Foot Locker NE Girls: Two returners out with injury - But the field is loaded and welcomes a Frosh



By Lex Mercado


On the race's return to Van Cortlandt Park, seven of the ten qualifiers in 2012 were underclassmen, a theme that is starting to become commonplace at the Northeast Regional Championship. Though six of these seven (more on that in a sec) will be favorites to repeat, these girls know that returning to the Foot Locker finals may be harder this year than in the previous year, as more talent enters the meet and shows no fear in challenging the veterans.

Katie Lembo of Penfield, NY comes into this meet as the top returning finisher from 2012 (3rd, 21st at FL Finals). The recent Providence commit has been challenged by underclassmen in her area, but is coming off a 4th place finish at the NY Federation Finals and she was 2nd at the NYSPHSAA Class A state finals. Sophomore Megan Reilly of Warwick Valley has had her number in both races, winning the Class A race and finishing 3rd at NY Federations. She ran her lifetime best 17:23 in defeating Lembo three weeks ago. Reilly is also looking for back to back qualifications after finishing 9th in 2012 to advance and was 31st in San Diego. Joining these two will be NY Federations champion Jessica Lawson of Corning. The freshmen is having a season to remember, adding a Class B NYSPHSAA state title (17:42) to her Federations crown. Lawson hasn't finished worse than 7th in any race in 2013 and a top ten finish on Saturday will make it eight top tens in eight appearances. These three make New York runners strong favorites to send a majority of the qualifiers to San Diego, but they have had plenty of company from New Jersey.

Like New York, the New Jersey season has been headlined by a freshman runner who has soared to the top ten national conversation in her brief career. Briana Gess of Haddonfield Memorial has won every major New Jersey championship race she has contested. She recently was crowned the NJ Meet of Champions winner with a time of 17:45. which is #5 all-time in the history of Holmdel Park. Can she continue her incredible run and snag a qualification berth or even top spot? Her performances would suggest that she is capable of doing just that. Gess will be joined by New Jersey's lone returning Foot Locker finalist Mackenzie Barry of Mendham, another Providence commit. The senior hasn't finished worse than 3rd all season long, with only Gess and Josette Norris of Tenafly the only harriers in New Jersey to beat her. Norris is out for the remainder of her season, and won't be racing due to a Plantar Fascia rupture last weekend.


Regan Rome of Dallas was 4th in the regional a year ago to qualify for the finals for the very first time. Her 18th place finish in the final makes her the top returning finisher from the region in the San Diego race. 2013 hasn't been the easiest ride for the William & Mary commit. Rome has had some bumps in the road with injuries and sicknesses, but she is coming off her most consistent stretch of the season and she had a runner up finish in the PIAA Class AA state championships. Finalist Kennedy Weisner of Elk County Catholic sustained an ankle injury prior to her district race, and after a tough state run, was shut down for the post-season.

Joining Rome in the PA contingent is state runner of the year Tessa Barrett of Abington Heights. The senior virtually set a record anytime she stepped onto the course, recently setting the course record for the 2nd time at the PIAA State Championships with a 17:30 clocking. She takes her hot streak to the regional stage where she will be a contender up front to not just qualify, but to win the regional championship.

Sophomore Mady Clahane of Cumberland Valley is a rising superstar in PA. Clahane earned a 15th place finish (2nd best freshman behind Reilly), and she impressed all season long, winning her district championship and finishing 3rd in the Class AAA PIAA state finals. In late September, Clahane ran 17:28 to set a course record at the Carlisle Invitational to cement her spot as a contender in PA and in the region. Brianna Schwartz of Shaler Area has arguably been one of the best and most consistent runners in the 2013 calendar year. Cementing herself as a star during track, the junior finished in the top five of every competition this season and was 5th in the Class AAA state finals.

New England has had the individual champion of this race three of the past four years and will bring some new faces to the race this year. Erin Dietz of Bedford, MA comes back after finishing in the top 20 last year. She is coming off a 4th place finish at her state meet and is a reigning MIAA Eastern States champion, where she ran her lifetime best for 5000 meters (18:13). Olivia Lantz of Manchester Essex, MA won the division 6 Eastern crown and won her division of the MIAA State Finals. She has not lost this season in her first year of competition.

Hannah Debalsi of Staples, CT is coming off a victory at the New England championships where she ran a blazing 17:15 to make it look comfortable. One of her competitors, Catalina Dominick of Danvers, MA has been on the short end of her contests with Lantz in recent week. She has three victories and two runner up performances this season, with one of them being behind Lantz at the MIAA all state finals. The two will dual it out once again on Saturday, and maybe racing with each other may lead both of them to San Diego. The Connecticut state champion has a 100% record this season and has been a dominant runner in the region. Gabrielle Richichi of New Fairfield was 5th behind Debalsi, but ran a lifetime best for 5000 meters in the race (17:54). She has three top five finishes in as many races and chasing Debalsi may put her in the mix for qualification. Emma McMillan of Barrington, RI is the Rhode Island state champion and earned a 6th place finish at New Englands. She has a 17:42 5000 meter performance in 2013. Finally, we have Maine state champion Kirstin Sandreuter of Greely. Sandreuter was also a top five finisher at the New England Championships, finishing 4th in a lifetime best 17:48. She has four wins in five appearances this season.

 

 

 

The New York TullyRunners Speed Ratings, and top Returners.
 

Girls

Tessa, Briana and Hannah looks like a race we've all been waiting for.  Unfortunately, Jossette Norris of NJ, a top seeded athlete, is out for the remainder of her season, and won't be racing.  Same story for Kennedy Weisner of PA.  Look for NY to have a good showing.  Top twenty entries below.
 

Tessa and Hannah looks like a race we've all been waiting for.  Unfortunately, Jossette Norris of NJ, a top seeded athlete, is out for the remainder of her season, and won't be racing.  Same story for Kennedy Weisner of PA.  Look for NY to have a good showing.  Top twenty entries below.

Tessa Barrett           Abington Heights PA 158
Brianna Gess Haddonfield NJ 151
Hannah Debalsi Staples HS - CT 150.73
Anoush Shedadeh Larchmont NY 148
Katie Lembo Penfield NY 144
Megan Reilly Warwick NY 144
Mady Clahane Cumberland Valley PA 144
Regan Rome Dallas PA 143
Jessica Lawson Corning NY 142
Courtney Thompson Saint John Vianney 141
Kirstin Sandreuter Greely HS - ME 139.8
Dana Klein Gill St. Bernards - CT 139
Kaley Richards Lowell - MA 139
Denise Branch Cardozo NY  138
Barry, Mackenzie West Morris Mendham NJ 138
Anna Flynn Ursuline NY 138
Gabrielle Richichi New Fairfield-CT 137.73
Olilvia Lantz Manchester Essex 137.46
NAME YR CITY   2012 FLCCNE FINISH
Katie Lembo 12 Penfield NY 18:11.0
Regan Rome 12 Dallas PA 18:13.3
Anoush Shehadeh 11 Larchmont NY 18:15.0
MacKenzie Barry 12 Mendham NJ 18:23.0
Marissa Saenger 12 Clarence NY 18:31.3
Megan Reilly 10 Warwick NY 18:35.8
Kennedy Weisner 12 Saint Marys PA 18:36.8
Kara Steinke 12 Collegeville PA 18:53.8
Josette Norris 12 Tenafly NJ 18:54.3
Paige Duca 11 Rockville Centre NY 18:56.8
Mady Clahane 10 Mechanicsburg PA 18:57.3
Erin Dietz 11 Bedford MA 19:06.3
Paige Stoner 12 Pottsville PA 19:12.5
Victoria Dippold 11 St Marys PA 19:16.8
Denise Branch 12 Jamaica NY 19:17.4