Jennifer Stephenson and Ralene Kwiatkoswki are well acquainted with each other by now - just one example of the many interesting individual and team battles looming this Friday.
There are two things I'm looking forward to about this year's NCISAA State Championship. The first, as always, is the overall atmosphere of the meet. Simply put, this event exemplifies what high school athletics is supposed to be: competitive spirit mixed with a high level of sportsmanship, plus excitement and positive support. Since I first attended the meet in 2011, I've made it a point to clear my calendar on this day each fall, because this meet is nothing less than a pure celebration of cross country.
Secondly, the stat-head in me can't wait to see what the times are like on the "new" McAlpine. In case you somehow missed it earlier this season, construction at the park led to a small adjustment in the first mile of the course, which has corrected the gradual erosion of the course's length over the years. Times this year have been noticeably slower (with the exception of the Providence Invitational, which was run on the "old" layout), but that may not be due entirely to the course change. The Hare & Hounds Invitational, for example, was run on a very warm and humid morning, and of course the iconic Wendy's Invitational was rained out, robbing us of the most likely chance to see just how fast the course runs. The weather forecast couldn't be more perfect Friday: high of 68, sunny, and a day before the meet for the course to dry from this week's rain. By the end of the weekend we'll know a lot more about how the current McAlpine times stack up against the historical record at the state's oldest continuously-used major course.
But enough overview - let's get into the specifics! Check out the previews of each race on the upcoming slides, or skip ahead using the links below.