It wouldn't be a 2A state championship without Episcopal being in the running for the title. Episcopal does look to be the favorite this Monday, but there are other schools in the running for some hardware like Newman
Episcopal hit the jackpot in the acquisition of two 7th graders, Lucy Cramer and Anna Kurz, that have soared above expectations in their first-ever season of competition. Cramer is in a position where she can finish on the podium as just a seventh-grader and could challenge Ava Hartman of Newman for the individual title. These two did faceoff just last week at the St. Michael Warrior Run and Hartman finished on top.
Anna Kurz is the other young talent that has surprised everyone. She has been on the verge of breaking 19-minutes for the last two weeks, and there is no doubt that she will land within the top five.
What gives Episcopal the greatest chance of winning is a following of four additional runners that all file in one-after-another. This group of Analise Hyde, Mia Pulliam, Ivy Jiang, and Rebekah Reid put together an amazing performance last week and showed how closely they could all run together. These four runners ranged from 19:52 to 20:09.
Ava Hartman finishing 2nd at the St. Joseph's Invitational
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As mentioned before, Ava Hartman of Newman is likely to win the individual title for her team, but she could also help lead them to a top-three team finish. Hartman has been one of the top runners in Louisiana this year and holds a personal best mark of 18:13. All season, she has only lost to two individuals, none of which are in 2A.
In addition to Hartman, Newman has another low-stick role with Maggie Smith. She could land herself within the top five and continue to aid her team score. The rest of Newman's top seven is a dense pack that is separated only by 15 seconds as of last week. These runners range from 21:14 to 21:29, a little further behind than Episcopal's group, but strong enough to make a strong effort to secure second-place.
Some individuals to watch out for include Riley Ries of Dunham, Anna Schmidt of Louise S. McGehee, and Sarah Godley of Ascension Episcopal.
Anna Schmidt has broken 20-minutes for 3 miles this season and has also beaten out one of Newman's top talents, Maggie Smith, at the Randy Zell Cross Country Classic. Her times are not as consistent as others, but that is not enough to leave her out of the conversation for a top ten position.
Riley Ries at the Episcopal Round Table Run
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Riley Ries is another strong individual runner that has pulled herself together in these last two weeks. She has broken 19-minutes these last two weeks of competition and has proved that she is State ready. Last year, Ries finished 4th at the state meet, behind Hartman, and she will most likely improve upon that finish this year.
Sarah Godley is the last runner on this list, but certainly not the least. She has cracked the 20-minute barrier multiple times this season, with her best mark coming from a 5k at the McNeese Cowboy Stampede with a time of 20:19. That time equates to a 19:35 3 mile.