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Questions to ponder for girls track fans of the Metro region
By John Nepolitan
With the spring season set to kick off there are a number of questions to ponder for Metro region girls track and field fans
Jump to Boys points to ponder
 Can anybody stop Jillian Smith and her Southern Regional team from winning the Penn Relays DMR? Southern Regional (NJ) ended the indoor season with the nation’s fastest time in the DMR with an 11:41.12 clocking which also stands as the # 3 time in US history. With Chelsea Cox on the lead off putting Southern on or very near the lead it is doubtful that any team can build up enough of a lead before Smith (photo left by John Nepolitan) gets the baton for the anchor leg and there is a very good chance that she will get the baton in front anyway.
Can the Weaver (CT) girls add the outdoor team title to the indoor crown? A team that is heavy in sprint talent can score a boat load of points and that is what Weaver (photo right by John Nepolitan) has – state quality sprinters that can be spread over many events. Weaver enters the spring as the team to beat only time will tell if they hold up.
Can Emily Lipari (Roslyn , NY) repeat the double win of the 2008 State Meet? At last year’s State meet Emily Lipari was unstoppable taking the 3000 on Friday night then coming back the next afternoon to win the 1500. After already defending her Federation XC crown and taking the state indoor 1500 Lipari shows no signs of weakness. During the indoor season Lipari led Metro region in the 1500, the mile (also USA #1 in both), and for a time was the US leader over 3000.
Kurzdorfer or Stewart? Melissa Kurzdorfer dominated the upstate shot put scene while Vanessa Stewart controlled the down state. When the two met at the State meet indoor Kun won in a new meet record of 48’ 2.5”. The following week at the NSIC championships Stewart came out on top placing with a 2nd to Kurzdorfer’s 3rd. Which of the two will come out on top this spring?
Can Emily Ando (Weston, CT) add the outdoor state record to her indoor mark? At the SWC meet this past winter Ando became the first Connecticut female vaulter to clear 12’ indoors to add her name to the record books. Can she now add her name to the outdoor list by erasing the 11’6” mark of Jessica Sullivan (Norwich Free Academy) from 2007?
Can Shelby Greany (Suffern, NY) get the state record in the steeplechase? The defending State and NON champion in the 2000 meter steeplechase has her name on the state record board as holder of the state class records for 7th, 8th and 10th, now in her final season before heading off to join former rival Hannah Davidson from Saratoga at Providence. Greany’s best is 6:42.86 in winning the outdoor national crown will need to improve by just over 6 seconds to take Lindsey Ferguson’s (Saratoga) 2006 record of 6:36.05
 Is there a sprinter in the Metro region who can match strides with Dominique Booker (Immaculate Conception, NJ)? Booker (photo left by John Nepolitan) led the nation over 55 meters and was the Metro regions top 55 and 60 meter runner indoors in 2009, heading to outdoors it looks like Booker will continue to be the region’s top short sprinter.
Charlene Lipsey or Phyllis Francis? Charlene Lipsey (Hempstead, NY) won the outdoor state title in a swift 2:07.46, but it was Phyllis Francis (McAuley, NY) that ended up with the states best time with a 2:04.83. This indoor season Lipsey dominated the 600 running the nation’s fastest time in winning the New Balance Collegiate Invite and also took the NY State title both over Francis. Francis won the final indoor race between the two passing Lipsey in the final 50 meters to claim the NSIC 800 title in the nation’s fastest time of the year 2:07.69. Who will be the top 800 meter runner in New York at the end of the spring?
Can Cardozo (NY) remain as the Metro’s top program? Recently Dyestat added its new stat system TFX. One if its features is a ranking of schools based on Dyestat Elite 100 performances and the total number of elite performances that occurred for the school, state, or region. At the end of the indoor season Cardozo (NY) was the Metro’s #1 school as well as the #1 school in the USA. Can they remain on top?
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