Girls District 1 Preview

The Division 1 Central District meet is always one of the most competitive in the state, and this year’s distance events are no exception. With deep fields, fast personal bests, and limited regional spots up for grabs, every race will be high-stakes and tightly contested.

1600

Projected Regional Qualifiers: Brooke Chapman, Elena Aldrink, Minori Hudson, Bella Conforti

While it’s not typical to see a clear-cut race with four favorites for four spots, this girls 1600m race might be just that. Brooke Chapman should have no problem taking care of business up front, and with her doubling back later, she’ll likely approach this race more tactically. Joining Chapman are teammate Bella Conforti, reigning 3200m state champion Elena Aldrink, and 800m specialist Minori Hudson. Outside of Conforti, this group boasts plenty of big-meet experience, so we’re not expecting any slip-ups. However, if a spot does open up, keep an eye on Marysville’s Maggie Foust and Bailey Gross, along with Sophia Poling, Lucy Rush, and Addison Caudill—all capable of capitalizing.

800

Projected Regional Qualifiers: Brooke Chapman, Minori Hudson, Bridget Snider, Megan Packard

This event promises to be the kind of dogfight we’re used to. Once again, expect to see two familiar names up front: Brooke Chapman is projected to cruise to her second victory of the day, with Minori Hudson battling for the runner-up spot. Challenging her will be Liberty’s Bridget Snider, who placed 7th at the regional meet last year. The real drama will come in the race for the final qualifying spot, with two athletes seeded at 2:19 and three more at 2:21. We give the slight edge to Megan Packard of Mount Vernon to emerge from that chase pack. Other top contenders include Kate Michael, Lyla Channell, and Abigail Eiferman, with Leighton Coey, Sadie Okonak, and Alessia Backs also in the mix—each boasting seed times of 2:22 or better.

3200

Projected Regional Qualifiers: Elena Aldrink, Bella Conforti, Bailey Gross, Lucy Rush

Rivaling the 800m in terms of depth, the 3200m promises another thrilling race. Up front, look for Elena Aldrink and Bella Conforti to secure their second regional berths of the day following the 1600m. The real battle lies in the fight for the final two spots, featuring much of the 1600m chase pack: Foust, Gross, Caudill, Rush, and Poling. Joining them will be Dublin Coffman’s Emma Donovan, who will be completely fresh for this race. Predicting the outcome is nearly impossible, but any athlete dropping the 1600m could have a notable advantage. We give the nod to Bailey Gross—who owns the fastest PR of the group at 11:02—and Lucy Rush to round out the qualifiers.

With so many proven talents and rising contenders, this year’s district races should produce some of the most exciting finishes of the season. Whether it’s a tactical showdown or an all-out sprint to the line, expect these athletes to leave everything on the track in pursuit of a regional berth.