DIVISION II
Division II is yet another competitive division. On paper, Teurlings Catholic looks to be the favorite to win, but that is not the most interesting forecast. This is going to be a close race for second featuring efforts from both Vandebilt Catholic and Holy Cross.
Holy Cross has been an interesting team to watch as of late. This team has two strong frontrunners, Gage Baldassaro and Colin Volpe, and one more that could sneak into the top ten, however, this is easier said than done. The main problem for this team arises with the gap put on its fourth, fifth, and sixth runners. For Holy Cross's ultimate goal of becoming state champions to come true, we will need to see just a little more from the back half of the pack.
Colin Volpe (left) and Gage Baldassaro (right) at the Catholic High Invitational
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Vandebilt Catholic's performances have been all over the place this season. The fluctuations in their times are too great to just write it off as a difference in course layout. This is this division's wild card. We don't know how this team will race. Will it be the team with four runners below 17-minutes or will it be the team that has its runners fall back into the 19-minute range? The only way to know for sure is to see how the team fares at the state meet itself. This is not to count Vandebilt Catholic out, but as things stand right now, the lean goes to Holy Cross.
Teurlings Catholic looks like more of a definitive favorite, as of right now. There's a chance that this team will be able to secure its top six, maybe seven, within the top 20, which would be HUGE. This makes Teurlings's 1-5 split much smaller than the other challengers for the title and gives this team the most security that it can achieve the title. Jude Guidry leads this team and has a solid shot of claiming a podium position, he's accompanied by other All-State contenders from his team like Noah Bernard and Jude Greenman.
Jude Guidry (front) and Noah Bernard (behind) at the Jack Schommer meet
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Some individuals to look out for would be the Belle Chasse duo of Drake Breland and Jace Luckoski. These two have been on fire this season, creating a dynamic 1-2 punch for their team. Drake Breland looks to be in a more favorable position to snag a podium position.
Definitely keep an eye out for David Thibodaux STEM Academy's Atticus Solis. This freshman has been in dominating form, separating himself from the rest of his freshman class. This Monday, he may continue that trend by claiming himself an All-State finish at the state meet.