by Don Rich
PennTrackXC.com
Northeast Region editor
Boys - Girls
Boys
New Jersey looks at September as pre-season, so they begin low-key.
NE #9 Cherokee hosts the two-mile class races known as the Cherokee Challenge 9/11. NE #2 Toms River North is expected to compete there. But it’s a shorter distance, just two miles, and frosh vs. frosh, soph vs. soph, etc. Cherokee then look for some good performances at Great American. They will face Toms River North at least four times this season. That will get old quickly.
NE#3 Cedar Cliff boys debut this Saturday at the growing Gettysburg Invitational. Craig Miller-lead Manheim Township will be their stiffest challenge. Cedar Cliff has had Great American on their calendar for a long time.
NE#4 Lockport starts at a smaller invite 9/18, before testing themselves 10/2 at McQuaid and 10/9 at Manhattan.
Girls
NE#3 Hatboro Horsham was upset 9/3 by unranked St. Basil at the Wood Invitational. Basil was overlooked, and obviously deserves a regional ranking. But this is virtually the same Hatboro team that won two straight AAA (large school) PA championships. One of their top five is a notorious slow-starter, and one of the their top five was missing and will return later in the season. But Basil is for real.
Hatboro will face NE#4 Gwynedd Mercy 9/18 at the Briarwood Invitational, and may go to Great American. They will definitely run Manhattan.
Gwynedd will run the smaller Abington Inv. this Saturday before their big race against the Hatters.
The sidebar story in PA will be the race for the SINGLE state berth in District 1 for either AA Gwynedd Mercy or AA St. Basil. Two points separated the two teams in 2003, but three St. Basil qualifiers medalled. The district does not have enough AA schools to meet the two-berth standard. St. Basil will run at Great American.
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