Catherine Townsend placed 3rd at state last year and will look to improve on that finish. Photo by Marc Logan
Girls Individual
The depth of quality runners in 6A this year is incredible, with many girls who'd be competing for state championships in other classifications not even mentioned here. Ruby Little from Marist is coming into her junior year as the reigning 4A state champion and 2021 Runner of the Year, awarded by the Atlanta Track Club. Usually, that'd mean she'd be the odds-on favorite to win this year, but it's not that clear cut. Katelynn Dollar was the Gatorade Player of the Year after a spectacular race at RunningLane in 2021. She'll be running for Creekview. Grace Von Biberstein was the 5A state champion last year and has established herself as a contender this year. Clara Heppner and Catherine Townsend finished 2nd & 3rd in 6A last season for North Atlanta, and they were both highly competitive throughout the season. Claire Shelton from Dunwoody showed her abilities in the spring on the track running 5:00 and 10:57. Alexa Hoppenfeld from Riverwood broke 11 on the track. Finally, a healthy Hannah Schemmel from St. Pius might move to the front of the line if the senior returns to her sophomore year form. Who wins it? Who knows!
Girls Team
There are rumors of transfers and injuries which could potentially impact the girls' 6A cross country season, but at this point, that's all they are for us - rumors. So, we're going to ignore those factors here and focus on things we know, like past performance.
This classification brings together three defending state champions from 2021, including Marist (4A), St. Pius (5A), and North Atlanta (6A). These three programs should be the class of the field again in 2022. St. Pius seems to have the early advantage, returning all seven girls from last year's state meet and with plenty of depth behind them. They will likely start the year as the #1 ranked All-Class team, and as long as they stay healthy, they should remain in that spot. Marist returns five top seven girls from a undefeated squad last season in Georgia. Still, Marist will need new girls to step up to compete for the championship. It's possible as Marist had an exceptional season on the track, and they typically have freshmen girls contributing from the outset. North Atlanta returns six of seven and have an exceptionally powerful top three. North Atlanta will have a new head coach this season, which is sure to have an impact on the team. Such a significant change could propel the program to new heights.
We think four additional teams have a good chance of stepping onto the podium this season. Blessed Trinity consistently produces excellent teams and should do so again this year despite having to replace three graduates from last year's squad. Allatoona placed seventh last year at the 6A state meet. We like their chances to improve that performance, as they return six runners and showed growth in the 3200 m on the track this past spring. But Pope will be with Allatoona and potentially have the stronger squad. They'll have to replace some runners from last year, but Pope is well-coached and has a strong tradition. Lakeside's (Dekalb) team is favored to take fourth in 6A for the second straight year based on returning times. It's possible if they had a strong summer of training and can replace several graduates.