Defending team champions not only seek repeat and possible scoring record, but look to add first girls individual national title for regional since 2014

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

SAN DIEGO – Whether it’s the hometown hero Kristin Fahy of La Costa Canyon CA, the national newcomer Sydney Masciarelli of Marianapolis Prep CT or the Texas talent London Culbreath of McKinney North possibly challenging for top individual girls honors at the 40th Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, one thing is certain Saturday at Balboa Park’s Morley Field.

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The Midwest girls lineup has the potential to produce the most prolific team performance in meet history.

The Midwest has more all-time girls team titles than any regional in either gender with 18, including two of the past three years. The regional’s best girls’ showcase came in 2012 when it had three athletes in the top four and seven individuals in the top 13, producing a 24-point effort.

With four returning members from last year’s team championship squad, which placed six athletes in the top 10 overall, the Midwest not only has an opportunity to secure its first individual girls title since 2014, but add to its team legacy with the regional’s lowest all-time score.

“Honestly, we have such a great talent pool in the Midwest Region and I’m so excited to toe the line with these girls and (run) my heart out and not only race for myself, but for the Midwest,” said Minneapolis Washburn MN senior Emily Covert, who placed ninth last year.

“I feel so blessed to have this ability. God has really been through this with me and I’m just so happy that I’ve had so much experience just coming here. Being here last year was so exciting and then being here again, in my opinion, with an even stronger team than last year, it just means so much and it will be really fun.”

Glenbard West IL junior Katelynne Hart, Hart MI senior Adelyn Ackley and Rockford MI senior Ericka VanderLende join Covert among the Midwest veterans, all of whom placed in the top 25 last year.

The regional also features Beavercreek OH junior Taylor Ewert – third at Nike Cross Nationals – along with Naperville North IL senior Alex Morris, seventh at NXN.

“It’s such a great experience getting to compete against them at the regionals and then to get to come here as a team with them, it’s super special racing for each other like a team would,” said Hart, last year’s runner-up who is looking to become the first Illinois girls champion in meet history.

“Last year, Olivia Theis was able to talk to me during the race and helped me keep going, and at NXN, Taylor and Emily were saying stuff like that too and it’s definitely really encouraging to have girls like that running with you and helping push the pace. It definitely helps you keep going (late in the race) when it gets tougher.”

The Midwest roster also includes first-time national finalists in Muskegon Western Michigan Christian MI freshman Abby VanderKooi and Lansing Catholic MI junior Jaden Theis, in addition to Cotter MN sophomore Grace Ping and Cherry Creek CO freshman Riley Stewart, who both placed in the top 50 at NXN.

And just for good measure, the Midwest coaches are IAAF World Champions and New Balance professional athletes Emma Coburn and Jenny Simpson, the newest inductee Friday into the Foot Locker Hall of Fame.

“We have such a good group of girls and it’s amazing because they are also some of the biggest competitors out there. From getting to know them and spend a lot of time with them, it helps you go into this race a little more relaxed because you’re not just competing against them, you’re competing with them,” Ewert said. “The smaller field will be interesting, but I think it was kind of like that at NXN toward the end because we kind of split off.

“We’ve raced against each other before, so we’re used to it and I think we’re all going to be pushing each other because we’re just a really good group of competitive girls and it’s going to be exciting to see what we can do together.”

The 2000 West lineup holds the record for the lowest girls score with 19 points, producing one of two sweeps of the top three individual spots in meet history, along with the 1991 Northeast squad.

Ewert, Covert, Morris and Vanderlende all placed in the top 10 at NXN, with Hart, Covert and Ackley all finishing in the top 10 last season at Foot Locker.

“We know that we have the talent and we know that it’s going to be a fun race because we have each other there pushing each other and hopefully encouraging each other along the way,” Covert said. “Being on the line with those girls means so much to me and to be able to push myself and not have 200 girls around me, but only 39 other girls around me is a huge factor. I know I’ll be set up well to race well and have a good time.”

Anna Rohrer of Mishawaka IN won individual national titles in 2012 and 2014, with Molly Seidel of University Lake School WI capturing the championship in 2011 and Megan Goethals of Rochester MI securing the crown in 2009, giving the Midwest four of its nine individual titles overall. The West leads all regionals with 13 individual girls champions, followed by the Northeast with 12.

“Because I do the steeplechase, I view myself a little bit more as a strength runner and that will really play to my advantage. I’ve never had a problem with running on hills, so I think it’s exciting to go and be on a hilly course,” Ewert said. “We all have a common goal and we all want to see each other go out there and race our best. At the end of the day, someone is going to win and I think everyone is going to be supportive of who does it.”