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Northeast Region Girls Early Season Rankings 2023Published by
North Allegheny has potential to secure back-to-back regional championships, but Union Catholic is also a strong title contender, especially with the arrival of several promising freshmen, with Champlain Valley Union, Haddonfield Memorial and Wellesley also capable of racing in Oregon By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor Girls NXR Northeast Preview When Pennsylvania teams qualified in the past for Nike Cross Nationals, both programs enjoyed consecutive appearances, as Pennsbury raced in Oregon in 2012 and 2013, in addition to 2015, with Unionville making back-to-back trips to Portland in 2013 and 2014. That trend has the potential to continue this fall, with North Allegheny looking to repeat as Northeast Regional champion and secure its second straight appearance in December at Glendoveer Golf Course, motivated to improve on last year’s 15th-place performance. The Tigers had only one senior in their NXN lineup and had several underclassmen gain valuable experience that should translate well this season in pursuit of a sixth consecutive Class AAA state title. The race for the second automatic berth to race at NXN includes last year’s regional runner-up Union Catholic of New Jersey, which also made its debut appearance at Glendoveer Golf Course and finished 22nd. But there is plenty of upside and optimism this season for the Vikings, who became the seventh girls program from New Jersey to compete at either Nike Team Nationals or NXN, including the first since Ridgewood in 2019, before the meet went on a two-year hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The main reason is the return of senior Peyton Hollis, who was injured and didn’t compete at NXN, and the other is a deep freshman class that will help Union Catholic overcome the loss of Kaleigh Gunsiorowski to graduation. Haddonfield Memorial and Freehold Township, who took second and third behind Union Catholic at the New Jersey Meet of Champions, are also capable of challenging for an automatic NXN qualifying berth at the regional meet. Champlain Valley Union of Vermont, a three-time NXN qualifier including its last trip in 2018, is a significant threat to match North Hunterdon High from New Jersey for the most all-time girls appearances in Oregon by a Northeast entry with four berths. Wellesley High from Massachusetts didn’t race its complete lineup at last year’s regional, resulting in an eighth-place finish, but the Raiders are another promising young group like Champlain Valley Union that could develop into a regional contender in November. Massachusetts hasn’t had a girls program competing at NXN since Hamilton-Wenham Regional in 2011. Bonny Eagle from Maine and Glastonbury of Connecticut are seeking breakthrough performances for their respective states, which have never had a girls team advance to compete in Oregon. Hanover High, the first girls qualifier from New Hampshire to race at Nike Team Nationals in 2007, is expected to be the state’s top program this fall. Logan St. John Kletter of Mt. Lebanon High in Pennsylvania, Emma Zawatski from Freehold Township, Ava Thomas of Haddonfield Memorial and Julia Scrudato from Montgomery High in New Jersey, Addy Thibodeau of Bonny Eagle High and Rory Sullivan from St. Raphael Academy in Rhode Island, Ruth White of Orono High and Amelia VanDongen from Mount Desert Island in Maine, Kathryn Marchand of Trumbull High and Alexa Ciccone from Cheshire High in Connecticut, Meg Madison of The Winsor School in Massachusetts and Haley Kavanagh from Oyster River in New Hampshire are all potential individual qualifiers to compete at NXN.
1. North Allegheny PA. The Tigers won the first Class AAA girls title in state history in 1975 and nearly a half-century later, North Allegheny is showing no signs of slowing down, with the longest championship streak in classification history at five in a row entering this season. North Allegheny also enters this fall for the first time as reigning regional champion and the Tigers have only become stronger since their last appearance at Bowdoin Park in November. Twin sisters Wren Kucler and Robin Kucler lead one of the most improved junior classes in the country, along with Camille Swirsding, Elizabeth Pizon and Kendall Lucas. Eva Kynaston and Erin McGoey are motivated seniors who are not only seeking a sixth consecutive state crown and ninth in program history, but also a return trip to Glendoveer Golf Course in December, with sophomore Teresa Pagnotto adding more depth to an already impressive roster. North Allegheny is looking to produce back-to-back regional titles for Pennsylvania for the first time since Pennsbury and Unionville combined to win four straight from 2012-15.
2. Union Catholic NJ. The Vikings are not only the leading challenger to knock off North Allegheny at the regional meet, but also possess the greatest potential to produce the first top-15 performance by a New Jersey girls program in Portland since Voorhees in 2007. Peyton Hollis and Courtney Kaiser, both seniors, provide Union Catholic with a pair of low scorers, with sophomores Emmy O’Hearn, Ella Solorzano and Caitlin Toy all demonstrating significant improvement from last year. The Vikings will also be showcasing a trio of promising freshmen that could all have meaningful roles in November at the Non-Public A Group meet, the New Jersey Meet of Champions and regional final.
3. Champlain Valley Union VT. A fourth-place finish at last year’s regional was an indication of the upside the Redhawks possessed entering this fall, with their top six athletes returning and still only one senior in the lineup. Alice Kredell and Estella Laird, both juniors, are the top two competitors in the state and make Champlain Valley Union a strong contender at both the New England Championships as well as the regional meet. Audrey Neilson, Charlotte Crum, Lydia Donahue and Senja Erickson are part of a strong sophomore class for the Redhawks, with senior Amelie Scharf and junior Annelise Wood adding important depth for a group that is capable of running well as a pack in bigger meets. If Kredell and Laird receive strong support at the New England Championships and regional final, then the Redhawks have the potential to return to Portland for the first time in five years.
4. Haddonfield Memorial NJ. Another team that was only scratching the surface of its potential last season was the Bulldawgs, who were edged by Union Catholic by a nine-point margin at the New Jersey Meet of Champions and missed out on the final automatic berth at the regional meet against the Vikings by a 71-73 score. Those narrow setbacks have only added motivation for Haddonfield Memorial this fall, especially with six athletes from its regional lineup returning, including four seniors. Ava Thomas, Riley Slootsky, Audrey Naticchia and Anna Stolarick provide the necessary experience at Bowdoin Park in order for the Bulldawgs to excel at the regional meet, with sophomore Riley Austin and junior Dylan Melcher gaining confidence last year that will translate well during the postseason in November, as Haddonfield Memorial attempts to become the eighth New Jersey girls program to advance to compete in Oregon.
5. Wellesley MA. The eighth-place finish for the Raiders at last year’s regional meet was deceiving, considering that their top three competitors at the Massachusetts Division 1 state final – contributing to a runner-up finish behind Brookline – didn’t race for Wellesley at Bowdoin Park. Abby Beggans and Emma Tuxbury, both sophomores, along with junior Charlotte Tuxbury not only provide the Raiders with the strength up front to capture the program’s first girls state championship since winning a Division 2 title in 2004, but also improve significantly on last year’s regional performance. Audrey Fitzpatrick, a senior, was Wellesley’s top finisher last season at Bowdoin Park and will provide meaningful experience for a group that will also rely heavily on the production of junior Emily Bannon and sophomores Bridget Reidy and Alexa Heller in order to become the fifth Massachusetts girls program to qualify for NXN.
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