GIRLS' TEAM RANKINGS 21-15
21. Academy of Sacred Heart NO
The Division II program of Sacred Heart is perhaps one of the most interesting on this list. Their team that competed at the state meet consisted primarily of middle schoolers. These are all very inexperienced girls that have plenty more to gain. This team is too young to pin down just how good they can be, but it goes without saying the potential for this program is without bounds.
20. Episcopal of Acadiana
Division IV is welcoming the historical program of Episcopal of Acadiana. This has been a team that, regardless of classification, has had program depth year in and year out. The Class B runner-ups from last year return five of their top seven. Among these runners are Acadiana's strength, a close-knit 1-2-3 punch delivered by Grace Pellegrin, Bailey Guillotte, and Ellianna Desormeaux. Their largest obstacle is a fifth runner that has been left behind by her teammates. The performance of this fifth runner will weigh the scales of fate for this team.
19. E.D. White
Oddly enough, Division III school E.D. White shares the same preseason ranking as its male program and similarly has strong front runners with names like Rylee Methvin and Elizabeth Rodrigue. The 3A champs lose their third and fourth runners from last year which drastically hurts how they were as a team from last year, but it's clear that they are still in the running as one of the best teams in the state.
18. St. Michael
Fellow Division III team, St. Michael makes their appearance at last. This is a team that represents pack running well with their top four returners being within 25 seconds of each other. However, they face a drop-off of almost two minutes from their fourth to their fifth runner. Although they have a very strong 1-4, this factor is halting St. Michael from possibly gracing the top ten mark for the preseason poll.
17. St. Scholastica
Division II St. Scholastica demonstrates how to work together. The team has two front runners between Mia Mannino and Lucia Englehardt but also has a melody of consistency between their 3-5. The closeness between these runners is the reason that St. Scholastica is ranked so highly on this list. Without this aspect of their team, their team score would as unpredictable as anyone else's.
16. Dutchtown
Dutchtown makes an appearance in Division I with their low-stick of Isabella LeGarth and a distant following of middle-distance star Rachel Fereday. This team is strong in front runners but lacks depth in its program, especially once past its fifth runner. This team is in a tight spot where they do not have room for error. An injury to any of their top runners could remove Dutchtown from the picture.
15. Parkway High School
Parkway enters Division I and already establishes a dominating presence with Cheyenne Olson as their front runner. Shadowing from a distance is where the team's second runner comes in, however, from this point the team has a close following. Of course, Parkway's greatest threat is the gap between their low-stick and following quartet. Even so, Parkway's success as a team also relies upon the sole performance of one individual which is fairly dangerous.