributors Julia Turbyfield, Kyla Resnick, and Shelby Rensel, 3 of which broke 12 in the 3200. Frosh Macki Walsh is reported to be at Etowah and could step in and help the Eagles. Their first test will be at NEGA when they line up against Mill Creek.
Milton lost 5 of their top-8 from last year’s state 4th place effort including thoroughbred Annie Kelly (that placing is the best in school history) but return only two seniors in the top-12! A return trip to the state meet and a top-10 finish seem to be the motivation for this very young squad. Top-returner sophomore Riley Burr will lead a young but experienced group of Lady Eagles who will need to work as a team in order to advance from the “region of death” and get to Carrollton. Along with Burr, senior Abbey Jordan also returns from the state squad with a renewed vigor and solid summer of training. State alternate, junior Hallie Howell will need to step up her aggressive running and lead a team pack that should include fellow juniors Amy Ruiz & Juanita Pardo (with Pardo running in the state meet as a freshman in 2011). Senior co-captain Rachel Cronin and sophomore Victoria Wagner will be expected as well to be with this young group and make the team aspect more dominate as Milton tries to discover it’s front-runner in 2013.
Some other teams capable of cracking the top 10 could be Woodstock, North Cobb, Centennial and maybe South Forsyth.