DIVISION I
In Division I, St. Joseph's Academy looks like the clear-cut favorite, with Ruston and Mt. Carmel potentially fighting for the runner-up trophy. SJA has been dominant this season and Ruston, more than likely, has the greatest chance to pull off an upset.
Mt. Carmel is no joke, boasting two individuals that could finish in the top ten. The problem is that there is a question if some of its runners will be ready to compete on Monday. We've seen changes in the lineups from this team quite often, but if Mt. Carmel brings its A-squad, then there is no question that this is a top-three team. Catalina Reichard holds the fastest time run by any girl in Division I and her teammate Stella Junius is certainly no joke either. Both of these girls have the potential to be podium finishers.
Catalina Reichard placing second at the St. Joseph's Invitational
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Ruston returns with the defending state champion and state runner-up team. We may have not seen a state-leading time from the defending state champion, Lily Garrett, but there should be no question that she is still in the running for the title. In addition to Garrett, Ruston has three more runners that could finish within the top 20 and maybe one more in the top ten if all goes well. However, there is still a gap between the fourth and fifth runners that could prevent the Bearcats from being able to challenge SJA.
St. Joseph's Academy is without a doubt a deep team. The lineup of its top runners changes weekly, so there is no telling who is going to have their best day or not, but regardless it shouldn't matter. This team is just too talented to lose. There have been three girls on this team who have broken 18-minutes just this season (Elise Brown, Hannah Vaughan, and Michelle Daigle), and all three could be in the running for the podium. In addition to those three, there are two more that could possibly finish within the top 20.
Camryn Falgout at the Catholic High Invitational
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Also don't forget to look out for the runner-up from last year, Jenna Key of C.E. Byrd. She has raced sparingly this year, but she could still surprise this field. Another dark horse in the mix would be Camryn Falgout of Central Lafourche. This lady has tackled every race this season without any teammates and has still put up some astonishing times. Do not be surprised if you see this young lady in the top ten.
Sya Bolden of Ovey Comeaux and Reagan Monroe of Alexandria both qualified as individuals from Region 1 and are heavily underrated. Both of these girls could easily finish in the top 20 if not the top ten.
Some more high-profile names to look out for would be Morgan Trauth of Dominican and Natalie Venkataraman of Baton Rouge High. Both of these girls are tremendous fighters and are coming in slightly under the radar.