Unranked Lydia Olivere defeats #14 Aislinn Devlin by 20 seconds at the Carlisle High School Invitational in Pennsylvania.
Girls Individuals
#10 Tiahna Vladic over #5 Annie Hill at Mountain West Classic (MT)
This race was one of the most highly-anticipated of the year. Junior Annie Hill is the reigning queen of Montana distance running: she's a two-time state cross country champion and two-time Foot Locker finalist. She also set the state meet record at an unfathomable 16:30.7 last fall. But sophomore Tiahna Vladic has enjoyed a dream season of her own so far this fall that included course records of 17:01 at the Billings Invitational [prior record, 17:09 by Christina Aragon] and 17:41 at the Wyoming state meet course [prior record, 18:38 by NXN finalist, WY state champion Dana Morin].
The athletes met for the first time this season this weekend at the Mountain West Classic. Hill and Vladic went out in 5:22 for the first mile; the second mile saw Hill pass in 11:16 and Vladic in 11:20 but the last mile saw Hill fall back with what MontanaSports.com reports as "what appeared to be an injury."
Vladic would finish in 17:04.63 for three miles on the muddy course to win by 21 seconds. Hill placed 12th in 18:13.48.
Unranked Lydia Olivere over #14 Aislinn Devlin at Carlisle High School Invitational (PA)
Downingtown West, Pa. senior Aislinn Devlin earned a pre-season national ranking based on her ninth place finish at NXN in 2015. She made her debut this weekend as defending champion of the Carlisle High School Invitational but was forced to concede her title to upstart junior Lydia Olivere of the Padua Academy in Del., who ran 17:22 to Devlin's 17:44. Olivere is a new name, but she's run on the border of NXN qualification for the past two years: she was 13th at the NXN Southeast regional in 2014 and eighth in 2015. Watch the race video above and her interview video below.
#22 Jordan Oakes over #17 Ember Stratton at Nike Portland XC Invite (OR)
Northwest stars Jordan Oakes of Washington and Ember Stratton of Oregon have met only once in their running careers: last fall at the Border Clash, where Stratton placed second (18:04.5) and Oakes was fourth (18:15.2). They would go on to race at NXN (Stratton) and Foot Locker (Oakes), where both placed 20th overall in the national championship field. Their first head-to-head meeting this year took place at the Nike Portland Invite, where senior Oakes proved her dominance over the sophomore, 17:27.4 to 17:34.5.
Unranked Amanda Vestri over #23 Claire Walters at Pre-State (NY)
Fayetteville-Manlius sophomore Claire Walters is the defending individual New York state cross country champion and top runner for the defending national champions. At the 2016 NXN New York Regional, Walters edged Amanda Vestri, 19:14.4. to 19:14.8. This past weekend at the McDaniel-Baxter Invitational/Pre-State Invite, Vestri returned the favor for the win, 18:15.0 to 18:15.1. The senior had a superior track season, clocking a 9:48.84 3K best for eighth at the state meet to Walters' 10:31.09 PB.
Watch Amanda Vestri battle Claire Walters at the New York pre-state meet: