Debalsi, Barrett and Gess - oh my! - at FL NE

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

ENTRIES

The girls race at Van Cortlandt Park on Saturday is a mini-blockbuster featuring three athletes who have not lost this season -- and who have never raced in this meet.

 
US#5 Hannah Debalsi, US#7 Tessa Barrett and fast-rising US#22 Briana Gess could produce one of the best regional finals in the country when they go to the starting line.

 
Debalsi, a sophomore from Staples, Ct., is the New England champion and broke the course record at New Hampshire's Deerfield Park.

Barrett of Abington Heights (Pa.), a senior who has committed to Penn State, has been sensational in Pennsylvania and broke the state meet record along with several other course records. This is her first opportunity to compete outside of her home state.

And Gess, a freshman from Haddonfield, N.J., is fresh off an impressive victory at the New Jersey Meet of Champions.

It would be easy to see those three breaking away early and contesting the win among themselves.

Meanwhile, several of the top returners from last year's meet, Katie Lembo of Penfield, N.Y., third in 2012, Regan Rome of Dallas (Pa.), who was fourth, and Anoush Shehadeh of Phillips Andover (Mass.), who was fifth, are looking for return trips to San Diego.

Shehadeh, who attends a prep school, was largely off the radar until she blitzed the NEPSTA Division 1 championship race in a record-breaking time of 17:38 on Nov. 9.

Sophomore Megan Reilly of Warwick Valley (N.Y.) came up big late in the season, winning the New York Class A meet and finishing third at the Federation Championships - finishing one spot ahead of Lembo both times. (Reilly was ninth here last year). Another New Yorker that seems a safe bet for top-10 is frshman Jessica Lawson of Corning. She won the Federation title.

Another Foot Locker returner, Mackenzie Barry of Mendham, will be looking for a return trip to nationals. But fellow New Jersey standout Josette Norris is out with a foot injury.

Rome is coming is on her way back after missing a portion of the season and Kennedy Weisner of Elk County Catholic (Pa.), 10th here last year, is out with an injury. Another Pennsylvanian, sophomore Mady Clahane, should be in the hunt for one of those final spots.

Only three of last year's top 10 return in the boys race, which is wide open this year.

With many of the region's most talented starts choosing NXN this year, one who defected the other way could be the favorite at VCP. Mickey Burke of Rush-Henrietta was 13th at NXN in Portland last year and the Syracuse recruit could be on his way to San Diego this time.

The top returner is Kyle Kroon, who was fifth last year (and 28th at FL Finals). The Toms River South senior was 10 seconds faster at the New Jersey Group 3 meet than he was last year.

The guys who went 2-3-4 at the New England Championships, Alex Ostberg of Darien, Ct., Joseph Holt-Andrews of Telstar, Maine and Christian Alvarado of Fairfield, Ct. should all be factors as well.

A wildcard is Garrett O'Toole of Middlesex School in Concord, Mass., who has been injured this season. He will go to the line with some serious track credentials, which inlcude 3:49.89 in the 1,500 and 9:02.01 for 3,200.